TOP 5 SPRING GARDEN TIPS

Spring is the perfect time to get stuck into the maintenance of existing elements; consider planting a salad and herb garden; or think about adding some indigenous, waterwise plants to attract the birds and bees.  

Time to get growing, with a few 'must-dos' and a few 'nice-to-haves' that will put a spring in the step of your garden for summer.  

1. Feeding - now is good time for a lawn dressing. Use a good mix of well-balanced organic matter and weed-free soil - apply a thin layer on established lawns, then  replenish nutrients by adding a nitrogen-rich fertiliser. Mulch your flower beds with bark, nut shells, peach pips or a good ground cover to retain moisture, and spread thick layers of compost over all beds to suppress weeds and provide nutrients for strong growth. 

2. Pampering - it's the time to prune, pinch and deadhead to improve the health of your garden, so it'll appear lush and stay in bloom throughout spring & summer. Roses should have been pruned by now, but if not, prune your Hybrid Tea roses, increase their watering, and pay attention to any aphids, thrips, bollworm and powdery mildew on the plants. Ideally use a canola-oil based pesticide combined with a systemic action fungicide that is a certified organic option.  

3. Salad garden - picking fresh salad ingredients and herbs from your own garden is a great feeling. You can either plant seeds or seedlings in a bed, a few pots, or - increasingly popular - purchase or make a raised wooden salad box (or three). They can even be mounted on a wall in a courtyard. They're inexpensive; can be very attractive at the back door; and elevated means you don't need to bend to water and control pests. Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, beetroot, spinach and chillies grow well, and any number of herbs will take off. This is a great time of the year for basil, rosemary and more.   

4. Grow indigenous plants for the birds, bees, and butterflies. They're waterwise, ideally suited to the local climate so need little attention, and they draw wildlife. Many of our indigenous plants are sculptural in appearance - think aloes and red-hot pokers - so they make a statement when planted strategically on your verge, up a driveway, around a swimming pool or as a mass planting.   

5. Water storage tanks - there's no time like the present. They're pretty inexpensive to buy, durable and, of course, provide water without costing a cent. They're ideal to catch the summer rains off your gutters, and besides being on tap for the garden and car washing, they're very handy for the water shortages experienced by load shedding.