THE mountain is looking lovely and green from the recent rain and everything is flourishing – including the weeds!
As summer draws to a close, and the days start getting cooler, February the perfect time to get out into the garden.
What to plant in February
In the veggie patch sow or plant seedlings of asian greens, basil, beans (french & climbing), beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, carrots, cauliflower, capsicum, chillies, chives, cucumber, eggplant, ginger, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, parsnips, pumpkin, radish, silver beet, spring onion, swede, sweet corn, sweet potato, tomatoes, turnip, or zucchini.
For some colour sow or plant seedlings of alyssum, billy buttons, brachyscome, calendula, californian poppy, carnation, celosia, coleus, everlasting daisy, globe amaranth, gypsophila, hollyhock, impatiens, livingstone daisy, lobelia, marigold, nigella, pansy, poppy, primula, salvia, stock, sweet william, viola, or wallflower.
Jobs to do
As always there is lots to do in the garden – here are just a few ideas.
- Deadhead agapanthus so the seeds can’t spread into our national parks and become an unwanted pest;
- Collect seeds from cosmos, zinnia, paper daisy and dahlia, and store in moisture proof containers in a cool place for next year, or give to friends;
- Keep sasanqua camellias watered and mulched while forming their flower buds;
- Tidy geraniums and pelargoniums by cutting any leggy growth, remove spotty or yellow leaves;
- Prepare your garden beds with organic fertiliser and compost, ready for Autumn planting of bulbs, sweet peas, along with Winter and Spring annuals;
- Stake or trellis tall tomato plants, and pinch out the growing shoots to encourage branching of the plants;
- Remember to check saucers of outdoor pot plants and empty excess water – they can be a breeding ground for mozzies.
Happy gardening everyone!
Sources: The Tamborine Mountain Gardener; Gardening Australia Magazine, Organic Gardener Magazine
If you would like to learn more about gardening, and meet like minded people, the Garden Club meets at 9:30 on the second Tuesday of each month at the Vonda Youngman Community Centre.
