Gardening with Gael - Summer a time to enjoy your garden

CHRISTMAS BLOSSOM: Pruning keeps this pohutukawa under control and looking good, and it enjoys the attention.

Summer is suddenly here and I am surprised every year at how quickly everything dries out. “It’s very dry” I observe to Mike as we do ‘last minute before Christmas’ jobs at the cottages. Mike frowns and says “It’s like this every year” and he is probably right. The top layer of the soil becomes crisp and crackles underfoot, the sand becomes powdery and fine. The large trees begin to shed some leaves. At the cottages I rake, almost daily, piles of pohutukawa, puriri, avocado, olive and magnolia leaves. I pack them all into bags and transport them to The Block. 

The garden at the cottages is now established enough to provide its own cover with occasional deep watering. The Block is still new and open to all the elements. The leaves make brilliant mulch and have saved the lives of several camellias. 

Over the last few years I have transplanted camellias from the cottages and have lost several but this year after dragging up bags and bags of leaves, not only are they all flourishing but the transplants have sprouted new leaves and I think they are going to survive. Sometimes I am tempted to write an article that just says mulch mulch mulch 500 times.

In the preparation for summer, nothing in the garden needs to be wasted. I pile weeds on to spare ground and then Joe, who helps with the lawn mowing, tips the grass clippings on top and in a surprisingly short time the pile breaks down, can be spread about, or, is there ready for planting into the next planting season. The top layer is thick and black and digs readily into the soil – small mini worm farms really. I had always known this method as sheet composting but while browsing composting methods, I have discovered that it is also known as ‘lasagna composting’. Colleen Vanderlinden writes:

“If you don't have space for a pile, or the inclination to maintain a bin, consider lasagna gardening, which is also commonly known as sheet composting. Basically, you're building a layered compost pile right where you plan to plant, resulting in healthy, fertile soil right from the start. As a bonus, this method requires no turning whatsoever.”

The fine leaves of the olive tree can be layered with the weeds but the larger stronger leaves take a little longer to break down and are best kept separate. I toss these on their own under the trees. Pohutukawa are worth growing for the mulch they provide and their beautiful display of flowers at Christmas. The tree in the photo has been carefully pruned many times to keep it small and well shaped. The prunings make excellent kindling and firewood and the tree has responded well. 

By Christmas the heavy work of the gardening season is over for a few months. Summer vegetables are under way and there is an abundance of flowers for picking. Maintenance jobs which include some deadheading, a bit of watering and the pleasure of harvesting vegetables planted in the spring. Time to sit under a tree with a glass of one of our lovely local wines and enjoy the garden.