Presenter: Kim Syrus
Episode: 20 (8 September 2007)

At the Garden Gurus we have been inundated with great questions this week from our garden guru club members and Kim has picked a few to share with you.

The first comes from Norwood where Jessica wants to fill her garden with roses. She is keen to have lots of flowers and would like to know what rose flowers the earliest.

Lorraine Lee is regarded as one of the best early flowering roses. It is salmon pink flowers begin to colour the garden from early July right through the growing season. Its peak flowering time is from mid winter through to early spring.

There are a couple of things to remember with Lorraine Lee: you will need to give it a prune in February, not winter otherwise you will trim off all the new flowering shoots and yes, it does get its fair share of powdery mildew.

Alternatively, a new rose Kim has discovered which seems to flower throughout the year is a cherry red bloomer called Knock Out. This one has excellent disease resistance and adds a sparkle to even the dullest yard.

There are always questions from gardeners in small units and apartments like Angus of North Adelaide, who do not have the room for a veggie garden and want to know if they can successfully grow them in pots.

Pots can be absolutely jam packed full of lush healthy vegetables. The secret to a healthy plant is a good sized pot, premium potting mix, regular feeding and watering and plenty of sunshine. There are no problems growing them on the balcony of most apartments to produce your own fantastic fresh home grown food.

There is always a mountain of jobs to do in spring and trimming is on top of the list. The best part about cutting back now is that your plants grow quickly and fill out in no time.

Straggly looking plants such as Liriope could do with a haircut to get rid of their ratty ends. Use a pair of shears to shape up the plant. Trim evenly, cutting it back around half. Add a little fertiliser and water then get ready for them to jump away.

You can still keep your winter flowering annuals like pansies blooming beautifully for the next few months. Keep removing any spent flowers. This will encourage new one to take their place. Regular doses of a liquid fertiliser will help that flowering and keep the leaves fresh and healthy

If you have got a gardening question you want answered or just need some great garden information then how about joining our Garden Gurus online club.

EXTRA: Echeveria’s can look pretty ugly with out the right attention. Remove the old withered leaves from the base. They will pull off easily. Work your way all around the plant. It does not take long to get them back to their best.

Products mentioned:

Thrive All Purpose Liquid Fertiliser

• Fast acting liquid fertiliser.
• Ideal for feeding a wide range of ornamental flower, shrubs, trees as well as vegetables and herbs.
• Feeds through foliage and roots.
• Easy to measure and mix.

Waterwise Premium Potting Mix

• Wetting agents and water crystals help water penetrate into the mix and retain moisture in containers or in garden soil for release over time.
• Ideal for container grown and garden plants.
• Contains Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food for plant nutrition and to encourage beneficial soil micro-organisms and earthworms.
• Contains coir peat which stores water and nutrients and improves the structure of the mix.