Proteas
Not just any old blossom, protea flowers are blooms with attitude. If you can give them full sun and reasonable drainage, proteas will love you.
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Aptly named the Hen and Chicken Fern (Asplenium bulbiferum) due to its rate of reproduction, this perennial fern is a popular plant to have in the shady spots in the garden. With its soft feather like leafy growth, it provides a lovely soft effect and is great for hanging pots or pots in sheltered courtyards as well.
How to grow hen and chicken ferns in a garden
- Choose a place in the garden that gets part shade to filtered sun and is protected from the afternoon sun. Prepare the planting area well by digging in Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food.
- Dig the planting hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the root-ball. Remove the plant from the container, gently tease the roots.
- Position in hole and backfill with soil, gently firming down. Form a raised or doughnut-shaped ring of soil around the outer edge of the plant's root zone. This helps keep water where it's needed. Always water in well after planting to settle the soil around the roots and keep the soil moist for several weeks while the new plant establishes.
- Mulch around the base with organic mulch such as bark chips, woodchip or leaf mulch, keeping it away from the base of the plant.
- Feed regularly during the growing season with Yates Thrive Fish Blood & Bone Plant Food Concentrate.
How to grow hen and chicken ferns in a pot
- Choose a pot that is at least twice the size of the selected plant. Position in the garden that receives part shade to filtered sun and is protected from the afternoon sun.
- Fill the pot with quality potting mix, such as Yates Premium Potting Mix.
- Remove the plant from the container, gently tease the roots.
- Position in hole and backfill with potting mix, gently firming down. Water in well.
- Mulch around the base with organic mulch such as bark chips, woodchip or leaf mulch, keeping it away from the base of the plant.
- Water deeply, once or twice a week, depending on weather conditions.
- Feed regularly during the growing season with Yates Thrive Fish Blood & Bone Plant Food Concentrate.
Growing tips
- These ferns are easy to propagate from the bulbs and new plants that form at the ends of the fronds. Cut the new plants off from the ends of the fronds and place into a good quality seed raising mix such as Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix
and water well until established. - Great for large pots, hanging baskets or sheltered areas in the garden.
- This plant is a great introduction for kids in different propagation techniques or for use in therapeutic propagation sessions, due to the ease of planting and strike rate.
Azalea
Azaleas vary from small, delicate shrubs that are happy in pots, up to hardy 1.5m shrubs ideal for border planting. Here's how to grow azaleas in your garden.
Lavender
Lavender are hardy perennial plants with silvery-grey, aromatic foliage & dense spike of flowers in shades of purple, blue, pink and white.
Echinacea
Echinacea is a hardy herbaceous perennial with large fragrant pink daisy-like flowers. Used for therapeutic purposes and as a delicious tea.
Recommended products
Yates Thrive Fish Blood & Bone Plant Food Concentrate
A balanced fish based plant food boosted wtih added NPK to ensure strong, lush plant growth and healthy soil.
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