BLOOMS AND BOLD SCENTS
INDOOR PLANT OF THE MONTH
Spring is all about fragrance, and you can bring it indoors with pots of flowering Lavandula stoechas Blue Magic. Rubbing the aromatic leaves releases their fragrance, and the bunny ears blooms are just so charming. Indoor lavender likes lots of bright light or morning sun on the patio or close to a window. Let the soil dry out moderately between watering and snip off the dead flowers to encourage more. After flowering, trim the plants and plant them in pots outdoors or in the garden in soil that drains well.
Details: lvgplant.co.za
SEPTEMBER GARDEN TASKS
• Plant summer and autumn flowering bulbs this month. Amaryllis is the most spectacular and also looks good in containers.
• Clivia are starting to flower and this is the best time to add to your collection. They grow best in semi-shade in well-composted soil that drains well.
• Summer flowering annuals that can be planted out this month are begonias, dianthus, bedding dahlias, gazanias and verbena.
• Fertilise shrubs and trees with a general fertiliser and water well. Dig in compost around the plants.
• Water lawns once a week, and don’t cut too low at this stage to allow it to develop deeper roots.
• Watch out for the very destructive Lily borer, which destroys clivia, amaryllis, and other bulbous plants, and use Margaret Roberts Biological Caterpillar Insecticide to kill active young feeding larvae.
• Trim perennial herbs to encourage new growth for spring. Sow annual herbs like basil, rocket, coriander, chives, and dill once the danger of frost has passed.
