Life and work in the garden rotate with remarkable speed, and absolutely nothing seems to come round with such speed as the Christian festival of Christmas. At least not for me.
And this month I am always reminded of it because Christmas music starts in Georgetown in October, led by Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, and Perry Como singing away merrily; leading up to turkey, black pudding, decorating the Christmas tree and buying presents for loved ones. In my home, generally, the Christmas tree comprises an elegant piece dead tree or bush cut from the highway or ‘the Linden’ as I tend to call it. And as I sit here, I’m wondering why on earth I’m thinking about this when the outside temperature is in the mid-thirties. Heaven only knows.
Of course, I ought to be thinking about the developing infestations of scale insects on my monstera and other little horrors which are starting to appear. My golden rule is look often and carefully. Infestations caught early, rarely become a major problem. For those gardeners with spray machines I do recommend the use of washing up liquid added to the chemical to be sprayed.
This acts as a harmless and cheap sticking agent and is normally used at the rate of some fluid ounce per gallon of water. In fact, this can work when you just apply chemicals from a bucket or an old paint can by just adding a squirt of washing up liquid before dabbing the mixture on with a paintbrush.
Always, always, always apply chemicals in the late afternoon or evening so that the foliage can dry off slowly during the night, and the chemicals have a chance of killing the pests effectively. Sprayed in the mornings or during the hottest time of the day the water that is sprayed on or dabbed on with a brush evaporates very rapidly and may also scorch the leaves badly.
Petunias are so beautiful that you would hardly believe that they could be a close relative of the potato, tomato, and tobacco but it is a fact. Also Petunia is the proper name for it, which makes it one of those lucky plants that is well known by it’s ‘proper’ name worldwide because it is attractive and very easy to remember. It’s French origin petun means tobacco and the petunia comes from South America just like the tomato and potato and the three of them have more or less the same aroma if you crush the leaves.
The petunias I am growing give my spirits a lift when I see them outside the front door every morning. These are now in full bloom and were planted as small flowering plants in February this year. They were bought on the west bank and have not been out of flower since. In temperate countries where supply is not a problem most people sow Petunia seed in the spring or buy sufficient plants for their needs from the local garden centre, and expect flowers from mid summer onwards. Certainly when I was in England a few weeks ago, petunias were one of the main features in hanging baskets and window boxes everywhere.
Because of our tropical climate and heavy rains buying and growing from plants is the best way as the seed is so small that the slightest puff of wind will blow it away for it always has to be sown on the surface.
When plants are dry give them a really good drink of water and may your God go with you during this festive season.
