December
Home comforts are important come December. Think colourful floor cushions on the deck, night perfumed plants, laughter and frolicking on the lawn. Potted herbs, tumbling toms and strawberries make last minute flavour bursts and garnishing flourishes possible with minimum fuss, and don’t forget to grab those great flavoured herbs for bbqs, drinks and mozzie busting.
Prepare
Outdoor areas for Christmas with a good clean
Feed gardenias with Harry’s Gardenia food
Keep water up to hydrangeas
Watch out for caterpillars and use some bioinsecticide or Dipel to control them organically
Herb baskets for gifts
Thank you potted plants for the teachers and coaches
Enjoy
Stephanotis and its sweet perfume
Frangipanis as the start flowering again
Angel’s trumpets bloom and scent the night air
Hibiscus season – these really are the show girls of the garden
Salvias and other perennials as they put on a marvellous display and attract bees
Buddleia and the butterflies that flock around its perfumed spires
A quiet moment in the café to yourself, or lunch out with friends
Sharing some cut flowers from your garden with friends and neighbours
Have on Hand
Secateurs to remove spent flowers on agapanthus as they finish blooming and stop them from seeding
A bucket to put the weeds in as you work your way through
A blower, blaster, broom and bag to get clean and tidy
Spare indoor plants ready to wrap up as gifts. Peace lilies, flamingo flowers and moth orchids are perfect presents, as are some gardening books.
