Gareth Carter: Hibiscus, the perfect choice for Whanganui gardens
22 Jan, 2021 04:00 PM
6 minutes to read
This summer so far has been warm and with intermittent rain, has been good for the garden. Like people, plants all react differently to the heat and some plants relish in it. In gardens where there is shelter from the wind, a hot microclimate ensues. This really encourages a spectacular flowering in plants such as bougainvillea, mandevillea, silk trees, jacarandas, petunias, tropical impatiens, flame vine and tropical hibiscus.
Driving around the city I have seen some good examples of some of these in our city. It is during these hot months that these plants really come into their own.
Gardening: Rainfall great for growing conditions
14 Dec, 2020 03:01 PM
6 minutes to read
Wow, again last week we had a serious amount of rainfall. Very good for ensuring a good water table going into summer and it extends our active planting season. The wind, however, has been more challenging, with tender shoots on roses being damaged. The importance of using stakes and ties is reinforced when such storms come through.
While the soil is moist it is a good time to apply mulch to the garden. This will reduce water loss from evaporation, keeping soil moisture levels higher for longer as we go into the drier summer months.
Gareth Carter: Use stakes to protect against wind damage
11 Dec, 2020 04:00 PM
6 minutes to read
Hydrangea Bridal Bouquet. Photo / Supplied
Wow again we have had some serious amount of rainfall. Very good for ensuring a good water table going into summer and it extends our active planting season. The wind, however, has been more challenging with soft tender shoots on roses being damaged. The importance of using stakes and ties is reinforced when such storms come through.
While the soil is moist it is a good time to apply mulch to the garden. This will reduce water loss from evaporation, keeping soil moisture levels higher for longer as we go into the drier summer months.