Gorgeous groundcover

Bred in Australia, the Moroccan Glory Vine (Convolvulus sabatius ‘Arctic Moon’) is a very hardy and dense-spreading groundcover with soft, grey-green foliage and masses of long-lasting, funnel-like white flowers throughout the warmer months of the year. 

This pretty perennial grows well in a sunny spot in most soils that are free draining. 
It cascades beautifully over embankments, rockeries and retaining walls and fills in spaces between larger shrubs.

It’s the perfect plant for poolside planting and coastal gardens and an absolute delight in decorative containers on balconies and courtyards.

This groundcover is very easy to maintain. Once established, it only requires occasional deep watering during extended periods of heat and an application of slow-release fertiliser in spring to encourage flowering.

Top gardening tips for August

• Restyle your entertaining area. You’ll be using it more when the warmer weather arrives. Throw out tired pot plants and brighten it up with new containers and fresh plantings, but don’t overdo the numbers of pots or the variety of plants. Use a premium-grade potting mix and wear strong gardening gloves and a mask. Always wash your hands thoroughly after working in the garden. 
• Remove the flowers from spring bulbs when they have finished and feed with an organic fertiliser. Don’t remove their leaves until they have completely died down naturally. The nutrient from the leaves passes into the bulb to promote growth and flowering for next year.
• Prune hibiscus by up to one-third of the foliage. During the warmer months, feed every six to eight weeks with an organic fertiliser to encourage vigorous growth. Always water the soil well before and after applying fertilisers.
• Tidy up citrus trees. Cut out all weak, spindly growth and train the branches to form an open framework for good air circulation. Keep the ground clear of competing plants and give your citrus trees a generous application of an organic fertiliser.
• Let your lawn grow as high as practicable. This helps the grass to resist wear during the warmer months and smother any weeds. Control moss in lawns by watering with a solution of 30g of iron sulphate dissolved in four litres of water.
• Prune roses if you haven’t already done so and fertilise established bushes with an organic fertiliser to encourage prolific flowering. Mulch well around the rose bushes, keeping the mulch slightly away from the plants’ stems to avoid fungal infections.