gardening H G
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To grow a forever
garden, you’ll need to
nurture young plants
from the outset. Here,
Peter’s tips for growing
a long-living plot:
✚ Thorough preparation is
crucial. Before you start
planting, improve the soil
structure of all garden
beds. Use decomposed
cow manure and make
sure that you work it
into the soil to a depth
of 500mm.
✚ Mulch your planted beds
twice a year, every year,
with decomposed cow
manure. do this to 50mm
deep and it will work its
way through the soil
structure, leaving your
soil rich and dark, and
your plants looking
radiantly healthy.
✚ Water plants in the
morning before the sun
hits them to prevent
burning. drip-irrigation
systems are a great
back-up but aren’t to be
relied on. Water beds
thoroughly, soaking the
soil. do this once a week.
it will allow the plant
roots to grow deeply
and independently.
1 House
2 Timber deck
3 New sandstone
flagging
4 Pool
5 Native grasses
and Japanese box
6 Frangipani tree
and climbers
7 Kalanchoe,
Sedum, box
8 Fire pit
9 Beschornia
yuccoides, Sedum,
Helichrysum
A An impressive Agave desmetiana
makes a dramatic contrast to dainty
Helichrysum petiolare and yellow-
flowering Allamandra.
B Echeveria grows in concrete pots
on the back deck. In the shallow
bowl at front float blooms from
the Camellia sasanqua.
C The large-leafed shape of Sedum
‘Autumn Joy’ contrasts with the more
delicate foliage of Sedum mexicanum.
D Beautiful, feathery heads of fountain
grass, Pennisetum alopecuroides. #
Peter Fudge Gardens;
(02) 9211 1336 or http://www.
Illustration by Allison Langton. peterfudgegardens.com.au.