12:00a.m. 30th August 2008

| Gerry & Valerie Zwart

Officially we’re just two days away from spring, but we know it’s already here, don’t we?

And with this wonderful mild weather, we should have plenty of energy to get out into our gardens.

Why not start the weekend off with a visit to a delightful Australia’s Open Garden, which will be welcoming visitors tomorrow, August 30, and Sunday, August 31, from 10am to 4.30pm. This is “Mahnal’ – the delightful garden of Val McClintock at 6 Belle Air Drive, Bellmere, near Caboolture.

Val’s love of plants is obvious, and her lifetime of gardening has given her the experience in helping her garden not only survive but also flourish in this water-shortage period. Mahnal features a massed cottage garden with obelisks supporting fragrant roses and Mandevilla tumbling through arches, as well as a succulent garden, tropical area, Balinese temple and superb Bismarckia nobilis.

There’ll be plants and refreshments for sale, and Mahnal is suitable for wheelchairs.

Entry is $5, with accompanied children under-18 free.

SOME SPRING TIPS

Citrus and other fruit trees should be given encouragement to produce abundant crops now.

Yates has just released its new Dynamic Lifter Advanced for Fruit and Citrus, and this excellent product will ensure your trees produce both healthy growth and abundant crops.

The information brochure states: “This specially formulated plant food is made from organic, composted manure pellets blended with extra nutrients, a combination that results in superior plant performance.”

With the very cool winter now behind us (we hope), fruit trees are going to need a good boost of the best nutrients we can provide, and we know Yates products can certainly be relied upon.

The organic base of this Dynamic Lifter promotes microbial activity and enriches the soil. At the same time, the added nutrients provide that added boost to keep the plants at their peak of good health.

The N:P:K level of 10:4:8 plus trace elements guarantees good growth, heavier cropping and sweeter, juicer fruit. It is available in two sizes 1.5kg and 10kg, and is ideal for citrus, tropical fruits, passionfruit, olives and other fruits.

So don’t delay. Treat your trees this weekend.