Page 11 - Dainfern Valley
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ESTATE GARDENS                                                                                                                    WHAT TO DO IN THE
                                                                                                                                           GARDEN IN APRIL
                                                                                                                                           • Rake up fallen leaves and use them
                                                                                                                                           as thin layers of mulch, by turning
                                                                                                                                           them into beds or on the compost
                                                                                                                                           heap to make your own leaf mold.

                                                                                                                                           • Start preparing planting holes for
                                                                                                                                           deciduous fruit trees as nurseries

                                                                                                                                           will have fresh stock available after


        Autumn is a time of culminating                                                                                                    lockdown.
        summer joys and concluding                                                                                                         • Do not prune Tecoma capensis

        the season, a time to indulge in                                                                                                   (Cape Honeysuckle) and plumbago
        delicious autumn delights, chai                                                                                                    hedges as these indigenous plants


        latte anyone?!                                                              Enjoy the following photos taken                       flower well in autumn.
                                                                                                                                           • Prune lavender generally into
        In our Valley, autumn has    AUTUMN IN THE                                  around the Estate where the                            spheres with a base to allow sunlight
        been lurking and lying in wait,                                             beginnings of autumn are clearly                       to reach the whole plant – this
        slowly loitering ……… and then   GARDEN                                      evident!                                               prevents leggy growth and looks
        SWOOSH! She is suddenly here!                                               Enjoy the photos around the Estate                     much neater than just hacking them
                                                                                                                                           back.


        We can certainly see and feel                                               of our last beautiful summer colour!                   • Sow or plant seedlings of flowering
        this wonderful season!                                                                                                             annuals like Iceland poppies,
                                                                                                                                           pansies, petunias, stocks, linaria,
        How glorious is this                                                                                                               nemesias, violas, calendulas,

        ‘champagne’ weather? I always                                                                                                      snapdragons, cornflowers, foxgloves,


        look forward to this time of                                                                                                       lupins and nasturtiums.


        year!  It’s such a pleasure to                                                                                                     • Clean out the old potting soil in
        have a respite from the heat                                                                                                       garden pots that were planted up
        of summer and honestly, we                                                                                      HINT               with summer seedlings.  Scrub the
        can’t wait to watch our Valley                                                                                   THIS ISSUE:       pots with disinfectant, check that
        changing from green to gold!                                                                                                       their drainage holes are open and

                                                                                                                       If cats decide to use   buy fresh potting soil.  You will now

                                                                                                                       your flower beds or   be ready to plant them up with

                                                                                                                      favourite plant pots as   winter seedlings
                                                                                                                      a toilet, simply place
                                                                                                                       lemon and orange    Our winter colour is being
                                                                                                                        peels where they   propagated and should be ready for

                                                                                                                         normally go.      planting 3rd week of April. There
                                                                                                                       They wont return.   is a sense of excitement in the air
                                                                                                                                           and great anticipation for a bright


                                                                                                                                           colourful winter!
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