Today is the first day of spring and this is the first planting guide of the season. The following is a list of vegetables you can plant in September in Sydney, a temperate zone. Just click on the link for the growing guide for each vegetable or herb:

• Amaranth
• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Basil
• Beans – climbing and bush
• Beetroot
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cape Gooseberry
• Capsicum
• Carrot
• Celery
• Chicory
• Chillies
• Cucumber
• Eggplant
• Jerusalem Artichoke
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Luffa
• Marrow
• Mustard Greens
• Parsnip
• Peas
• Potato
• Pumpkin
• Radish
• Rhubarb
• Rocket
• Rockmelon in seed trays
• Silverbeet
• Snow Peas
• Sunflower
• Sweet corn
• Tomato
• Turnip
• Zucchini

Plant of the Month – Bergenia cordifolia – (Elephant’s ears)

Bergenia cordifolia is a hardy, rhizomatous perennial native to central Asia, from Afghanistan to China and the Himalayan region and can grow in climates with extreme temperature ranges from about −37 °C to 46 °C.

Bergenia plants form low clumps of large, leathery green leaves, which often turn bronze during winter, growing to a height of 30-45 cm with a spread of 45-60 cm. They flower from mid spring to early summer on upright stems of magenta with attractive pink  bell shaped flowers that attract butterflies

Flowering best in full sun, Bergenia do well in part shade too. They do not flower in heavy shade but develop attractive large leaves. This can be an option for more shaded areas.

Bergenia cordifolia is effective when mass planted or used as an edging or in rockeries. It is also suitable for pots in sunny situations.

It tolerates a wide range of soil conditions though it does prefer a humus rich well drained soil.

Once established Bergenia is drought tolerant and needs moderate watering in hot weather and is frost tolerant in winter.

Fertilize in spring and again in early autumn with a general purpose fertilizer.

Plants can be propogated easily by division or rooted rhizomes in spring or early autumn.

Bergenia cordifolia is an attractive and hardy plant for many garden situations and soils.