Gardeners are probably more conscious of water than most people. After all water is the primary limiting factor when you're nurturing living things. It needs to be carefully managed, as an average sprinkler left on for an hour can use as much water as an average family does in a whole day, which certainly puts things in perspective.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Keep a bucket in the shower and collect the water while you wait for it to heat up. Standing in a wide shallow bowl while you shower lets you catch more of your shower water to use on the garden.
Protect plants in pots that might be vulnerable to frost damage. Make sure you have moved any pots containing tender plants in under cover or maybe bring them inside for the winter.
Clematis
There are several forms of Clematis cirrhosa that flower in winter and which are looking good now. All produce pendant bells, in subtle shades of white, cream and green, that hang down so are best looked up into.
The best-known cultivar is called "Freckles", which has lots and lots of flowers which are cream on the outside and have maroon speckles on the inside. The flowers can appear from May onwards and are highly attractive to bees and a good source of nectar when not much else is flowering. While this clematis is evergreen, in hot summers it can shed all its leaves and look as though it has died. However, it recovers well by autumn and retains its leaves through winter.
TREES and SHRUBS
If you have ordered bare-rooted deciduous shrubs or trees, your nursery will soon be letting you know that they have arrived. Preparing the holes in advance will give plants a better chance. You can do this several months before planting, but even preparing a few weeks ahead helps.
Dig a hole about twice as wide as, but no deeper than, the roots, to ensure that they will not be cramped. Mix well composted manure or organic matter into the soil and leave it to decompose. Don't add any fertilizer at this stage. Armidale Garden Club meets June 27, 7pm, Uniting Church Youth Club Hall.