Ballerina — Begonia
Flower seeds to sow this month include: Gazanias, gerberas, petunias, dianthus, antirrhinum, salvia, cineraria, carnation, geranium, hollyhocks, dahlias, rudbeckia, phlox, scabosia and freesias. Dahlia tubers, begonia tubers and ranunculous can also be planted now.
Vegetables to sow this month: cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, onions, spring onions, carrots, beetroot, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, radish, leaf beet/Swiss chard, spinach, Brussels sprouts, kale and many more.
Herbs to sow: Lovage, borage, chives, garlic chives, thyme, agastache, nasturtium, calendula, oregano, bergamot and echinacea to name but a few.
Other tasks this month:
Rampant climbers — Bougainvillea is a prime example — should be pruned back and kept under reasonable control. Grape vines may also be tidied up by pruning any overly long, thin, sappy new growth. Do not cut into woody growth — this could be fatal — leave that until the main, hard pruning in the winter.
Check over strawberry plants for runners and, whilst leaving them attached to the parent plant, pot the runners up in small pots, standing these around the parent plant, leaving them undisturbed until the runners (baby plants) start growing strong leaves of their own and only then should you cut through the long stem attaching them to the parent plant.
Keep on top of garden hygiene as prevention of problems — be these fungal, viral or otherwise — is far preferable than having to go out in search of a cure, after damage has been done.
Flower of the month: Gazania
This South African native is rightly popular throughout Pakistan. Grown as either a seasonal or perennial and reaching a height of six to 18 inches, this stunning flower comes in a shimmering range of dazzling colours ranging from rich creams and yellows through to fiery reds and oranges. Happy in poor soil, this fairly drought resistant sun lover, can flower on and off around the year and needs little attention. If content, it will also self-seed with seedlings popping up in unexpected places.
Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Remember to include your location. The writer does not respond directly by email. Emails with attachments will not be opened.
Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, August 7th, 2016