Spring is upon us, bringing with it everything that makes it pleasurable –from the smell of the new flowers in bloom, to the warm weather that brings the wildlife out from their winter digs. The days start to grow longer as the temptation to stay outside returns and, of course, the barbeque starts to make a more regular appearance.
Whether it’s planting some seeds, staking out a new vegetable patch, a kitchen herb garden or just sitting back in the sun with a Pimm’s and watching the flush of new spring growth, spring, however you choose to spend it, should be spent outdoors –rain notwithstanding of course.
For those of you that have hibernated this winter and left the garden to fend for itself, a weekend of solid work will have things in short order –and for those of you that did do some preparation, however small, the more enjoyable work can begin all the sooner!
And speaking of the rain, with all the wet weather we’ve been having, make sure the ground has dried out before you start waltzing through your garden beds –otherwise you could be looking at a muddy quagmire before too long. A good test is to grab a handful of soil and if it feels sticky and wet, rather than crumbling away nicely, leave it to dry out for a bit longer.
If that’s the case, there are other jobs you can start. You can re-pot any plants and shrubs that have outgrown their living quarters and all your other pots can have their potting mix jazzed up. Do this by simply scraping away the top third of the old mix and replacing it anew –sprinkle some slow release fertiliser on top and you’re done. You might find some fat white grubs in your pots when you’re doing this –these are white curl grubs (often mistaken for witchety grubs) and they will munch on the roots (and your lawn) if given the chance. Luckily the magpies and kookaburras (or chooks) love to eat them!
