Plant vegetable seedlings of Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, climbing spinach, chard, silverbeet, leeks, zucchini and spring onions. Sow seeds of carrot, parsnip, lettuce and swedes.
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Plant flower seedlings of stock, statice, foxgloves, petunias, gazania, hollyhock, geranium, carnations, delphinium, salvias, lobelia, marigold, nasturtiums, Sweet William, snapdragons, verbena, zinnia, alyssum, aquilegias and asters.
From Brussels to Wales
Brussels sprouts were growing in Brussels, Belgium, in the 1600s but it was not until the mid 1800s that these long-stemmed cabbages found their way into England via France.
Brussels sprouts produce many tiny sprouts in the leaf axis of the main stem and mature progressively from bottom to top.
Seedlings can be planted now into a prepared, well-manured and fertilised bed.
Space the plants about 60-75cms apart. When cooking put a cross cut in the base of each sprout so they cook right through.
Leeks, the national emblem of Wales, are valued for their pungent, characteristic flavour and, although they tend to grow slowly they’re well worth the wait.
A member of the onion family they differ from their cousins in that they form a cylindrical and not a rounded bulb.
Plant seedlings now by placing them upright in the base of a 20cm deep trench. Fill in the trench with soil as they grow. This helps the leeks to develop that prized white stem.
Delightful dahlias
Dahlias need plenty of water during summer but only a little feeding.
At the first sign of the petal colour opening from the bud, top-dress with sulphate of potash at the rate of about 8gms per square metre to improve stem strength and lower colour.
Repeat this process in early autumn to assist tuber formation.
Water the garden in the morning to allow the leaves time to dry throughout the day, thereby reducing the opportunity for fungal diseases to develop.
This also conserves water.
Leeks are valued for their pungent, characteristic flavour.
Discover the Astilbe
A nice, late spring, flowering perennial for a cool, moist, lightly shaded spot in the garden, with rich soil is the Astilbe.
The attractive, feathery leaves grow to about 60cms high and have small, dainty red, pink, or white, individual flowers in large trusses on branched stems.
They’re well-suited as edging plants placed around pools and rock ponds. Divide every three or four years to maintain plant vigour.
