Keeping our gardens healthy and looking good through the current drought is no easy task, but there are some basic things you can do to help them. I caught up with Mary Ann Mein, one of the Horticulturists at Thomson’s Garden Centre to get a few tips and other information that we hope will help our readers.

Mary Ann has a wealth of experience and provided me with a lot of helpful information, far more than I could do justice here in this short story, but let’s see how we go.

First thing to say is there’s no one size fits all situations or plants. Mary Ann mentioned how some plants, and that includes trees, can survive on little water while others need much more. She mentioned for example, how flowering plants, Fuchsia’s, ferns and birch trees need lots of water while other trees like Crepe Myrtles do well with little water. It became pretty obvious, very early in our conversation, that anyone wanting to do the very best for their garden would do well to talk more specifically about their particular plants and trees to an expert like Mary Ann. She talked about using wetting agents, how Seaweed solution is very helpful for plants under stress and also about checking how dry the soil is before watering. Watering soil that has been dry for prolonged periods may benefit from an application of a wetting agent as dry soil can repel water.

I told Mary Ann about what we do at our home, making use of bucketed shower water etc., as well as mulching etc. and she had some interesting things to say about that as well. We thought we were doing a good thing but after talking to Mary Ann, we can do even better. She said plants and trees, like humans, have varying needs and preferences, they respond differently to the various treatment we give them. For example, if you do shower with a bucket to catch water for your trees or plants, let the water cool before pouring onto your plants. Also, some plants don’t like soapy water so that’s also a consideration. My wife and I can tick those boxes OK but then I said we pour the water around the tree or plant trunk, that’s when Mary Ann said something that caught my attention a bit more. She told me about what is called the drip zone, this is the area under the outer edge of the tree or plant canopy. She said this is where to concentrate putting water and mulch, this is where the plant draws or sucks up its energy from. I found that very interesting and helpful. While she was talking about plants and the way they suck up the energy they need, she said something else that I found interesting. She said it’s also a good idea to take off seed heads and cut off spent flowers, this makes it easier for the plant to suck up the energy (moisture) it needs and direct it to the areas where it can do the most good.

I found talking to Mary Ann most helpful and would encourage anyone who is passionate about their garden to keep her in mind if you want more specific advice. She and her colleague Phil Keegan are both Horticulturists at Thomson’s Garden Centre in McLachlan Street and would love to help you.