It has been a little wet to mow most lawns but do not let the grass grow too tall as it will become weak and spindly.
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Raise the blades of the mower and give the grass a light trim.
TASTY BLOOMS
Tasmania has several native lily species among them the chocolate lily, Anthropodoium strictum, which gets its common name from the distinctive chocolate scent of its pretty violet/blue flowers that bloom around late October.
Plants can reach a height of 90cms depending on the conditions with clumps making a striking display in rockeries or when mass planted.
Frost-hardy, these lilies do well in most soil types in full sun to part shade.
Propagation is readily achieved from seed or division.
WEEDING OUT PROBLEMS
Almost any plant can become a weed if it finds conditions in the garden ideal for its growth.
The common white arum lily can be hard to eradicate along with miniature irises, agapanthus, broom and foxgloves so it's important to remove spent flowers before seed set.
May is the best time to spray out broadleaf weed species in lawns.
If you use a broadleaf herbicide, you can take out about 90 per cent of the broadleaf seedlings that have recently germinated and are just resting, waiting to grow in spring.
IN-HOUSE HELP
If the tips of the leaves on your houseplants are turning black, suspect overwatering.
If they are turning brown, the problem could be caused by insufficient water, but a more likely explanation at this time of year is the discolouration could be due to a lack of humidity because the room is being artificially heated.
The best solution is to mist the leaves with water every few hours while the heaters are turned on.
Use warm water on houseplants during these colder months as cold water may encourage the roots to rot, and wait until the top few centimetres of soil are completely dry before watering again.
LOVELY LEMONS
When picking lemons leave at least five centimetres of stem attached to the fruit as this will help with storage.
Do not pick wet lemons because the oil cells in the rind will break down and the fruit will quickly spoil.
PEST CONTROL
Stone fruit trees and roses can be sprayed with white oil if there are signs of scale on the bark or if aphids and other sap-sucking insects were a problem last season.
The white oil will smother any overwintering eggs.
Rake up and bin any rotted fruit on the ground.
Do not add to the compost heap.
