Garden Club

Cherry Gardens Garden Club July 2018 Winter Warmers evening

At our annual Winter Warmers evening, while the hills mist swirled around outside, we sat in a lovely warm room, filled with gardening friends, enjoying a meal of four homemade soups to choose from - Chinese chicken and corn, capsicum and tomato, minestrone or pumpkin soup. Some of us had two helpings, and some tried a few different kinds. We munched away on the accompanying tasty breads, cheese platters and so on, while exchanging mostly gardening stories.

"Tips & Tricks"

Then it was time for a short business meeting followed by our annual “Tips and Tricks”.  To my “recycling nut” mind the most exciting trick was to use the disposable blue hospital type gowns we wear whilst being x-rayed, to line our hanging baskets, or to line our pots thus preventing the soil from escaping, whilst allowing excess liquid through the drainage hole. What a great idea!

Weed tea was another idea! Why not drown your weeds, and after a week or so use the tea from your weeds to fertilise your other plants? Stinging nettle is the most nutritious, but even Sour sobs are great and of course there is always liquid fertiliser which can be made from your rabbit, pigeon, chicken or any animal poo except that of dogs and cats of course. Worm tea from your worm farm. Liquid manures are easily taken up by your plants even in the cold weather.  A word of warning however, the tea should be the colour of weak tea when you dilute it for watering.

When germinating parsnip seeds, cover planted seeds with a board for a couple of weeks to assist germination, which can otherwise prove tricky.

There were many tips and tricks, and also some very funny jokes, sometimes at the member’s own expense but sometimes that of their spouse!

Door prize draw

The door prize draw followed and there were a couple of great give away plants such as ground orchid tubers and shoots from colourfully leaved canna.   Our newest members brought the only show and tell item this month which was a very versatile fitting for your drill which will help you sculpt and shape your hedges and shrubs very efficiently.

Homemade supper slices finished off a lovely evening.
 

GEORGE’S GARDENING SUGGESTIONS FOR September 2018

Spring is here with increasing soil temperatures and many plants respond with rapid growth - including weeds - hand pull or hoe them before they have a chance to set seed (1 year of seeds = 7 years of weeds!)

Plant bedding begonias, carnations, chrysanthemums, cosmos, phlox and snapdragon. In the vegie patch beans, beetroot and carrot can be planted.  Cucumber, pumpkin and zucchini may need some warmth, so raise seedlings under glass, keep in a warm spot and protect from frosts. A cloche made from a 2 litre milk container works well.

Some jobs you may consider for this month are:
• Shape overgrown hedges, hard prune if necessary.
• Trim camellias and azaleas after they have finished flowering.
• If you need to move an evergreen shrub, transplant it before it gets too hot.
• Mulch in preparation for next month's hot weather, after enriching the soil with compost and organic fertilizer.
 

Next Meetings

Monday 10th September - Amanda Reynolds from Green Platypus Gardens speaking on garden design and permaculture

Monday 8th October Freebies Night - Free entry. Please bring an item for a door prize. Three speakers from our Club.