What should you be doing in your garden this Spring?

1. Spring flowering shrubs. The azaleas are among the first of the spring flowering shrubs to burst into bloom.
2. The queen of shade - the camellia is in fully flower during August (southern hemisphere springtime).
3. Look out for the first of the ranunculus this August. They will be in full flower by the end of the month.

August is an unpredictable month. It is the windiest month of the year for inland gardeners and can still be punctuated with late frosts or an early blast of heat. As the changeover month, however, August heralds the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

Small trees with masses of pink, white and red blossom epitomise the spring in gardens that have cold winters. They are easy to plant and after a drab winter create a colourful corner in any garden.

Blossoming trees can be acquired by purchasing a fruit tree (peaches, apricots, plums or citrus) or any number of the ornamental Japanese flowering cherries or crab apples. The Japanese crab apple is probably the best known and has long arching branches with crimson buds that open to white and pale blush. The foliage is tinted purple and small yellow red fruits appear in autumn.

What should you be doing in your garden this spring? Here are a few tips:

LAWNS:

Scarify brown kikuyu lawns by cutting them on the lowest level of the mower. Rake up the debris, level depressions with lawn dressing and fertilise with 60g per square metre of lawn fertiliser granules. Water thoroughly after application.

ROSES.

 August is an excellent time to plant new roses. If you have not yet pruned your roses, remember that pruning late into August is better than not pruning at all. After pruning, spray roses with a dilution of l part Lime Sulphur to 10 parts water to prevent fungal spores from becoming a problem later in the season.Place a 5cm layer of mulch (chipped bark, compost) across the soil to keep the roots of roses cool during summer. Sprinkle a handful (60g) of 3:1:5 (28) SR on top of the mulch around each bush and water thoroughly.

COLOUR.

 There is still time to plant spring flowering bedding plants for a corner of colour. Dead-head annuals regularly and spray with a diluted mixture of liquid fertiliser (Multifeed P, Supranure, Nitrosol).

INDOOR PLANTS.

Revive your semi-dormant indoor plants by cleaning the leaves with a wet cloth or leaf-wipe tissue and giving each plant a diluted dose of liquid fertiliser (Supranure, Nitrosol or Seagro). A final tip. If you have a problem with spring mealy bug, dip cotton wool buds into a bottle of nail polish remover or brandy and dab off the offenders.

SOW SEED:

 August is an ideal time to start sowing flower and vegetable seeds. It is too early to sow seed directly into flower beds, but if you have a warm, north facing corner, sow seed into seedling trays. Try parsley, salvia, cleome, cornflower, gypsophila or dianthus.

VEGETABLES:

Sow brinjal, green pepper, lettuce and tomato seed into seed trays for transplanting into the garden as seedlings in six weeks time. Carrots and beans can be planted directly into prepared beds towards the end of August.

FROST:

Despite the mild winter, frost belts were still hit this winter. If you garden is in one of these areas, cut back frost damaged plants and remove dead specimens. If nights are still cold, ensure your garden is watered no later than 10.30am to prevent further frost damage.

PLANT SHRUBS:

Now is the time to plant large shrubs and trees that will create an accent in the garden or screen off the neighbours. If planted now, they will be well-rooted before the arrival of our summer rains.

MULCH:

Spread a thick layer of mulch or compost across your garden beds this spring. Compost improves the water retaining capacity of the soil and breaks down into the nutrients so necessary for plant growth. Sprinkle 40g per square metre of 3:1:5 (SR) granules, or a general organic fertiliser across your flower beds to prolong the blooms of winter flowering annuals. Maintain a thick mulch across the roots of spring flowering shrubs such as camellias and azaleas. Water the garden regularly this month.