#potplants Archives - Andrea Whitely Garden Consultant

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Well, it might not feel like it as we shiver through more rain and cold weather here in Perth but nature is telling us that Spring is just around the corner.

We have had record rains this August and everything is about to burst into bloom.

Have you noticed the Acacia -yellow wattles and Chamelaucium uncinatum-Pink Geraldton Wax, in bloom on the side of the freeways and roadways?

Nothing says Spring quite like our Aussie wattles

More Geraldton Wax..ooh I can smell that honey-scented fragrance now

That’s natures’ way of saying, hang onto your sun hats, Perth peeps, our very short Spring and long HOT Summer is on its way.

Qualup Bells and Everlasting daisies are in flower right now!

Here are 6 Things to do this weekend to have your garden looking spring ready

1. Improve your soil

Add some mature compost or soil conditioner around the base of your plants and let the last of this rain soak that into your sandy soil for healthy spring/summer blooms. Your plants will be more disease resistant and much better able to survive the summer heat. It’s worth it!

2. Plant some natives

Grevillias offer striking colour and lots of food for pollinators

The garden centers are full of our West Australian native species in flower, even if you don’t have a native garden, why not introduce a few to help out the pollinators, you know, the birds and the bees, they need your help.

Look at these beautiful blooms-only in WA!

3. Weed, weed weed

No-one likes the prospect of this but it simply must be done! The rain has provided lots of nutrients and water to the soil which means that the weeds have all shot up-do yourself a favour and remove them before they take over completely! I use my favourite weeding tool the fabulous Cobrahead weeder

4. Plant some Annuals

Check out the seedlings at the garden centre, nothing says Spring quite like some pots of annual colour either side of your front door.

How about growing some pretty petunias for spring colour? These ones were in Michigan last year when I was there…..they get fed with liquid fertiliser for Flower and Fruit every week!

5. It’s Mulching Time

Time to get some mulch onto your garden beds so that your plants will be able to thrive in our hot summer sun. I like to use either straw mulch or Marri woodchips depending on the type of garden I am working on

6. Indoor Plant tidy up

Have a close look at your indoor plants, put them out in the rain or give them a hose down outside, wipe off the winter dust and give them a light dose of liquid fertilizer before bringing them back inside for your indoor jungle to be at its best for Summer entertaining

Pop your indoor plants outside for some rain and a bit of a wash down before bringing them back in for the summer

Need Help to get started??? email Andrea on nolilwhit@bigpond.com to make a booking

Perth Garden Festival has just finished up and it was a great success this year. So many willing-to-learn-more-gardeners and lots of interest in what’s new and exciting in the gardening world.

The ladies in the background could see the funny side in me wanting a crown of Leschenaultia

I entered the Professional section of The Hanging Basket competition-Here’s my entry overlooking the beautiful Swan River

Hanging Basket 2018
I used purple Lantana, Ajuga, Anigozanthus in the centre, Gardenia, Scaevola ‘Purple Fanfare’, Eremophila Nivea and Echivera succulents all around the centre section.

I’m a member of the Horticulture Media Association and I spoke on the BUPA main stage last Friday. I love sharing my knowledge with such engaged audiences.

This year, I decided to do something a little different and I called it “Speed Dating with Plants”.my talk was scheduled for 20 minutes and so my aim was to create four container plantings in under twenty minutes and amazingly I completed them all and still had time for lots of questions.

I wanted to demonstrate that gardening need not take up very much time, should be fun and also that anyone can create a garden in a container, regardless of age or physical ability.

Another tip that I was keen to share with West Australian gardeners is the current trend in the US and elsewhere in the world to plant many things in the one basket rather than just one single plant as tends to be the case here. The opportunity to create a mini garden in a container and tell a whole story is something quite new to people here. This is great for folk who might be living in a small space, people renting or those not inclined to garden other than by using containers. It is appealing to so many gardeners. During my talk, I stressed that plants selected should have the same watering requirements and all require the same amount of sun or shade.

Each year, I travel to the USA in my quest for great gardening ideas and this year I wanted to share some of the things I learned about container gardener in particular during my time in Pennsylvania and especially at an amazing garden called Chanticleer in the Delaware Valley. If you ever get the chance you MUST put this garden on your bucket list of gardens to visit. It will blow your mind!

Here are the containers I created at this years’ Perth Garden Festival. I tried to create something for everyone and just like a real date, I gave them all an amusing name-just for a bit of fun.

Container 1 Aphrodisiac