Don't put the sprinklers away yet After such a very dry start to the year, last week's light rain – or for many, showers – was most welcome.
It certainly helped restore home gardener confidence in the season ahead.
Some suburban and Adelaide Hills locations received up to 10 mm.
However, many suburbs and most agricultural districts missed out.
Better chance of rain in June Frontal systems with the potential to produce rain over South Australia's agricultural districts should increase in frequency and intensity in June, particularly late in the month.
According to independent climatologist Darren Ray, a very strong high pressure ridge centred over SA is currently blocking rain-producing fronts.
However, it is starting to weaken and he is optimistic Adelaide's June rainfall will be close to average (West Terrace 71 mm).
Darren is still predicting wetter than average conditions through late winter and early spring.
Millipedes on the move again  Millipedes have an aversion to wet soil and once the winter rains arrive, they seek shelter – all too often inside.
This is because they are attracted to light.
While blocking the light from exterior windows can reduce the likelihood of a home invasion, a low-cost solar light positioned at the end of the garden can also be gainfully used to lure them into some form of trap.
Slugs and snails now active For slugs and snails the long, dry summer is over.
Having rested for many months, they now have an insatiable appetite and new seedlings, along with fresh growth from perennials and bulbs, are likely to be irresistible.
Large populations are easily reduced by regular trapping.
Placing an old piece of timber raised a few centimetres off the ground is very effective.
So too are baits but they must be scattered over the ground not heaped.
Be aware, snail baits can be very toxic to animals
Powdery mildew starting to flare White powder-like material is starting to appear on the upper surface of leafy vegetables and some ornamentals.
This is powdery mildew and it can affect a wide range of plants.
Powdery mildew thrives in mild, overcast, humid weather that often follows showery weather.
By the time it's visible, the damage is done and affected areas will be destroyed.
Is spraying worthwhile? Where edible plants need protecting, spraying with a preventative fungicide is worth considering.
In this case consider potassium-based soaps (Natrasoap and Ecofend)). Both are non toxic but effective.
At this time of the year, powdery mildew is also likely to cause serious problems to roses, hydrangeas and a range of flowering perennials.
In this case wettable sulphur or Zaleton are both very effective. | | This correa really rocks Rock correa (correa glabra) is a dense ornamental, low-maintenance shrub.
When leaves are crushed, they release a strong lemony smell. An ideal plant for attracting birds and native bees.
An erect, dense shrub to 1 to 3 metres tall and 1 to 3 metres wide, rock correa produces solitary, pink or red, tubular flowers with green tips in May to August.
This native species, and many more, will be available at Trees For Life's annual garden plant sale at Brooklyn Park from Thursday to Saturday, June 3-5. Details and booking link in What's On.
Learn more about this native on Trees For Life's Facebook page » | | New roses arriving for winter planting Winter is looming and for rose lovers it's the right time to start preparing garden beds for the planting season ahead.
This week, Wagner's Rose Nursery has listed two outstanding new roses, along with a practical video produced by Brian Wagner on preparing garden beds ready for planting.
Chartreuse de Parme is a highly fragrant Delbard rose. When coupled with its rich purple/blueberry coloured flowers, shaped as beautiful old-world, double cupped blooms, it oozes richness and class.
Heady perfume of fruits, citrus, lilac rose and spices.
Generally hardy and disease-resistant, ideal planted as a standard border. Height to 120 cm.
Fearless has leathery foliage that withstands fiery summer temperatures and acts as the perfect foil for its fearless blooms of brilliant, intense orange.
The blooms are produced in multiple flushes almost year-round on a tidy even bush. Sweet and light fragrance. Height up to 150 cm.
This multi-award winner has what it takes to be an all time favourite. | | Lavish lavender – seeing is believing Lavish Lavenders are a world-first and a breakthrough in lavender breeding.
Their flower heads are quite massive. However, unlike regular lavenders that only produce wings at the top of the flower head, Lavish have wings that extend all the way down.
For lovers of lavender these have to be seen to be believed.
The bushes are fragrant, butterfly and bee-attracting and produce their flowers all year round, with their best performance in spring.
Lavish lavenders look stunning anywhere in the garden and particularly in pots around the patio.
Grow in a well-drained, sunny position. Feed in spring and summer.
Prune lightly after flowering to maintain shape.
Heat, humidity and drought-tolerant once established but protect from heavy frost.
Lavish lavenders are in stock at Heyne's Garden Centre, Beulah Park, Semaphore Pets & Gardens and Barrow & Bench, Malvern and should be available at other good gardening centres. | | Bee Bidens are big performers For eye-catching colour in the garden Elite Bee Bidens are standout performers.
If you are not familiar with these low-mounding, vigorous, hardy perennials, take a close look at Elite Bee Fire and Elite Bee Boom.
These are considered two of the best as they both flower profusely, producing vibrant two tone blooms.
The latest Elite Bidens flower almost year round.
However, those with yellow, orange or red tones grow best during the cooler months, while the pinks and whites produce their best growth when conditions are warmer.
Bidens are perfect for growing along pathways, narrow driveways, window boxes and baskets as well as garden beds and particularly vegetable gardens.
This is because bees, butterflies and pollinating insects find their flowers very attractive.
 Bee Bidens are in stock at Heyne's Garden Centre, Beulah Park, Semaphore Pets & Gardens and Barrow & Bench, Malvern and should be available at other good gardening centres. | | Please keep your questions
for Talkback Gardening Good Gardening is unable to answer individual reader's questions via email. If you're looking for specific advice please give me a call on ABC Radio Adelaide's Saturday morning Talkback Gardening or ask at your local garden centre. | | | Planting time for Australian natives Late autumn and early winter is a good time for planting out most of our native plants.
Recent trials have shown that plants with a well established root system (sold in 150 mm containers) are more likely to succeed in the average garden than those grown in very small tubes.
While tube grown plants are cheaper, they require a much higher level of establishment care, particularly watering.
However, make sure the plants you buy are not root-bound.
Ask your retailer to check this out. | | Prepare now for fruit tree planting New-season deciduous fruit trees will arrive at your local garden centre very early in June.
Meanwhile, there are big benefits in preparing your soil now – so it is in ideal condition for planting your favourite fruits.
Fruit trees like open, free-draining soils and prefer a neutral pH (acid – alkaline balance) and plenty of mulch.
Loamy soils are ideal, as they allow water to penetrate without water logging, whereas clay holds water tightly.
If a handful of moist soil remains sticky and holds tightly together when squeezed, it's a clay soil and will benefit by adding gypsum to the area before planting.
Gypsum acts as a clay breaker and helps prevent water logging.
It can also be used to raise the pH of the soil.
If the pH is already high, add agricultural sulphur or aluminium sulphate to the area before planting.
The benefits of compost Adding compost to the soil before planting will help retain water while releasing nutrients slowly, providing food for soil microbes.
Finally, add some organic fertiliser to the soil as this will improve the release of nutrients needed for new tree root development.
 Premium locally grown stock from Balhannah Nurseries will be available soon. Best time to plant bare-rooted trees is June to August. The green bag is the guarantee of a premium fruit tree. | | Carryover problems with veg crops If you are thinking about abandoning the vegetable patch during winter, make sure you have removed all the spent plants.
Leftover plants act as a wonderful place for insects and a number of garden diseases to over-winter.
On the other hand, if the leftover material is composted, the insects and most of the diseases will be destroyed.
Rats and mice a garden health risk  Be aware that the faeces from rats and mice are considered to be a major source of E. coli.
Establish an ongoing trapping or baiting program, as both rodents are likely to be regular visitors to the vegetable patch and fruit trees at night time.
Sweetening sour oranges There is nothing like a spell of cold weather to put colour into your ripening navel oranges.
If the fruits you are picking taste a little sour, leave them on the tree for a week or so, as cold temperatures will also increase their natural sugar content. | | An easy way to feed houseplants Houseplants may be the height of garden fashion. But are your plants suffering from hidden hunger?
How do you know when your plants need feeding, let alone what kind of fertiliser is best?
Once again thanks to Yates, the problem has been solved with ready to use liquid Plant Food Drippers.
Each dripper contains the right amount of Thrive indoor fertiliser to feed a full range of indoor plants and ferns for four weeks.
No measuring is needed, simply snap off the end of the dripper and insert into the potting mix of your pot plants.
 Tip. Write the start date on the drippers so you know when to feed next. Yates has also developed a simple liquid Plant Food Dripper for indoor orchids. | | Winter herbs worth considering Some of our most useful garden herbs grow best during winter.
Chives and shallots need the cold to stimulate their roots into active growth, while rosemary responds by smothering its pungent leaves with a delicate layer of blue flowers.
On the Adelaide Plains and along most coastal districts, parsley, chamomile, chervil, lemon balm and most of the mints will also continue growing steadily.
If space is at a premium, grow your plants in a container rather than in the ground.
Why not grow some kale? Autumn is a great time to plant kale from seedlings readily available from your local garden centre.
Recommended varieties include:  Red Russian – attractive Heirloom variety with dark green, oak-like leaves that develop red hues as the weather becomes cooler. Mild to sweet flavour, use baby leaves in salads and older leaves for cooking.- Tuscan – wildly grown Italian Heirloom. Great flavour, large crinkly dark grey-green leaves. Will eventually grow 60-70cm tall.
- Winter Wonder – a very ornamental mix of coloured leaves with colours intensifying in cooler weather. Quick to mature, compact (30-45cm tall). Suitable for container growing.
- Blue Curled – low compact plants (35-45cm) with finely curled blue-green leaves. Very hardy and slow to bolt. Use in salads or for cooking.
Kale chips recipe To make healthy, yummy kale chips, simply wash and dry leaves thoroughly, remove the stems and chop leaves into rough pieces about 3cm in size.
Coat lightly with olive oil and a little salt and bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes until crisp. | | Not yet time to turn of the irrigation Despite the recent drop in temperature in Adelaide, it is predicted the long spells of dry weather will continue throughout May.
The unpredictability of the weather means that, even in winter, you might need irrigation as a backup to keep your garden watered.
Antelco has a range of South Australian-made dripper products perfect for keeping your garden topped up with water in a dry winter.
From adjustable flow drippers such as the Shrubbler®, to fixed flow options like the Asta® PC Spike, Antelco has a product to suit your garden.
More information » | | Seasonal changes in the veggie patch Autumn is about to reach its use by date and that's a good time for a veggie patch stocktake before winter sets in.
Harvest any remaining summer produce, then prune or remove plants that have finished.
Prune back overhanging tree branches that may block much-needed sunshine.
Remove weeds, as they will compete with your winter vegetables for space and nutrients.
Check soil moisture levels. Despite the rain, subsoil levels in many gardens are still very low.
Top up the summer mulch with additional pea straw or sugarcane mulch.
This will suppress weeds while retaining soil moisture.
Check also for pests and diseases and if needed use an organic remedy.
New premium vegetable fertiliser Liquid feed hungry vegies with PowerFeed PRO SERIES for Tomatoes & Vegetables.
Mix 50 ml of concentrate per 9 litres of water and apply every 1 to 2 weeks.
It's a dynamic fertiliser and soil improver and will help produce a bumper crop of tasty winter and early spring vegies.
More information » | | Join the persimmon revival During late autumn a persimmon tree clothed in mellow yellow leaves and bright orange fruits is a wonderful sight.
And new persimmon varieties that can be eaten like an apple direct from the tree are quickly changing the image of this old-fashioned fruit.
While old, astringent varieties can only be eaten when the flesh is mushy, modern varieties are quite crisp and lend themselves to dicing and slicing for inclusion in salads, as well as savoury and sweet dishes.
One of the best new non-astringent varieties is Fuyu (3-4 m) and for small gardens, try Jiro (2-2.5 m).
Managing the essentials Persimmons are sun lovers but the soil must drain freely.
Mulch the trees in spring and add one to two kilograms of complete fertiliser, split between early spring and early autumn.
Deep soaking through the summer months is worthwhile.
Trees are best established as container-grown plants during winter, early spring or autumn. | | Is it too late to lay instant turf? This is a question that is posed to turf consultant Stefan Palm almost daily.
According to Stefan, when it comes to laying turf during winter in Adelaide, cold weather doesn't kill turf.
And based on lawn growing experience that began in the 1980s, Stefan believes it is a task that can be carried out with confidence.
However, in this week's lawn blog Stefan highlights some of the thing you need to be aware of to make sure your turf is in good condition come spring.
More information » | | Keeping house plants happy As winter approaches, spare a thought for your house plants when you turn the air-conditioner off and retire to the warmth of your bed.
Most popular houseplants are quite happy to sit through winter in a relatively cool room (providing the light is bright).
Alternatively, where the room is permanently heated, they may even continue to make active growth.
Problems arise when the air-conditioner or heater is turned on in the morning then off again at night and room temperatures suddenly change.
Misting is effective The answer to this dilemma is to increase the relative humidity of the air around the plants leaves by spraying them with a very fine mist of water, as soon as the heater is turned on in the morning.
However, the benefit does not last long and to be effective you may need to repeat the operation every few hours while the heaters are turned on. | | Sunday, May 16
The Camellia Society Adelaide Hills are opening the garden at Stangate House (a National Trust property), Euston Road, Aldgate. 12 noon - 4 pm. Plant stall, cake stall and light refreshments. Admission $5, children under 14 free. | | Open Gardens SA Saturday & Sunday, May 15 & 16
Jasper and Kirsty's Permaculture Garden
62 Aldinga Road, Willunga
Permaculture is not just a way to garden, but a way of life. Kirsty and Jasper's aim is to use every bit of their property functionally to produce nutritious foods and medicinal herbs, firewood, weaving and light weight building materials, drinking water and small animal habitat.
More information on the garden and directions »
Gardens open 10 am to 4.30 pm.
Entry $8 - OGSA members; $6 - Government concession card holders; children under 18 free.
More information on the 2021 season » | | Talkback Gardening tomorrow  ABC Radio Adelaide Talkback Gardening this Saturday, 8.30 am to 10 am – phone Deb Tribe and me on 1300 222 891 and have your own gardening question answered.
House plant specialist Haidi Sutherland will conduct a mini master class for gardeners who already know and love their house plants. | | Garden centre directory Leading Adelaide garden centres recommended by Good Gardening newsletter.
Heyne's Garden Centre
283-289 The Parade, Beulah Park. (08) 8332 2933
It's not too late to plant seedlings!
Come in and grab some supplies for your kitchen garden and get set for a bountiful crop this winter!
South Australia's oldest established garden centre. Huge range. Expert staff on hand for personal advice. Visit online »
Semaphore Pets and Garden
119 Semaphore Rd, Semaphore. (08) 8242 7302
Feels like winter is here already! Brighten up every day with our dazzling display of winter flowering colour. All stock is looking amazing, with fresh new products arriving daily. Come and see our beautiful store at Semaphore Pets & Garden and get lost in its magic.
Always a great selection of plants, pets and giftware – all under the one roof.
Facebook »
Barrow & Bench Mitre 10
321 Unley Rd, Malvern. (08) 8272 8566
The onset of the cooler, damper weather week is the perfect opportunity to dress up that indoor room or living space. We have a wonderful selection of indoor foliage plants, pots, baskets and accessories to brighten up even the dullest of spaces. Be sure to pop in and speak to one of our 'Mighty Helpful"' staff.
Specialising in providing quality plants and expert garden advice. Follow the Instagram feed » | | Coming soon Saturday, May 22
World Bee Day
Celebrating World Bee Week with all things BEE at the Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market. 8 am - 12 noon, Mount Pleasant Showgrounds.
More information »
Sunday, May 30
Friends of Botanic Gardens of Adelaide plant sale
Mt. Lofty Botanic Garden, 10.30 am - 2.30 pm. Chris Steele Scott Pavilion, near the Lower Car Park off Lampert Road, Piccadilly.
Thursday to Saturday, June 3-5
Trees For Life annual garden plant sale
Westwood Nursery, cnr of Sir Donald Bradman Drive and May Terrace, Brooklyn Park. 9 am-1 pm
Bookings essential. Book online here so you don't miss out »
Saturday & Sunday, June 19 & 20
SAROC Orchid Fair
Hosted by member clubs of the South Australian Regional Orchid Council. Drill Hall, Torrens Parade Ground, King William Rd, Adelaide. Free parking on parade ground. $6 donation. | | Regular garden attractions Check with each venue's web site for any Covid-19 restrictions on opening hours.
Adelaide Botanic Gardens – free guided walks
Friends of the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide guided walks for the public at Adelaide, Mount Lofty and Wittunga Botanic Gardens, and Botanic Park.
More information »
Carrick Hill
Heritage house museum and garden, the former home of Sir Edward and Lady Ursula Hayward. Open weekends & public holidays. Free admission into garden and grounds. 46 Carrick Hill Drive, Springfield.
More information »
Cummins Historic House and gardens
23 Sheoak Ave, Novar Gardens. Gardens open and plant sales on 1st & 3rd Sundays of each month (except Dec & Jan) 2 pm - 4.30 pm. Plant sales also available every Friday morning 9 am to noon. More information » | Facebook »
Heysen - The Cedars
The historic home of two of Australia's most noted artists, Sir Hans Heysen and his daughter Nora. This unique 60-hectare heritage estate features the original family home, two artists' studios and the celebrated cottage-style garden, planted chiefly with exotics, including the massive Himalayan cedar trees.
Heysen Road, Hahndorf. Open 10 am - 4.30 pm, Tuesday to Sunday, and also open on public holiday Mondays. Ticketed entry, including guided tours at 11am and 2 pm.
More information »
Old Government House, Belair National Park
The former vice-regal summer residence of some of the early governors of South Australia. An excellent example of Victorian architecture, set amongst one acre of magnificent gardens. Features cottage plants and flowers cultivated in Victorian times, heritage roses and mature trees.
Tours and afternoon tea on the first and third Sundays each month and public holidays, 1 pm – 4.30 pm. Free entry into Belair National Park if you are visiting OGH - tell the info office staff as you drive in.
More information »
Urrbrae House historic precinct gardens
At the end of Walter Young Avenue, off Fullarton Road, Urrbrae, or from the Urrbrae House gate, Claremont Avenue, Netherby.
Open from dawn until dusk every day. Free entry.
More information »
Waite Arboretum, Fullarton Road, Urrbrae
Open free to the public every day of the year from dawn to dusk, except on fire ban days. Free guided walks on the first Sunday of every month, 11 am to 12.30 pm.
Meet at the West lawn (Croquet Lawn) of Urrbrae House. Bookings not necessary.
More information » | | Disclaimer: Although all reasonable care is taken in preparing information contained in this email, neither Jon Lamb Communications (JLC) nor its officers, staff or suppliers involved in the editing and production of this email accept any liability resulting from the interpretation or use of the information set out in this document. Information contained in this document is subject to change without notice and is of a general nature and should not take the place of professional personal advice. No responsibility is accepted by Jon Lamb Communications for the accuracy of information contained in web sites linked from this email. Publication of an advertisement does not constitute endorsement by JLC of any product or service, or warrant its suitability. | | | | |
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