Two Hour Gardening Project: Stage 11 – Perennial Groundcovers and Tree Pit Preparation

First cottage garden/perennial plants: periwinkle and thyme—low, spreading, carpet ground, self-propagate. Prepare tree pit but backfill for safety; re-excavate when tree arrives.

Needs: 25 kg moss peat; 4 periwinkle plants; 6 thyme plants. Time: 4 hours in 1 week.

Late August Weather/Soil

First autumn hints: heavy dews, misty nights. Summer plants over; autumn flowers not yet peaked—gardens look jaded. Harvest seeds/fruits, tidy tired plants.

Flower of the Fortnight: Periwinkle

Vinca minor—European wildflower cultivated centuries ago. Glossy evergreen leaves, arching stems root where they touch, forming large weed-suppressing mats. Grows anywhere, any soil, sun/shade, nearly always flowering. Variegated silver/gold forms. Usually sky-blue flowers; white, purple, double forms exist. Chop back if overgrown.

Groundwork

1. Water containers, marrows/squashes, tomatoes, high-water veg. Elsewhere: water only when necessary.
2. Trim faded annuals, vines, bedding plants.
3. Work compost into gladiolus bed surface; soak first if dry.
4. Neglected weeding? Weeds covered in seed pods—one year's seeds = seven years weeds. Weed immediately.
5. Lawn brown/scorched? Recovers after rain. Water only new turf. Dry spells suppress moss.
6. Friends/foes: earwigs destroy dahlias—loosely fill peat pot with paper on stake, remove/burn paper every few days, renew. Bees = friends; don't disturb nests.

Project Work: Planting Perennials; Preparing for Tree

Existing large tree casting dense shade? Cherish it—may limit some plants but helps others. Don't plant near trunk; use fringe area for cottage perennials. Dig 15 cm holes, trim roots with secateurs, fill with soilless mix. Plant periwinkle and Stage 5 recommendations. Plant thyme between patio slabs: 15 cm hole, soilless mix, 20 cm spacing. More periwinkle outside slabs: 15 cm hole, soilless mix, 30 cm spacing. Firm, soak.

Make high-nitrogen liquid feed: crush eggshells, steep in plastic bucket of water 2+ weeks. Use liquid. Not for acid-lovers.

Tree site: recheck plan. Trees = major planting; moving later is hard. Stick rake handle-down to visualize shade/hiding. Mark 90 cm hole (stake/string/peg method, Stage 8). Lift turf (Stage 8)—stack for rockery. Dig 45 cm deep, straight sides, flat bottom. Break up bottom. Backfill mixing peat with soil. Surplus to rockery. Don't firm—let settle. Later: plant with soil just below original tree soil level—above causes bark rot/death. Root/trunk junction just above ground.