POSITION: Sun or Partial-Shade (6 hrs morning sun)
SOIL: Well-drained
HARDINESS: Cold hardy
FLOWERING: Late Spring to Autumn; dormant during cold Winters.
PLANTING & MAINTENANCE:
RHIZOME Depth: A loose rhizome should be planted 10 cm deep; a bagged plant, at the same level of the soil inside the bag. Ensure the tubers are spread out around the sides of the mound.
Spacing: 40 cm apart
Soil Preparation: Add compost, 2:3:2 and bone meal/superphosphate.
Watering: Soak well to help plant settle. Apply deep watering weekly in season with 1 or 2 lighter waterings. Over-watering young plants will turn leaves yellow and cause rotting. Water only once a week during Winter.
Fertilizing: Fertilize at the onset of Spring. Feed monthly with 3:1:5 to increase flowering and 8:1:5 can also be added when buds emerge.
Maintenance: Divide every 3 years, after flowering in Autumn; or during Sep - Mar. To remove spent flowers or to pick fresh ones for the vase, pull stems near ground level rather than cutting. This will also encourage new growth.
Handling: Care should be taken when handling since stem joints are very brittle and easily broken.
SEED: Seeds may be soaked overnight in water to promote germination. Sow in seedling trays and cover with a thin layer of potting soil (1 to 2 times the height of the seed). Vermiculite may be added to promote drainage and moisture. Keep moist. Seeds should germinate after 4-8 weeks - it takes time to establish. Transplant when about 5+ cm tall. Apply slow release, low nitrogen fertilizer. Some bloom 1st year, most by the 2nd year.
"Water-wise plant" BEARDED IRIS (Iris)
POSITION: Sun
SOIL: Well-drained
HARDINESS: Cold & drought hardy
FLOWERING: Spring to early Summer; some varieties may rebloom in Autumn; Semi-Evergreen to dormant during Winter.
PLANTING & MAINTENANCE:
Depth: Make a mound in the center of the hole and place rhizome on top. Spread the roots around the sides of the mound. Cover the rhizome with only a thin layer of soil. Ensure the top surface of the rhizome is level with or just slightly below the soil surface. If you bury the rhizome too deeply, the plant may not flower. It is good for the finer roots to be buried deeper.
Spacing: 40 cm apart
Soil Preparation: Add compost, 2:3:2 and bone meal/superphosphate.
Watering: Water well twice weekly in season; once weekly during Winter. Avoid frequent, shallow watering as over-watering is a common cause of soft rot problems.
Fertilizing: Fertilize at the onset of Spring. Feed monthly with 3:1:5 to increase flowering.
Maintenance: Divide every 3-5 years, after flowering. Remove spent flowers to extend flowering season.
"Stunning in groups" INDIAN SHOT PLANT (Canna)
POSITION: Sun
SOIL: Well-drained
HARDINESS: Cold & drought hardy
FLOWERING: Late Spring to Autumn; Winter dormant.
PLANTING & MAINTENANCE:
RHIZOME Depth: 10-15 cm
Spacing: 60 cm apart
Soil Preparation: Add compost, 2:3:2 and bone meal/superphosphate.
Watering: Water well twice weekly in season; once weekly during Winter.
Fertilizing: Fertilize at the onset of Spring. Feed monthly with 3:1:5 to increase flowering.
Maintenance: Divide every 3-4 years, after flowering or early Spring. Remove spent flowers/stalks once frost has passed.
SEED: Seed may be soaked in lukewarm water for 24 hours before planting to improve germination. Sow in seedling trays and cover with a thin layer of potting soil (1 to 2 times the height of the seed). Vermiculite may be added to promote drainage and moisture. Keep moist. Seeds should germinate after 2-4 weeks. Transplant when about 15 cm tall after frost has passed.
"1,000's of varieties" DAYLILY (Hemerocallis)
POSITION: Sun; Partial-shade for darker colours
SOIL: Well-drained
HARDINESS: Frost hardy
FLOWERING: Spring to Summer; some Autumn rebloomers; Winter dormant/semi- & evergreen varieties.
PLANTING & MAINTENANCE:
RHIZOME Depth: Make a mound in the center of the hole and place rhizome on top. Spread the roots around the sides of the mound.
Spacing: 40 cm apart
Soil Preparation: Add compost, 2:3:2 and bone meal/superphosphate at the recommended rates.
Watering: Water well twice weekly in season; once weekly during Winter.
Fertilizing: Fertilize at the onset of Spring. Feed monthly with 3:1:5 to increase flowering.
Maintenance: Divide every 3-4 years, after flowering or during Spring/Autumn.
Split the clump using a sharp blade. Placing two garden forks back-to-back in the clump of roots, and then wrenching them apart in opposite directions, can help to get the process started. Once the clump has been divided into splits, each plant needs to have the leaves and roots trimmed down to reduce stress and encourage new growth.
SEED: Seeds may be soaked overnight to promote germination. Seed can be sown directly in the ground or in seedling trays. Sow at a depth of 1.5-2 cm. Keep moist. Seedlings should take 2-4 weeks to emerge. Don't transplant until frost has passed. It may take 1-2 years to flower depending on time sown, variety and climate.