Tomorrow is the first day of December 2000

And today is St Andrew’s day,therefore, for all those with Scottish Connections may I wish you a very happy St Andrew’s Day. December gardens have to be made ready for the demanding conditions one gets in the Western Australian summer months. Gardening here is certainly influenced by the long periods of very hot dry weather we get each year. Many people in the cities still use a lot of water with little understanding of the summer garden’s water needs. However, there has been a big increase over the past years of the use of mulches to help in the conservation of moisture in the soil. In fact a lot of gardeners, myself included have decided to dispense with a lawn altogether and either pave or substitute for the lawn a mulch and native bushes and trees. The authorities tell us that an astonishing amount of water is used on the gardens and lawns, approximately 80% of the State’s total water consumption. Soil preparation, nutrition of the soil, composting and recycling organic waste, surface mulching and the use of the appropriate plant types are the means to garden successfully in the difficult climate Western Australians face every year. If one asked why so much water is used – the answer must surely be that the water placed on the garden is not reaching the root zone where it is needed. A lot is lost through run off and evaporation. Infiltration of water can be improved a lot by the use of a wetting agent. Treating lawns and gardens in December with this wetting agent will reduce the need to water by about thirty per cent. It may even reduce the excess water accounts. The genus Leucadendron has been a big favourite of Australian gardeners over the past years. It is a fast growing plant hardy and resists most pests and diseases. They flourish in an open and sunny position, and like a soil with a pH content of 5.5 to 6.0, well drained and free of fertilizers. The flowers of the Leucadendron consist of modified leaves or bracts, which appear as petals usually around a mass of florets with a contrasting colour at the middle. Planting of a selection of species will give year round flowering and foliage variation. Don’t forget that grapevines are subject to a powdery mildew during warm and humid weather. Grey/white powder patches appear on the leaves, shoots, flowers and berries. One can rub off the mildew to expose dark web-like markings. A bad infection will cause cracking of the fruit and drying of the pulp.

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