May is the last month of autumn and there are still a few key things to do before those chilly days of winter arrive.
If you have deciduous trees in your garden, once they have lost their leaves, rake them up and put them in your compost pile.
Add some organic manure, shredded paper, and a bit of lime and in a few months you will have beautiful compost to put back into your garden.
It’s a great time for citrus. Oranges, lemons, and mandarins are all fruiting now. There are lots of varieties of citrus trees to choose from including many dwarf varieties. These grow to approximately 1.5m-2m tall, which means the more compact size suits the modern garden so common today.
Citrus love sunlight and ideally should be planted out in a sunny open position, in well drained soil. Good soil preparation is key to success.
When you plant your citrus, dig over the soil and add plenty of good quality compost and well rotted manure.
Dig a hole twice the size of the root ball, gently tease out the roots and plant. Mulch after planting and keep well watered until your citrus tree is established.
Salvias are one of the most dependable, drought-hardy perennials that you can add to your garden. They are long flowering and tolerate frosts.
Grow them in a sunny location in well drained soil. They look great in garden beds or borders and come in a range of colours from white, pink, red, orange and mauves.
One to look out for in your local nursery is Salvia Leucantha (also known as Mexican Sage Bush).
It has long, silvery, aromatic foliage and bears a profusion of violet flower spikes. Salvias flower mostly in the warmer months. Tip prune them at any time to encourage compact growth.
They will also benefit from a hard prune after flowering or when you start to see new shoots appearing at the base of the plant.
Give them a feed and they will bush up again. Most importantly the bees and birds love them and will be happy to visit your garden.
In the vegetable patch it’s time to plant your winter crop of broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage and onions.
Watch out for the cabbage white butterfly laying eggs on your brassica vegetables.
Cover them with fine butterfly-proof netting to keep them out or simply pick off the caterpillars when you see them.
Flowers that are in season now and to look out for are Chrysanthemums, Polyanthus, Primulas, Pansies and Violas to add some colour to your garden.
May is also your last chance for spring bulbs so get them planted this month.
- Article courtesy of Glenbrook Village Nursery, 20 Ross Street, Glenbrook. For details see the website: www.glenbrookvillagenursery.com.au
