Choose a good spot to ensure survival

Now is a good time to prepare for a long, hot and dry summer. The Green Gardener Steve Kite has some simple techniques to help your plants reach autumn with a minimum of stress.

The return of the El Nino weather pattern has been confirmed and unfortunately this means low rainfall. All gardeners have recently learnt a valuable lesson and we only need to look around to see what plants, shrubs and trees have survived in drought areas. Luckily most lawns will turn from brown to green very quickly after rain.

Planting

You should spend an equal amount of money on the planting hole as you spend on the plant. Replacing plants is an unnecessary cost and can be avoided. First, dig a hole three…