Time to pull out your green thumb

While you may have deserted your backyard over winter, it’s time to bring out the spade and shovel to give your garden a bit of TLC before hosting your next outdoor candlelight supper.

Leading gardening brand Yates has designed a four-week gardening plan to help you stay on top of the pests and reap the benefits of a thriving garden.

The first week of December is the best time for impatiens to be sown. There’s nothing like watching this plant grow as it provides colour and shade. The best part is that it can simply be planted straight from the pack.

Yates is advising people to sprinkle tiny impatiens seeds onto a shady garden bed, press into the surface and keep moist. It’s also best to not cover the seeds, as they need light to germinate. A monthly spray with Yates systemic fungicide is also advised to protect them from fungal diseases.

It’s also the time when vegies are to be sown. Squash flourishes through the scorching weather. Although planting is vital, it’s essential to feed the native flora with the right products -“ Blood & Bone or Garden Gold -“ and to give a light trim to remove the flower heads. This will keep plants tidy and promote new growth.

Summer’s tough on the garden. Heat, water shortages and pests all seem to work together to keep plants from looking their best. Yates is advising the keen gardener to use the Nature’s Way’s Fruit Control and a copper-based Fungus Fighter to help control mildew.

It’s important to reduce the environmental footprint of your Christmas celebrations. To help celebrate the holiday why not select a potted tree which, given some basic care, should last for years.

Potted specimens of the time-honored favourite, the European spruce, abound in the shops at this time of year. But, remember, they’ve been grown and cared for by specialists to look wonderful just in time for Christmas. The real skill comes in persuading the trees to survive -” and thrive -” into the future

It takes a tough plant to keep its good looks right through the Australian summer but there are some plants that really enjoy the heat. Dahlias, lavenders, Californian poppies, roses and sunflowers are just a few of the different species that enjoy this summer period.

info: For more details on making sure your garden stays in shape this summer head to www.yates.com.au