Spring is nearly here
Spring is a busy time at Abundance Garden Centre and it’s a good time to get planting in your own backyard. Here’s our top recommendations for planting and garden jobs this September. As the weather warms up let’s get outdoors and enjoy the garden.
If you have any questions ask one of our trained horticulturists who are available in store and happy to help.
Veggies to plant for the perfect summer salad
Lettuce, zucchini, cucumber, pumpkin, broccoli, capsicum and tomatoes are all veggies which may take a little time to germinate. It’s often much quicker and easier to grow these varieties from punnets of plants ready to take off in your prepared space.
Abundance Garden Centre stocks a wide variety of veggie punnets and a good range of ready to use herbs.
Vegetables that are more suitable to direct sowing into your garden include, carrots, corn, beetroot, onions, beans, peas, raddish and asian greens.
Herbs like rocket and coriander are best started from seed as well. These are fast bolting and need to be regularly sown to ensure a constant supply.
TIP: Plant marigolds near your vegetables to deter pesky insects, and improve the aesthetics .You can also add the petals to your salads for a pop of colour, so why not include violas, pansies, dianthus, lavender, rosemary, society garlic and nasturtiums as part of your planting and edible roster.
RELATED: Mr Fothergill’s Spring Guide
Tips to get your garden in good shape
Before we can begin planting our spring crops there’s some important preparation to do. Follow these quick tips to get your garden in good shape for planting.
Clean your garden – remove dead leaves, weeds and debris enabling a clean start to get the most out of your garden. It’s the perfect time for a spring clean.
Revitalise the soil – retention of soil moisture is important especially with the dry winter we’ve experienced on the Mid North Coast. Turn the soil and add copious amounts of organic matter to set your veggies up for a good harvest.
Buy a bag of mulch, or bring a trailer for bulk quantities of our Organo-grow nutrient packed organic soil improver. Don’t forget to incorporate a good handful of lime or dolomite per square metre to improve soil drainage and supply that essential calcium for healthy plant growth. This also aids to “sweeten” your soil and avoid any strong acidic trends.
TIP: Test your soil for an ideal pH of around 6. Additional fertilisers at this stage are helpful for balanced plant growth.
Trim old plants – grab the trimmers and prune old plants back to give them every opportunity to flourish. For old Tibouchinas – grab the chain saw! We recommend Darlac clipping accessories / pruners and have a great range in stock – a good gift idea for Fathers Day!
Our favourite Spring flowers for a temperate climate
You can add so much colour to your garden and spring is the best time to do it. Sunflowers, marigolds, daisies, snapdragons, geraniums and petunias are colourful additions to every outdoor space.
If water shortages are a consideration, don’t forgo that essential colour, maybe just have colour highlights in self watering pots!
Our top recommendations for colour highlights- perennial “Bubble Gum” petunias (they go on and on), Lobularia (perennial allyssum) and don’t forget Sun imps- our very own sun hardy impatiens. At Abundance Garden Centre we have over ten beautiful varieties.
Lastly, Bougainvilleas are our specialty and are the best of the water wise bang for buck perennials that can withstand even the hottest of summer days.