This supplement is additional information to the following article as seen in Issue Four:

Garden Maintenance
– jobs for spring
pp. 90-91 by Paul Hoffmann

Indoor and container plants
Growing indoor plants and plants on your verandah and patios is a great way to bring the outdoors in and brighten up your home.

Care and attention
The old saying “killing your plants with kindness” is so true when it comes to indoor plants, as many are over watered. Plants living indoors or under cover don’t use as much energy to survive as their outdoor cousins and therefore don’t need as much water. The best way to determine if your plants require a drink is to use a very technical piece of equipment, your finger. This will tell you if the pot is too wet or too dry and thus requires a drink. To keep your plants lush and healthy there is a range of specially formulated slow release fertilisers for indoor plants.

Stay away from leaf shine products as they can block the plants stomata or ‘lungs’. Use a damp cloth every few week to wipe of the leaves or take your plant out side and use a garden hose to wash away the dust.

Subtropical and tropical plants grown in air-conditioning will benefit from a misting every few weeks to replenish lost moisture.

Cut Flowers
Bringing flowers indoors adds a natural element to any home. The smell and colour of cut flowers in your home will brighten up your day. Growing your own cut flowers is very satisfying for the home gardener. Delphiniums, hollyhocks, stocks, sunflowers, the cow udder fruit and roses can all be planted now to enjoy the blooms during spring.

Experiment with different styles of vases. All you need is a container which holds water and will support the flower stems. Green foam or oasis can be used to help position the arrangements and the sky is the limit in terms of design and style.

Annuals
Living in the subtropics allows us to plant spring annuals earlier than our southern counterparts. Snapdragons, pansy, primula and viola can all be planted now and into spring. Keep a look out for some of the old favorites like stock, hollyhocks, delphiniums and poppies. These are only available as seeds or seedlings.

Due to the current drought conditions why not try growing annuals in pots and containers. They will create a real statement and brighten up a little corner of the garden.

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