Autumn at its best

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 485, 11 May 1993, Page 9

Autumn at its best

My apologies for . missing my bi-weekly screed last time. We had one of those periods when we were frantically busy and there were just not enough hours in the day. Well, we all get 'em don't we? and for those of you who said you had missed my ramblings, I will try to keep up in the future. It is one of those gen-

tle autumn days today and what a joy to be out in the garden without that sneaky little wind to catch you at every corner. The richness of autumn colour is at its best just now and soon the leaves will fall to make a

colourful carpet across the lawn. Don't let this bounty go to waste. Rake them all together and leave them to break down into a rich leaf-mould - a real bonus for the garden. If you can find a couple of

metres of old wire netting, roll it into a cylinder, stand it upright and store the leaves in that. Air will help it break down and the leaves will not blow away. Save all the soft weeds you can find and add them Tum to page 1 1

HIGH COUNTRY GARDENER

by Bea Barnes to the compost heap, avoiding vigorous rooted things like dock, dandelion and buttercup, and couch grass. These are best burned if possible to avoid them rooting again elsewhere. Turn the heap now and again to let the air through it. Add a sprinkling of superphosphate as the pile grows to act as an accelerator or if you have access to a few comfrey

leaves, these will do but don't use too many. Vegetable peelings and other kitchen waste can be added. Lay down a base of sawn-off tree branches or slatted wood in a criss-cross fashion and build up the waste material on that. This will allow the air to penetrate and prevent the pile from becoming too water-logged. A little effort over the winter months will supply you

with valuable compost in the spring. In very wet weather it will pay to cover the material with an old sack to prevent water-logging or even a sheet of plastic weighted down at the corners, leaving adequate openings for air. There is still time for autumn planting and if you have not yet planted your spring bulbs get them in the ground within the next week or

two. Quite a good supply of flower seedlings are still available to fill those little empty spaces. Planted now they will mature over winter to flower in the spring. Lovely large flowered polyanthus in brilliant colours, primulas in rose, lavender and white. These are ideal for those shady spaces. I am rather fond of the tiny bright faces of the pansies 'Tinkerbell Violet' and 'Tinkerbell Cream'. They look quite lovely massed in an attractive pot.

Quite a good range of perennials are available for planting out now. Penstemmon in shades of red, pinks and purple will eventually form large clumps of these tall striking flowers. Eryngium, the Sea Holly, is a very striking plant with its attractive foliage and rich blue thistle-like heads. Correopsis blooms for quite a long period with its masses of sunny yellow flowers as do heleniums which cover themselves in brilliant yellow daisies. A lovely little plant for a

border under the shade of trees is the Irish Heath Dabocea with pretty ferny foliage and very dainty pink or white bell-shaped flowers. The perennial Dimorphotheca are very showy for a sunny border and will stand dry conditions. We have a nice rich pink one with broad waxy petals and a sparkling white with a deep blue centre. Lithospernum with its starry brilliant blue flowers is really lovely for that sheltered spot and I think should do

quite well m a pot. The purple and pink aubretias made a lovely show this year tumbling freely over their punga logs. Once established the clumps get bigger and bigger. It pays to make sure they get enough moisture while the plants are quite small. Planted in conjunction with clumps of white uyssum with one or two of the rockery phloxes they would spread to completely fill a narrow border with a blaze of colour in spring and early summer.