Garden Basics
- Care & Maintenance 3

Annuals are plants that grow, flower, produce seeds and die in the one year. (There are some plants that are technically perennials but are most often treated as annuals by gardeners ie they are removed after they have finished flowering.)

Annuals are generally easy to germinate and fast growing and a wild profusion is part of their charm. They allow the gardener to completely change the look and colour scheme of the garden from year to year and season to season. There is nothing like a drift of colourful annuals to elevate the spirits.

Beds should be dug over and organic matter added. A complete fertiliser will provide the plants with the nutrition they need for rapid growth and flowering. Some annuals can be sown where they are to grow, but planting seed into punnets and transplanting them later gives more control over placement. You can also purchase seedlings of annuals from nurseries and stores.

When planning an annual border, make sure you know the heights of the mature plants. Plant the taller ones at the back and the low-growing ones at the front so that they all can get the light they need. Decide on a colour scheme for the border or bed and choose the plants to complement each other. Colour schemes are a personal choice but some suggestions are yellow, orange, apricot, cream with just a sprinkling of bright blue; or pink, mauve, lavender, blue with touches of bright purple; or bright red, violet & white; or burgundy red, silver, mauve and cream.

Once the annuals have finished flowering they should be pulled out and replaced. You need to be ruthless and look with a critical eye. Once it starts to look tatty, pull it all out - even though there may be still some plants in flower. It's time to replace them with the next lot.

Spring Flowering Annuals
Popular spring annuals include larkspurs, forget-me-nots, linaria, Virginian stock, cornflowers, nigella, poppies and stocks. Most spring flowering annuals are planted in autumn, though in cold areas many can be planted in early spring.

Summer Flowering Annuals
Popular summer annuals include celosia, phlox, Californian poppies, gaillardia, viscaria, lobelia, marigolds, zinnias, portulaca and petunias. They are sown in spring. Raising seedlings will give you a head start so that there is less "bare" time between plantings.

Autumn Flowering Annuals
Most summer annuals will carry on into the autumn months, but plants you can add during the summer for good autumn flowering include bedding salvia, torenia, marigolds and ageratum.

Winter Flowering Annuals
In autumn you can plant the winter flowering primulas, pansies, calendulas and Iceland poppies

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Care of Conifers

An open, sunny position suits just about all conifers. Good ventilation will help prevent some of the fungal diseases that can sometimes affect these plants. Many conifers can be grown successfully in pots and they are often used for bonsai and topiary, but the drainage in the pots must be excellent and vigilant watering is essential.

Most conifers prefer slightly acid soils, though some of the junipers will do well in alkaline soil. Most conifers will not tolerate water-logging and in areas where drainage is less than perfect, planting the conifers into raised beds is a good idea. By the same token, the plants should never be allowed to dry out completely. Consistent watering is important to prevent unsightly die-back of portions of the plant.

Conifers do not demand much in the way of fertiliser and too much can cause sappy growth that often falls victim to disease and pests. A light application of a controlled release fertiliser suited to trees and shrubs will generally suffice. Mulching with compost or leaf mould will also help keep the shallow root system cool and moist.

Most conifers have a neat natural habit and do not need to be pruned. A very light regular tip pruning in early years may encourage bushiness. Most conifers (yew is one exception) cannot be pruned back to old wood and will be permanently scarred if this is done. Some conifers such as the cypresses respond very well to regular light pruning and form spectacular dense hedges. Remember however, that these hedges are very volatile and if you live in a fire prone area, they can be a recipe for disaster if they are close to the house. (Be VERY WARY of hard pruning mature hedges - you may create an eyesore that will have to be removed at great expense.)

There are only a few Australian conifers and some are too large for the average garden. However, the Australian genus Callitris has many attractive species that are perfectly suited to Australian conditions.

Illustration:
Callitris columellaris (Coastal Cyprus Pine)

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Growing Passionfruit

To grow passionfruit (Passiflora edulis) successfully, you need a very sunny, open location that is well-drained. Unfortunately, the plant is very susceptible to root rot and even grafted plants will often succumb after a few years. However, some plants go on producing fruit for ages, especially if the vine is well-maintained and healthy.

The plant grows as a vigorous vine that climbs by the use of tendrils. It requires a sturdy support. A wire mesh fence is perfect as it allows good air circulation and does not block the light. The best time to plant a passionfruit vine is in spring. Incorporate plenty of organic material into the soil before planting. Once the new plant shows sign of growth, fertilise with a citrus fertiliser. Fertilise in September, December and February. Keep plants well-watered during the growing season. Fruit fall to the ground when ripe.

Pruning is important to keep the plant vigorous and fruiting well. Pruning is carried out in spring. Cut the vine back quite hard, removing all dead wood and shortening the branches and cutting a few out altogether. Fruit is borne on new growth only, so be ruthless, even if you have to cut off a few early flowers.

If you grow a grafted plant be sure that you do not allow the rootstock to take over. You will notice that the rootstock has a different shaped leaf. Cut any rootstock shoots or suckers back to the stem as they will soon overwhelm the grafted plant.

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Care of Seedlings

It is very important to protect the roots of seedlings when they are being transplanted. If you are transplanting seedlings from a punnet, use a sharp knife to separate the individual plants, keeping as much medium around the roots as possible. Pulling seedlings apart will damage many roots. Never fold roots over - it is better to shorten them with a pair of sharp secateurs or scissors. Seedlings that are carelessly transplanted can sometimes grow into plants with fundamental root system weaknesses. These plants can often snap off at the base. So, remember to provide plenty of space for the seedling’s roots and ensure that the roots do not dry out during the transplanting process - this can happen quite quickly. Always water transplanted seedlings in immediately.

One problem that is often encountered with seedlings is "damping off". Damping off is the name given to a soil borne fungal disease that attacks the stems of seedlings and causes them to fall over. The best way to prevent this happening is to ensure that there is good air circulation around newly emerged or planted seedlings and that the drainage is good. Most commercially produced seed is treated with fungicide to help prevent damping off. If you save your own seed, you can coat it with fungicidal powder such as Bordeaux.

Slugs and snails can demolish a row of newly planted seedlings overnight. You can protect seedlings by creating a barrier around them with fresh sawdust or crushed-up eggshells, or with the barrier product Goodbye Snails. If you choose to use snail bait, use a low-toxicity product such as Multiguard.

Slow release or controlled release fertilisers help to ensure that new seedlings have access to the nutrients they need. It is best not to apply the fertiliser until the transplanted seedlings are well-anchored and producing new leaves. Products that reduce transplant shock such as seaweed-based products like Seasol can be applied immediately after transplanting.

Don’t leave seedlings sitting around in punnets - plant them out as soon as you buy them and the root systems will have a much better chance of adapting well to the new environment. Of course, like any transplanted plant, seedlings need careful, regular watering to compensate for root loss during transplanting. A fine mulch will help to conserve soil moisture.

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