The Key to Gardening

Do you struggle with indoor plants? Are your rose plants looking miserable?  Have you tried online plants and been disappointed when they arrived?  Gardening can a mixed bag of successes and failures, which is why plant shopping with a professional will help you achieve tree, shrub and indoor plant triumph.  Whether you’replanting pots, creating raised beds or using ground cover plants to smother weeds, the key is to get advicefrom the get-go and bypass the broken dreams and parade of dead garden plants.

The low down on three common areas.

Outdoor planters

Check the position and the plant match.  If its sunny, windy and exposed, indoor plants are doomed.  Instead, go for something that laugh at hot temperatures and bath in the sunshine.  Most Australian native plants will fit the bill perfectly.  Many of their New Zealand cousins are also great, such as N.Z Christmas Bush, Pittosporum and Hebes.  Always use Australian standard potting as a basis for planting containers, as this is enriched with fertiliser and water storing crystals.

Shade Plants

Growing plants in darker areas of the garden normally means finding plants that have larger leaves.  These are designed to capture the sun’s rays efficiently and transform this into energy. Most indoor house plants will work in sheltered outdoor positions. Try fatsia, gold dust plant, helleborous, clivia, bromeliads and ferns.

Raised Garden Beds

Lifting plants up off the ground not only ensures good drainage. It also gives you the opportunity to garden at an easier level and make it easier to maintain.  This will probably mean you’re more inclined to pull out the odd weed or pinch off those faded blooms, which will mean your garden is likely to look better. Raising beds also means you can try a technique call ‘wicking bed’ to water them, but this is something you need to investigate before adding the planting medium.  Wicking beds are self-watering and are a fabulous way of growing vegetables.

 

Whatever you spot or situation, the best way to find out if your ideas are going to work, or be inspired, is always to come into the garden centre and ask.  Bring snap shots, your Pinterest board and even a snippet of what you’re looking for, and we can let you know how it will grow at your place.  We have thousands of plants for sale, loads of garden pots to match, and can ensure your little darlings are looks after in transit during their plant deliver, making their way safely to your place and ready to grow.

By: Meredith Kirton