Unlike our Northern Hemisphere garden friends we are so lucky here in Perth that we don’t need to over-winter our potted plants, we don’t need to bring all our pot plants in out of the snow and cold weather. In some places, they go to a lot of trouble for garden specimens and potted plants.
AeoniumMy horti friends from the USA describe this as a huge undertaking every year as they gather many of their garden treasures and bag them up or bring them undercover or wrap them in paper and straw to prevent them from freezing. Many are kept indoors to survive the cold winter. For many, It’s a part of their annual gardening programme.
Stunning foliage
That said, the unseasonal heavy rain we have experienced these past few weeks and the fact that the mornings are getting a little cooler and Autumn not that far away has got me thinking that every year I do change my pots around and bring my succulents under cover so that they don’t get too wet during Autumn and Winter.
Check out these beauties, they’re under cover for the winter
This morning I did just that and it was a good opportunity to check out what’s going on with my pots and tidy them up a bit.
Bring out the scissors, this ugly leaf is coming off
Some of the leaves underneath were dry and needed to be removed and some were a little damp after the rain. Just a little TLC will reap big rewards.
It’s really easy, just have a close look at your potted succulents are the leaves a little dry or maybe a little soggy? Give them a tug and they should pull away from the main stem easily.
Looks what’s under there…dead leaves ready to be plucked
Stick your finger into the pot. Is it feeling wet in there?
Mine were way too wet and so I have brought them in under cover and rearranged my alfresco area to accommodate them. Now we can see them and enjoy the beautiful blooms as well as keep an eye on them to make sure that they are getting just the right amount of water.
This pot is a little too wet. How cute is this Crassula Portulacea but it’s a bit like Shrek in the swamp and needs to dry out a bit
Succulents really only need water once every two weeks. I’ve also given mine a little slow-release fertiliser just to show them how much I care.
Pretty from every angle
Try the finger test. If it feels cool and wet, hold off on the water. I’ve also given mine a little slow release fertiliser. They are amazingly resilient plants which will reward you year after year…and yes you can leave them out in the winter rain but it is nice to bring them in a little closer so that you can enjoy them without getting wet!
Urns filled with all sorts of goodies and some potted impatiens all require a daily hand water.
Here’s thick mulch around the base of Radermachera ‘Summerscent’ and Alternanthera dentata ‘Little Ruby’.
Dahlia imperialis or Bell tree dahlia is an 8-10 metre tall member of the Dahlia genus native to Mexico, Central America and Colombia. The birds love hiding in it to escape the heat. I think it’s fascinating that each year I cut it down to ground level and then up she comes again and again
Cotinus coggygria so hard to believe it was a tiny 30cm sapling from a friends’ garden only 3 years ago
The agapanthus have done so well this year thanks to lots of mature compost and bark mulch
New little bird solar lights shine brightly at night amongst the Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’
I took this on 28th November before we cut out the pavers-what a difference 6 weeks makes in the garden
One month after planting…Here’s the new Zelkova ‘Golden Flame’ eventually it will reach up and provide glorious summer shade for this courtyard and in winter allow light
This is the Plumeria I have named Plumeria annaplainsii. My friend Helen has it growing on her million acre cattle station called Anna Plains and it’s in Western Australia between Broome and Port Hedland. The fragrance is rose like check out the colours…I wish you could smell it
This is David Austin ‘Jubilee Celebration’ and this is the third flush and is now much more peach in colour than the first flush after pruning
