By Tamborine Mountain Gardening Club
Our unique microclimate means it is significantly cooler than the surrounding coast, allowing it to support a unique blend of cool-climate and subtropical plants.
Our rich volcanic soils also encourage vigorous growth.
When I first arrived on the mountain, I was told that plants here grow ‘twice as fast and twice as big” as the label suggest, and in many cases, that has proved to be true.
While this is wonderful for creating lush gardens, it isn’t always ideal if space is limited, you’re gardening in a rental property, or you simply enjoy growing a wide variety of plants.
This is where pots and hanging baskets really come into their own.
They can be moved to take advantage of the best sunlight and rainfall, create an attractive display almost instantly, and be grouped together for easier watering.
There are many talented potters and ceramicists on the mountain, and our local markets and shops offer a wide selection. However, simple terracotta pots, recycled containers, or repurposed items work just as well.
Local nurseries, roadside stalls, the hardware store and Potty Potters at the Botanic Gardens are great places to buy plants, or if you are lucky enough to swap with your friends or garden club members, even better.
What to plant
Fruiting crops: dwarf and cherry tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, and capsicums. Because August can still be quite cool, start these in pots in a warm, sunny position or a small greenhouse. By October, they’ll be well established and ready to plant into the garden.
Herbs: Mint, thyme, chives, parsley and dill all grow exceptionally well in pots and provide a continual harvest throughout the year
Climbing crops: dwarf beans, snow peas, and sugar snap peas will cascade beautifully out of containers if given a small trellis for support.
Cascading hanging baskets: violas, snapdragons, native pigface, and ivy geraniums.
Jobs in the garden
August is a transition time and just right for planting flowering annuals, like primulas, violas, and snapdragons, dividing dormant perennials, such as agapanthus and daylilies, and establishing Australian native shrubs like grevilleas.
Prune deciduous fruit trees, hibiscus, and hydrangeas.
Replenish soil with compost, plant early spring crops like silver beet, beetroot, rocket, early tomatoes and lettuce, and fertilise citrus and natives.
Tip: pots and hanging baskets dry out much more quickly than garden beds, particularly as the weather begins to warm in August and September. Check soil moisture regularly and water whenever the potting mix begins to dry.
