Happy New Year! Now that the celebrations are over it’s time to get back to the garden where we all belong!

As gardeners we always need to think a season ahead; so here are a few tips for maintaining the garden through summer whilst also preparing for that all-too-inevitable autumn.

General Gardening
Water gardens and ponds are hives of activity during warmer months; be sure to clean these so your plants receive oxygenated water.

Check those sprinkler systems for leaks; there’s no sense in letting precious water go to waste.

While your mantra for summer should be ‘water, water everywhere’, remember too much, too little, or too often and you could damage your garden.

Vegetables & Fruit
Continue earthing and moling potatoes to encourage development and improve yields.

Kumara and yams should be mounded throughout summer until late March, ready for harvest late autumn and early winter.

Strawberry season is almost at an end; shortcuts will mean no more shortcake for you! Keep up the care with regular watering and feeding and you’ll be rewarded with strawberries right until the bitter end of summer!

With the weather treating us well it’s hard to comprehend that, invariably, it will become more than just a little ‘chilli’ and we will soon enough ‘relish’ the warmth of winter veggies.

If you can’t eat them, purloin them away! Excess chillies can be dried and saved to warm up in winter.  

Beat that beetroot! Left in the garden beetroot can turn sour. So it’s time to spice things up in your... kitchen, by preparing relish to be enjoyed throughout 2012.

Basil can be frozen in ice cubes for use later in the year.

Sow and grow (for autumn and winter): radishes, lettuces, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, herbs (including coriander, basil and chervil) and cabbage.

Flowers
As one queen said: ‘off with their heads!’ Whether we’re running a large country, or a small country garden, sometimes we have to be ruthless! It’s time to deadhead those roses and rhododendrons to promote new autumn blooms.

When deadheading climbing roses remember that a supportive structure will be needed for next season.

Trim perennial petunias to shape to encourage fresh, new flowers.

If you have delphiniums in your garden there’s a lot at... stake! These plants should be staked by January to protect against wind and improve flowering.

Sow and grow: cyclamen, petunia, sunflowers, dahlia, marigold and chrysanthemum.

Indoor / Container Gardening
For those who have a greenhouse, remember to dampen down paths. This will keep moisture levels up and the temperature down.

Any remaining spring bulbs, such as daffs or tulips should be lifted, divided and replanted in the garden, or into pots and containers.

Re-pot for peace! Re-pot peace lilies before their new flush of growth. Use a good quality indoor potting mix, such as Tui All Purpose Potting Mix, with pumice to ensure adequate drainage. Now that’s one ‘groovy’ manoeuvre for this month!

If you’re heading away on holiday consider using deeper saucers with sand for container plants to ensure they receive the water they require.

Sow and grow: pansies, polyanthus and violas in trays with seed raising mix for winter colour.

Lawn Care
Water... water... water! Need I say more?

It’s important to remember that nitrogen in fertiliser is more likely to burn lawns during warmer months. Use a slow-release fertiliser with stabilised nitrogen content, such as Tui NovaTec Premium, and remember to read the instructions.

January is a wondrous time in the garden, with an enjoyable work-leisure balance. While we may focus on essential projects, take some time to sit back and appreciate the beauty of nature, bathed in the summer sun. Happy summer everyone!

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