A sweet selection in pink for planting now.
Autumn is the ideal planting season. The days are cool and the soil is warm—perfect conditions for renovating a tired garden and filling it with a palette of sweet pink flowers.
How to refresh a garden bed
1. Remove unwanted plants and weeds. Cultivate a range of goodies into the soil. Compost, well-rotted cow manure, blood and bone, dolomite and a generous sprinkle of pelletised manure pellets (Sudden Impact for Roses) should all be added and dug through. This nutrition will help to make your garden a showpiece!
2. Water the soil with Popul8 (Neutrog) —an advanced soil biological formula. It not only boosts plant growth and nutrient cycling but also populates and occupies the biological space in the soil and on plant roots, reducing the likelihood of plant pathogens taking hold. Mixone capful (40mL) with 10 litres of water to thoroughly water up to eight square metres of soil. Use once every season, or during times when plants are stressed.
3. Before planting, water the new plants the night before with a diluted seaweed solution. Powdered eco-seaweed is a good choice and economical. Good planting technique is important. Remove the pot and check plant roots. Gently untangle and remove any girdling and damaged roots. Make a hole twice the size of your pot and place the plant in the centre. Gently backfill and make a saucer-shaped depression around each plant. Check spacing so your plants have room to grow.
4. After planting, use a watering can with a small amount of seaweed added. The saucer-shaped depression will guide the water directly to the roots. Carefully water in each plant thoroughly. Regularly monitor moisture levels to prevent plants from drying out.
Sedum ‘Mr Goodbud’
An outstanding sedum for an open sunny garden. Growing approximately 40x 40cm with a tight compact form and red-tinted foliage. Clusters of vibrant purple-pink flowers appear from late summer to early autumn, developing into brown seed heads with great winter interest. This sedum needs well-drained soil so the addition of pumice or grit to the planting location will aid drainage. Great for mass planting garden beds, along borders or in pots. Sedum 'Dark Magic' has a similar form, but with pink flowers accentuated by dark red-black glossy foliage and stems.
Hydrangea ‘Sundae Fraise’
The new darling of florist’s trade is this romantic soft pink hydrangea. It tolerates gentle morning sunshine but needs shade for most of the day. Give it deep soil, lots of light and plenty of water and it will reward you with prolific blooms that come out green, then turn white before turning blush pink as the flower ages. In the garden or handsome terracotta pot, Sundae Fraise is very rewarding. It needs a cold winter for generous flowering.
Echinacea pallida ‘Hula Dancer’
A great name for this elegant echinacea with its long pale-pink reflexed petals that hang like ribbons beneath a spiky hedgehog-like central cone. They sway in the breeze like graceful hula dancers. Waterwise, frost-hardy, drought-hardy and tolerant of humidity, this plant will thrive in full sun with rocky, clay and poor soils. Long and repeat flowering if the spent flowers are removed. Grows 60-90cm tall and 40cm wide.
Anemone ‘Fall in Love-Sweetly’
Perfect for semi-shade, this plant blooms in a rich deep rose-pink from late summer to late autumn. It slowly spreads, forming a carpet beneath deciduous trees, where it thrives. Growing to 60cm x 75cm, it features strong, sturdy flower stems. Provide regular applications of organic matter, such as compost or cow manure, to meet its nutritional needs, especially when planted beneath large trees.
Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Fascination’
A lovely contrast to flowery perennials and salvias, ‘Fascination’ boasts a mass of slender pink spikey flowers that rise above the foliage. This superb variety thrives in compost-rich, moisture-retentive soils with good drainage and full sunshine. Completely herbaceous, this variety disappears in winter but comes back to life in spring. Grows 1.2m tall and 1m wide.
Agastache ‘Forever Summer Berry’
After experiencing the impressive form and flowering of both Melon and Tangerine in the 'Forever Summer' series, growers now have the opportunity to embrace the third addition: 'Forever Summer Berry.' It adds a burst of colour to any sunny flower border, with fragrant flowers that attract birds and butterflies. To thrive at 75cm x 50cm, ensure good drainage, and don't forget to prune after flowering and provide necessary feeding.
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