Bang-on autumn

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 529, 29 March 1994, Page 8

Bang-on autumn

Autumn has anived with a bang and it would seem that our lovely hot summer days are over for this year. The parched earth and all the plants in the garden welcomed the steady rainfall and looked clean and refreshed. Such a wealth of colour at the moment - the dahlias have really come into their own, putting up a profusion of lovely blooms and the deep purple of the michaelmas daises set against the gold of the tall rudbekia make a striking colour combination. The autumn clean-up is going to be rather delayed this year with all this luscious growth but no doubt the frosts will come soon enough to spoil it all so let's enjoy it while we can. We removed a few straggly annuals at the weekend to find a few spaces for the planting of spring bulbs but the blue and the while petunias are flowering so well I hadn't the heart to pull them all out. Always pressed for space in our small garden, I think I will plant most of the bulbs in pots and containers. Most spring bulbs make good pot subjects with the advantage that the pots can be moved to shelter should there be a spell of bad weather at flowering time. Imagine a terra-cotta planter massed with bright daffodils or tulips. Whether planting in pots or direct into the garden, bulbs do well in a good average soil. For pot-culture where the bulbs are to be grown outside, a mixture of good garden loam with the addition of well-rotted compost or a prepared potting-mix is quite adequate and a little sharp river sand to improve drainage. If planting directly into the garden the earth should be well dug over, preferably more than once and all weed growth removed. If the soil is poor the ground should be prepared a week or two before planting time and a layer ,of general fertiliser can then be placed at the base of the bed. This should be covered with a few centimetres of river sand and the earth forked back on the top. Water well and leave for a couple of weeks before planting the bulbs. Clay deposits should be broken up

with the addition of sand and a good compost. Alternatively use a prepared bulb planting-mix. into which the bulbs can be set. For a touch of blue in the garden or on the rockery plant a few babiana blue star . Such a dainty little flower and given the protection of a larger rock to reflect the warmth of the sun and with some protection from the wind, they will make a bright show. I intend this year to plant some brodaiea, probably in pots so that I can have the colour where I want it at any given time. Brodaiia californica has soft blue flowers on 8090cm stems and Brodaiia Queen Fabiola has flowers of a lovely violet blue. Both make excellent cut flowers. Something a little different. Fritillaria meleagris are a perfect pot subject and being a native of the United Kingdom are quite at home in our colder climate. They have pretty nodding bells, veined green and chequered with a dusky purple, resembling a snake's skin. It is sometimes called the snake' s head fritillary . Being a woodland plant they enjoy a shaded position with a little morning sun. Fritillaria pontica has lime green bells tinged with mahogany. The bulbs are a little more expensive to buy, but one bulb repotted each year will multiply to fill quite a large pot. One I would love to grow is fritillaria imperialis - a most striking species. Very tall, each stem will grow to about 100cm and has very large pendulous flowers. I have yet to discover where to buy one. A new release in the narcissus family is narcissus vogue - huge blooms with a brilliant expanded orange flame cup and large white perianth. Narcissus flamborough is a nice one with rich orange gold cups rimmed with red. If you like miniatures narcissus caniculatus is delightful, with numerous blooms with a soft orange crown and white perianth. Or if it is perfume which appeals to you try narcissus trim which is very small and dainty with a bright golden yellow cup and a delightful perfume.