COLOUR

• For colour impact in shady areas, plant begonias. The uniformity of their size and shape, combined with their bold foliage and striking blooms makes them ideal for mass plantings. Try the New Guinea impatiens, that come in more than 20 different colours with luscious foliage.
• For full sun areas, plant up marigolds, dianthus, portulaca, salvia and vinca.
• For gardeners in winter rainfall areas, petunias are the king of the sunny border. They loathe being overwatered or planted in beds with poor drainage. Note that petunias dislike summer thunderstorms.
• There’s still time to sow seeds of alyssum, aster, cleome, cosmos, bedding dahlia, dianthus, Gypsophila elegans, helianthus, lavatera, lobelia, marigold, nasturtium, portulaca, salvia, verbena and zinnia.

ROSES

• Even in areas where thunderstorms are common, ensure that roses are watered when needed. In the dry Western Cape, water them regularly. It’s a good idea to make a basin of soil around each bush and fill this with water at least twice a week. Make sure the soil drains well as roses do not like ‘wet feet’.
• Check for beetles; brown chafer beetles can destroy leaves overnight, whilst black and yellow CMR beetles will attack the flowers. In the case of an infestation, spray your roses with Karbaspray.
• Deadhead roses regularly to promote more flowers.

FUSCHSIAS 

• Fuchsias will be coming into flower and need plenty of water, as their roots should always be moist.
• Feed fuchsias with a half-strength dose of liquid fertiliser every fortnight.
• Remember to remove dead flower heads and purple seedpods; if a fuchsia is allowed to go to seed, it will have fulfilled its purpose and will stop flowering.

BULBS 

• Plant summer-flowering bulbs such as achimenes, arum, chlidanthus, dahlia, dietes, eucomis, galtonia, gladiolus, gloxinia, hippeastrum, liatris, lilium, nerine, Scilla natalensis, tigridia, tuberose and zephyranthes.
• Lift winter-flowering bulbs if the leaves have died back, allow them to dry in the shade and store them in a cool place.

POTAGES 

• Water your vegetable garden regularly – every day during hot, dry spells – to ensure healthy veggies.
• Avoid watering lettuce, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers from above as this promotes the spread of fungal diseases such as mildew. Rather water them thoroughly at the base of their stems, keeping the leaves dry.

Words and image: Home magazine