SOME gardeners admit to talking to their plants like people. There was some research years ago that suggested plants respond by growing more.
I have my doubts about that but there are real merits in thinking of plants as people when it comes to feeding them. Plants need a balanced supply of nutrients like we do and neither over or under feeding pays.
The trend with our food favours least processed options and the same seems to go for the Weekend Gardener team when feeding our plants – see page 19 for what some of our accomplished gardeners use. Their form of feeding is a type of recycling so doubly trendy.
Recycling and an au natural approach were also recurrent themes at the Singapore Garden Festival this year (page 14). On the flower front, Pamela McGeorge, an alpine plant grower enthusiast herself, visits a garden full of small treasures (page 21) and our Orchid Extravaganza programme pullout makes growing some of those exotic beauties easy. The September 8-12 Extravaganza at Palmerston North is a once-in-every-five years showcase of top modern orchids.
Happy Gardening
Susie
