Keep cool this summer with fruit iceblocks. Blitz strawberries and raspberries, pour into moulds and freeze. You can also shred fresh mint into the mix for a refreshing zing!
Prune off finished flower heads from agapanthus before seeds drop. The older aggie forms have seeds that germinate easily and will readily infest bushlands.
With expected heatwaves, bring potted plants into the coolest part of your garden and give them a good deep water, filling their saucers too. Leave cacti and succulents as they will weather the heat.
Enjoy blooms and cutflowers in autumn by sowing a mix of flower seeds now. Owner of Veggie Garden Seeds, Bec Shelley provides some blooming goodinspiration on page 26 of the Garden Clinic 2023 Summer Magazine.
Have an excess supply of chilli? Turn it into chilli jams or fermented hot sauce.
Treat pots and garden beds with a soil-wetting agent. A wetting agent breaks through the waxy coating around organic particles in the soil and potting mix, allowing the media to use water more efficiently.
Feed actively growing indoor plants with a fertiliser specific to indoor plants, like Osmocote Pour+Feed for Indoor Plants. Use this opportunity to check on plant health, looking for signs of mealy bug or scale and treating with suitable insecticide, if necessary. Tidy plants by removing yellowing.
Clear up spent summer annuals and prepare beds with compost and well-aged manure for the next round of plantings.