Vibrant Colour for The Summer Garden

Holiday Love Affairs

Bring that tropical holiday feel home to your garden by planting a Mandevilla.

Their brilliant colours, large trumpet shaped flowers and glossy leaves put on a fabulous show from spring right through to autumn and there’s a range of plant sizes from vigorous to light climbers and compact growers available.

Mandevilla thrive in sunny positions, sheltered from strong winds and frost, and are very suitable for growing in pots. They are ideal around swimming pools and to train over a small pergola. Mandevilla form tuber like growths on their roots, which store water so these plants dislike over watering and need good drainage. Choose a good sized container 40cm in diameter or larger with adequate drainage holes and fill with Yates Premium Potting Mix.

Regularly apply Yates Thrive Roses Flowers Liquid Plant Food during the warmer months to encourage healthy foliage growth and prolific flowering.

Vibrant Colour for Entertaining Areas

Long flowering Tibouchina is a stand out performer in the garden, adding high voltage colour to a mixed border or compact varieties that are fantastic for tubs on the patio. The evergreen foliage is matched with eye catching white, mauve, pink or deep purple flowers over the warmer months.

Fast growing in most soils which are well draining in either a full sun to part shade location, tibouchinas generally don’t need more than a light prune after flowering and an application of controlled release fertiliser in early spring such as Yates Acticote Pots, Planters and Garden Beds, which will supply the nutrients tibouchinas need for best results.

Hanging Basket Tips

Colourful foliage plants like coleus are terrific to use in hanging baskets and they cope well with heat and humidity. Coleus is quick to establish from seed, or from soft tipped cuttings. The cuttings will form roots in just a few weeks and to encourage even better rooting dip cuttings into Yates Clonex Root Gel - Softwood and Semi-Hard Wood Purple.
Pinch out the tips regularly to encourage bushy growth and a more compact habit. Liquid feed fortnightly using Yates Thrive All Purpose Liquid Plant Food, which is rich in nitrogen to encourage healthy leaf growth.
Hanging baskets dry out quickly during summer, as often the water you apply runs off the sides of the potting mix. So take baskets down and soak the whole basket in a large container (garden trugs are ideal for this!) filled with water for 10 minutes to allow the water to penetrate into the potting mix.
Fuchsias are excellent choices for hanging baskets and they produce an abundance of flowers over an extended period from spring to summer. Apply Yates Thrive Roses Flowers Liquid Plant Food fortnightly to supply the nutrients needed for lush foliage and gorgeous flowers.