Staff are already planning and undertaking tasks that will keep everything looking good at a time when many people visit to admire the plants or just to walk off the excesses of Christmas dinner.
Christmas is also a time when home gardeners may leave the garden for a while. A bit of planning now can save a lot of work when we return.
Suggestions for tasks in the build-up to the holiday season:
• If you use weed spray, spray a couple of weeks before Christmas when weeds are growing quickly, as this is a good time to have maximum effect.
• If going away, group potted plants together in shaded areas where they will still be rained on.
• Cut your lawns now and then again just before Christmas to leave them looking their best for visitors and not too long for your return.
• Sort out any irrigation systems in advance to check they are working correctly, and reaching all those vital plants.
• Spring has been good for plant growth, so stake perennials to avoid coming home to collapsed plants.
December is a great time to visit Dunedin Botanic Garden as many plants look their best.
Wander up the hill to the collections from around the world: the Geographic Plant Collection and the neighbouring New Zealand Native Plant Collection both have large, sun-facing lawns, suitable for festive picnics.
- Dylan Norfield is Collection Curator of the Geographic and Arboretum collection at Dunedin Botanic Garden.
