AS we go into winter, the flowering time for many fragrant plants comes into its own.

One of the most popular winter-flowering shrubs is the ever-popular daphne.

A magnificent Daphne odora in a container… a perfect plant for Canberra and Queanbeyan gardens.

As Robin White states in his book “Daphnes – a practical guide for gardeners” (Timber Press): “It is all too easy to make an impulse buy when faced with the temptation of an attractive, fragrant plant on display at a garden centre, but your problems will start early if you plant your daphne in an unsuitable site”.

All daphne plants prefer dappled shade; say, under deciduous trees in a well-drained, moist-retentive soil. Beside unsuitable soils, lack of shade and hot winds will be the killer.

Heavy clay soils, such as we experience locally, will need to be drastically improved before planting. Usually homes in new suburbs, where soil is often badly compacted by heavy machinery, will not be suitable for growing daphne in the open ground for quite a number of years.

One ongoing problem is even when there is a good layer of topsoil in greenfield sites, it is usually scraped off and where it ends up is anyone’s guess. Rather, the builder should be stockpiling it to one side for future use in the new garden.

Delicate flower buds emerging from Daphne bholua… is a hardy, fast-growing variety from the Himalayas.

There are two main types of daphne that will tolerate heat – from China, Tibet and the Himalayas, and from the Mediterranean region.

Daphne odora has been cultivated in its native China for thousands of years and was introduced into British gardens by plant hunters in 1771. Other varieties of D.odora include Daphne odora aureomarginata (with gold-edged leaves) and D. odora alba with pure white flowers. Daphne bholua from the Himalaya is another hardy variety and is relatively fast growing.

At home, ours grew to 3m with a 1.5m spread. Unfortunately, this had to be taken out when we did an extension last year. All was not lost, a sucker appeared on the other side of the path and after six months is now a healthy half a metre tall.

I know of no pest here that causes life-threatening damage to daphne plants, so there is no need to use chemical control.

Snails can cause a few problems, especially to new young growth. Eternal vigilance is the best answer to pick them off or make a ring of copper pipe around the plant. Snails will not cross copper.

If using snail pellets Multiguard Slug and Snail Killer is one of the safest if you have pets. This will not kill native animals, such as bluetongue lizards.

Ideas for this week

• When planting in wooden wine barrels, paint the inside with a bituminous paint such as Hi-Chem Protector Seal or Ormonoid to prevent the wood rotting. These are available from DIY stores or paint shops. Also just under the metal bands nail a few clouts to stop the bands dropping.
• Start pruning black and red currants, gooseberries and grape vines.
• Scrub old terracotta pots in readiness for spring.
• Use winter pruning to remove diseased wood from fruit trees.
• Remove debris and old leaves from container plants and re-mulch the top or grow thyme carpet thyme as a living mulch.
• Pinch out the tops of autumn sweet peas.

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ROSE-planting time will be at full pace over the next few weeks.

There are literally thousands of roses from which to choose, but nothing quite like the new release rose from Knight’s Roses of SA – Rosa “Black Caviar”.

Knight’s Roses in conjunction with the owners of the magnificent mare Black Caviar, the world’s greatest sprinter, say that this rose will be for sale in the next few weeks.

The Heritage Garden Centre in Yarralumla and other garden centres will be stocking it.

This very special cultivar with vanilla and jasmine fragrance has medium-size blooms of outstanding velvet burgundy claret-red flowers. The petals are velvet black on the edges with many blooms on each cane over a long flowering season.

Rosa “Black Caviar”… medium-size blooms of outstanding velvet burgundy claret-red flowers with vanilla and jasmine fragrance.

Blooms can be encouraged by regularly dead-heading spent flower heads.

HERE are the main categories of roses, with examples stocked by local garden centres:

The Old-Fashioned Roses category includes many of the Bourbon and Gallica roses now often grouped under the heading Heritage Roses or those roses grown before 1927. Examples include Rosa “Penelope” and R. “Blanc Double de Coubert”.

Hybrid Tea Roses, today referred to as large-flowered roses, have been the leading class of roses for 100 years. They are the classic rose, mainly with one bloom on a long stem. Excellent as a cut flower with wonderful fragrance. They can grow from 1.2 to 2m tall. Examples include Rosa “Charles De Gaulle” and R. “Ashram”.

Floribunda Roses, now referred to as “cluster roses”, have smaller blooms than Hybrid Tea roses, growing in large clusters and flowering over a long period. They are ideal for low-growing hedges or borders, although equally effective planted in a group of say three to five. Examples include Rosa “Afternoon Delight” and R. “Black Caviar”.

David Austin Roses have come into prominence in recent years. David Austin crossed the Old Fashioned Roses with their exquisite fragrance, but not lasting for too long with Hybrid Tea roses. The result is a rose with the old-fashioned shape of flower and fragrance combined with the long-lasting blooms of large-flowered roses. Examples include Rosa “Abraham Darby” and R. “Brother Cadfael”. The first series of David Austin roses was named after characters in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales’.

Finally we have the true Miniature Roses with blooms less than 5cm across and growing no more than 40-50cm tall. Ideal for rockeries or pots. Examples include Rosa “Ellie” and R. “Holy Toledo”.

HAVING grown roses here for more than 30 years, I have found newly planted roses will generally have the first flowers about Melbourne Cup Day.

I will repeat one item of advice mentioned in an earlier article because of its importance: do not put chemical fertilisers or fresh manures in the planting hole. These can cause irreparable damage to the new, tender roots. At planting time water in your new roses with a liquid seaweed-based plant food such as Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Food. This will specifically encourage new root growth without causing any damage to new roots.

IT is important not to prune roses until the end of August or early September.

If roses are pruned too soon it will encourage new growth, particularly if it is a mild winter. This is when the novice gardener can get caught out. A sudden sharp frost and all those delicate young new shoots will almost certainly be burnt off with the cold. This can set the whole flowering process back or even kill the rose.

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FOUR seasons in 45 days! I have just arrived back from an overseas holiday to see family in Holland and gardens everywhere.

So how did I manage the four seasons in such a short time? Leaving here towards the end of April, the leaves were just changing into their wonderful autumn mantle of rich colours.

Arriving in Holland it was mid-spring with the emerging green leaves, spring blossoms and stunning floral displays, especially the mind-blowing show of tulips at the annual show at the Keukenhof Gardens.

Then on to England, through France to Italy in June for their start of summer before returning home for winter.

FOR a moment, forget winter and let me transport you to Holland (the flower house of Europe), starting with the world’s largest and most beautiful flower garden and the showcase for Dutch floriculture, the Keukenhof Gardens, south-east of Amsterdam.

It features more than seven million daffodil, tulip and hyacinth bulbs in full bloom over a period of eight weeks provided by 85 bulb growers.

Stripping flower heads off tulips.

In that time, more than 800,000 garden lovers visit the gardens with more than 75 per cent coming from overseas.

The name Keukenhof originally described the herb or kitchen garden of the 15th century Teylingen Castle, owned by Countess Jacqueline of Bavaria. At that time the surrounding area was wild scrub land and dunes.

The flower show started in 1949 when, as Holland recovered from the ravages of World War II, a group of bulb growers decided to brighten people’s lives with an open-air exhibition of spring flowers in the park of the Keukenhof estate.

This year the theme was “United Kingdom – Land of Great Gardens”. The UK is an important trading partner with the Netherlands, in terms of flower exports and tourism. What’s more Keukenhof itself was originally designed, surprisingly, as an English landscape garden. The main feature was an impressive floral mosaic of Big Ben and the Tower Bridge.

WHERE do all the bulbs from Holland go? Exports alone are worth a staggering 681 euros ($A953 million) with the UK accounting for $A64 million, Germany $A105 million, France $A42 million, Russia $A42 million, China $A59 million, Japan $A42 million and the US $A154 million.

Every town has flower stalls as does, seemingly, every main street in Holland, with the flowers being purchased through the famous Dutch auctions.

Then there are their huge – and I mean huge – garden centres. For example, at Halsteren, a delightful country town of 13,000 in south Holland where our daughter Yvette lives, the Intratuin Garden Centre sells Australian boronias with the label in the shape of Australia or 200-year-old olive trees and every variety of plant in between.

At a garden centre selling 200-year-old olive trees.

I am a frequent visitor to this centre – by no means Holland’s largest – and still cannot get over its size. One time I counted 500 shopping trolleys at the entrance and commented to a salesperson this was a lot of trolleys. “See the space next to the trolleys,” the salesperson replied. “That’s where another 500 sit that are already in circulation within the garden centre”.

The total area of the centre is six hectares (15 acres) with 800 parking places, one million loyal customers a year with annual sales of more than $A28 million. That is big by anyone’s imagination and is just one of many such garden centres all over Holland; the Dutch love their flowers.

This is just a glimpse at the flower industry in the world’s largest producers of flowers and, indeed, one of the world’s largest producer of trees and shrubs, but that is another story.

Back to cold Canberra winter gardens next week.

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ONE of my favourite perennials, the pink Sedum spectabile “Autumn Joy”, is an amazing plant in its own right and also a firm favourite in Britain and Holland, where it is planted en masse for a wonderful autumnal flower display.

Sedum “Autumn Joy” en masse.

By the middle of spring these will be centimetres tall providing lush green growth all summer. Look out also for the white-flowering Sedum spectabile “Iceberg”.

SINCE returning from holidays, I have been busy raking leaves and filling the compost heap, at the same time adding a good handful of garden lime to each barrow load of leaves etcetera. I have previously mentioned the damage that can result with an accumulation of wet leaves on hedges. It is equally important to remove wet leaves that can easily kill plants from ground covers such as thyme or convolvulus.

I have also been busy cutting back perennial plants.

Which ones? To start with, all the salvias, asters (Michaelmas daisies), campanulas (Canterbury Bells), Sedum “Autumn Joy” and chrysanthemums can be cut to ground level.

Frost-hardy young Sedum emerging in winter.

This is a cheap and easy way to increase the number of plants in your garden. They also pot up nicely for the church or school spring fete.

In my case, I underestimated the ultimate size of salvias planted last season, such as Salvia “Heatwave Brilliance” growing to more than 75cm tall and getting tangled with other nearby plants.

Obviously, I need to relocate these to allow sufficient space to do them justice. Now is the time to do the relocating and, at the same time, try to remember where I had planted bulbs!

HERE’S something different when it comes to family pets. Recently, I visited a large Dutch garden owned by Albert Tielens, a garden designer like me.

Walking around this amazing garden I noticed, from a distance, what looked like a stone pig. Getting closer, this huge pig was gently snoring away in the sunshine. Albert seem unperturbed that the pet pig was lying on the clipped box hedging plants. I understand in larger gardens, in England and Holland, pigs are becoming popular as pets, although there are smaller types than shown here!

The family “pet” relaxes in a Dutch garden.

In the meantime, continue to feed them with a high-potassium plant food to encourage flowering right up until you see evidence of flower heads forming.

In the winter garden…

• Break the ice on the bird bath before leaving for work.

• Wait until frosts are over before pruning frost-damaged leaves on evergreen shrubs.

• Wait until late winter before planting onion seedlings.

• Remove old wood on hydrangeas and reduce last year’s growth to three leaf nodes (joints).

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WHAT is it about winter so many folk dislike?

In winter it is easy to put on an extra coat or pullover as opposed to the full heat of summer when there is a limit to how many clothes one can take off!

Add fun to the garden with a quirky ornament.

This winter has been very mild with few frosts and regular rain. Under the ground, the roots of autumn plantings are quietly developing with the warmth still in the soil.

Bulbs are emerging to brighten our spring days. Beautiful buds are developing on spring-flowering shrubs. We are enjoying the first flowers on blossom trees with the delightful flowering apricot Prunus mume. Even the early flowering wattles are starting to brighten dull winter days. Winter is such an exciting time in the garden.

Red spinach adds colour to any part of the garden.

Dare to be different, say, with a bright yellow garden seat rather than the standard stained timber furniture.

Our main garden seat is a rich purple. It adds colour in the winter to an otherwise drab garden. Remember, there are no hard and fast rules in gardening.

Grow vegetables amongst the perennials and shrubs. Lettuce looks great filling a gap of bare dirt or red spinach can add a great splash of colour, too. You do not have to have a specific veggie garden and, in fact, will find less of an insect problem with this style of companion planting.

The main thing is to please yourself, don’t worry about making it look good to compete with the neighbours. Think less about maintenance and more about developing an atmosphere in your garden.

I ALWAYS recommend planting shrubs, perennials and even annuals in groups of, say, threes, fives or sevens for a more natural look.

While it is tempting to walk around a garden centre and pick out one of this and one of that, you will not have room for one of everything. That’s the role of botanic gardens (or living museums, as I often refer to them) or you’ll end up, as the late Mackenzie Clay, of Canberra, used to say, with “a fruit salad garden with one of everything”.

Betula pendula or silver birches are often planted in groups, which encourages a tall columnar form. There are numerous other columnar trees that look effective planted in a group. For example Prunus cerasifera “Oakville Crimson Spire”, is an extremely upright purple-leafed flowering plum with white flowers in spring, growing to 5-6 metres tall and just 2 metres wide.

For sunny days…

• In the veggie garden, it is time to plant asparagus and globe and Jerusalem artichoke.
• Most garden books suggest onion seedlings can be planted now, however in this district leave this planting for a few more weeks.
• Plant chives in bold groups amongst the flowerbeds and similarly plant rhubarb as an ornamental with its big bold leaves.
• Plant garlic in groups near roses making sure it is not the imported Chinese garlic. This has been chemically treated in accordance with quarantine regulations and will not grow.
• As buds emerge on early flowering fruit trees spray with Bordeaux or Kocide to prevent brown rot in fruit. Also spray the ground under the trees.

The post What is it about winter? appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

COLEOPTERA is an order of insects that includes ladybirds and other beetles.

While not knowing too much about this subject, I understand there are about 30 orders of insects, but the largest groups are Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (flies), Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants) and Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies).

All are under constant threat, particularly with the overuse of chemical sprays in the garden and the wider field of horticulture and agriculture. There is a vitally important role for such insects in the garden.

A five-star hotel for insects… built using recyclable materials, most of which can be found in many gardens.

As the photo shows, what looks like a pile of broken objects and garden waste is a five-star, winter break hotel for insects, bugs and beetles. It provides food and shelter for all of the above listed insects. It is built using recyclable materials, most of which can be found in many gardens. It need not be as large as illustrated, but you get the idea.

If you are contemplating building a similar hotel it is not too late to enable insects to book in for the rest of winter. This also can be a learning experience for children about the wonderful world of insects and illustrates how beneficial the insects are for our environment.

Lunchtime lecture on Italian gardens

BEN Walcott is the next speaker at the Friends of the Australian Botanic Gardens lunchtime lectures at the theatrette, 12.30pm, on Thursday, July  25.  He will speak on “Classic Italian Gardens and What They Can Teach Us About Design”. Entry is by gold-coin donation.

Compost: to dig or not to dig?

OKAY, so you have been emptying compost bins that have been quietly rotting away to make more room for leaves. Or you have a surplus of leaves starting to rot with the recent rain. Do you apply this organic compost material to the top of the ground or dig it in?

Does one dig compost into the soil? Or apply to the top?

Let us look at the opposing forces, as suggested by the Royal Horticultural Society. Most gardeners are unsure which is the more beneficial.

The case for “digging” is that it ensures phosphorus and potassium released by the organic material remains at root depth. Sandy or light unstable soils (this advice is also applicable to the coast) can settle and become airless. Digging in compost counteracts this. Sowing or planting is easier if the soil is dug over. Digging can bury weed seedlings and allow easier removal of large weeds.

The case against “digging”, especially if the ground is wet, is that it often damages the soil structure and disturbs beneficial soil organisms, such as worms and mycorrhizal fungi, vital for any garden.

Digging means exposed earth loses valuable moisture when the weather warms up with evaporation and brings weed seeds to the surface where they will quickly germinate with exposure to light.

Personally, I recommend no digging. This also applies to mulching in spring with my favourite recycled, green-waste material, Canberra Sand and Gravel’s Canberra Organic Mulch. The worms revel in this material and in no time at all will turn it into the existing soil.

I HAVE received inquiries on pruning clematis. Now is the time to prune early-flowering clematis such as C. Montana rubens, C. Armandii, C. Alpina and C. macropetala can be cut back freely.

Use shears or secateurs to cut these back by a third. They will soon respond with new growth as soon as the weather warms. Next edition I will feature varieties of evergreen clematis that can be mixed with deciduous clematis so that you do not have a bare look all winter.

No excuses

WE have been having a run of beautiful winter days with hours of sunshine and no excuse for not getting into the garden so how about…

• Checking ground moisture. With little rain and frost, moisture is drawn from the soil.
• Dividing bearded iris, cutting off any damaged parts.
• Floating hellebore flowers in a bowl of water to enjoy indoors.
• Pruning grapevines. If left to spring, the new growth will bleed sap profusely.

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ONE special variety of winter-flowering clematis is Clematis cirrhosa “Wisley Cream”.

Clematis cirrhosa… vigorous climber ideal for growing over pergolas, arches or around pillars.

Its description reads: “Scented cream flowers from mid-winter to early spring. A dark-green glossy leaved vigorous climber ideal for growing over pergolas, arches or around pillars”.

An equally super clematis is Clematis nepaulensis, also known as Clematis forrestii after George Forrest the plant hunter.

Botanist Forrest was a giant amongst plant explorers, bringing no less than 10,000 new plant introductions to the Western world, mainly from China and Nepal, from where Clematis forrestii originated.

With lush, green foliage, bell-shaped, fragrant, cream flowers with red sepals, it flowers from late autumn to the following spring.

It brings honeyeaters to the garden, as they just love its nectar.

Different to most plants, as it has leaves and flowers in winter and is bare in summer, it is ideal for mixing with a climbing rose over an arch or pergola to enjoy clematis flowers in winter and roses in summer.

NOW is the time to plant summer flowering bulbs such as Hemerocallis or Day lilies, Iris (bearded or flag varieties), Liliums, Polygonatum or Solomon’s Seal, Polianthes or Tuberosa and Zephyranthes or autumn crocus.

The best place to check for other varieties is your local garden centre. You can assume if they are in stock, it is the right time to plant. The same goes for annuals and veggies.

Most annual flowering plants take about eight weeks from the time you plant until flowering time. For example, pansies planted now will be in full flower by September, providing you have prepared the soil and regularly water and feed these delicate young plants.

Spring is in the air

• Uncover rhizomes [roots] from bearded iris. The top of these should be exposed to be baked by the sun for effective flowering.
• Drain drip irrigation systems before spring.
• Stand newly purchased plants in their original pot in a bucket of Maxicrop Seaweed plant nutrient for 20 minutes before planting.
• When planting new shrubs, fill the hole with water and allow to drain completely before planting.
• Apply Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient to annuals and veggies on a weakly, weekly basis to get them off to a good start with strong roots, ie: a weak solution once a week.

Friends in seed!

IN 1954, seed company Yates used three child models to pose for an advertising placard to promote home-grown veggies.

The photogenic trio were Mareana Barca and brothers Laurie and Dennis O’Toole.

Last year, the images were used to promote the special edition of “Yates Garden Guide” celebrating the 125th birthday of this iconic brand and on a reproduction seed tin.

From left, Laurie O’Toole, Mareana Barca and Dennis O’Toole with their child model advertisements from 1954.

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IT is so important to expose children to our native flora and fauna from an early age, and the Eurobodalla Botanic Gardens is a good place to start.

The entrance is well-signposted, five kilometres on the Princes Highway from Batemans Bay, just before Mogo.

So while rain and snow threatened the city, it was a different story at the gardens, sitting in the sun enjoying coffee at the Chef’s Cap café with the wonderful sound of children in the background playing in the garden’s brilliant playground, which has play structures not seen anywhere else in Australia.

The Children’s Walk at the Eurobodalla Botanic Gardens is full of fun and surprises.

You may be lucky enough to see the big goannas and a bird hide is the ideal place to see the large range of birds, especially many varieties of water birds.

For people with disabilities, the Rotary Disability Track runs alongside the children’s playground. The nursery has a great display of plants for sale, all propagated by the Friends of the Gardens.

Incidentally, if you are retiring to the coast and would like to meet like-minded gardeners the Friends have more than 100 members, more than almost any other botanic gardens.

The Eurobodalla Botanic Gardens is open Wednesday to Sunday, 9am-4pm or daily during NSW school holidays. Entry is free. More information at erbg.org.au

RECENTLY, I have had questions from readers on the value of animal manures, most of which are gathered from under shearing sheds (sheep manure), paddocks (cows) or stables (horses).

If they have been exposed to the weather for a period of time, there is very little nutrient value in them. On the other hand, they are excellent for improving clay soil, especially if mixed with washed river sand. Alternatively, add it to the compost heap to hasten the decomposition process.

I may be biased, coming from a dairy farm, but I consider cow manure is the best for several reasons: cows chew the cud and grind everything, including seeds, to pulp making the end result (pun intended) weed free.

Cow manure breaks down in the garden very quickly, while horse manure – depending on the feed – can result in a wonderful crop of oats! Those small pebbles of sheep manure can take a long time to break down, plus you are likely to get a good crop of weeds.

Depending on the animal feed, not all manures can be classed as organic with many supplements added, especially if the stock is bred in enclosed conditions. For this reason, chook manure from battery hens is not classed as organic.

Chook manure is classed as a “hot”, having a high concentration of lime and ammonia, and should not be used near acid-loving plants such as camellia, Daphne, azalea and all Aussie plants

AS we start the last month of winter, with the wattle in bloom and jonquils heralding spring, here are a few things to take us into the garden:

• Cut back old foliage of deciduous grasses such as Miscanthus. Yes, the foliage turning brown is the same as trees losing their leaves.
• With the mild weather continuing, keep an eye out for snails. Use organic and safer-for-pets Multicrop Slug and Snail Killer.
• Prune summer flowering shrubs such as Buddleia very hard.
• Tip prune Camellia sasanqua if they have finished flowering to encourage more bushy growth for more flowers next year. If very scraggly, hard prune by reducing the plant by up to one third.
• If you have blackcurrants, prune back a quarter of the old growth down to ground level.

 TOP PICTURE: Winter flowering Epacris compressa at the coast gardens.

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ERICAS or heaths make a spectacular swath of purple, beloved by visitors to Scotland.

Erica darleyensis pink presents a great winter display.

Similarly they like a similar organic mulch such as Canberra Organic Mulch, from Canberra Sand and Gravel.

Alternatively, another favourite mulch of mine for acid-loving plants is rotted down pine needles. Simply scrape back the loose needles on top to get to the good stuff. Hence they make an ideal companion planting with native plants. Ericas grow happily either in full sun or filtered shade and, like most plants, prefer a well-drained soil. They will not tolerate heavy clay or water logging.

Here are some suggestions for your consideration. I say some because, for example, “Hillier’s Manual of Trees and Shrubs” lists no less than 130 varieties.

Here are some tried-and-tested varieties that I know will grow well locally, starting with the long-time favourite Erica darleyensis pink form, pictured here, that I used at the front entrance when I designed the gardens at the National Film and Sound Archive.

It is a very compact form and is ideal for growing as a low hedge along the edge of paths. This makes a colourful alternative to the ubiquitous box hedging. I find the pink form flowers much better than the white form.

Delightful pink and white flowers of Erica carnea “Pink Pearl”.

The name of E. “Raspberry Ripple” was influenced by one of Britain’s favourite ice creams of the same name. In flower, it looks good enough to eat!

Possibly one of the most floriferous is E. melanthera that, when covered in its rich purple flowers, hardly a green leaf can be seen. Certainly one of my favourites, but do not let that influence you, check it out at the garden centres.

I RECOMMEND the end of August as the ideal time to prune roses. Some look forward to the task with trepidation, especially if new to rose growing.

There is a solution – attend the Horticultural Society of Canberra’s free rose-pruning demonstration at 1 Spence Place, Hughes,1pm-3pm, on Sunday, August 11. This is open to the public and do wear warm clothes. This garden belongs to June and John Woodfield, one of Australia’s champion dahlia growers. You will see many other items of interest in this garden.

I OFTEN receive queries regarding leaf drop on evergreen plants. All plants whether evergreen or deciduous drop leaves. Interestingly, I also receive requests when designing gardens for plants that do not drop leaves. Well, plastic plants will solve the problem! On evergreen plants, as the new leaves develop the older leaves at the base of the stems turn yellow and drop. It is not caused by a disease or insects. I liken it to a snake periodically shedding its skin. This is particularly noticeable on Daphne plants.

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POT culture can be a neglected aspect of gardening, leaving some plants in pots for years, like a lifetime in jail, possibly with roots growing into the ground.

Using polystyrene as a pot filler.

When re-potting, just getting the plant out of the pot can be a challenge, particularly if it is an Ali Baba-style, tapered pot, a type I never recommend for plants. Depending on the value of the plant, the pot may have to be sacrificed.

Starting with potting up a new plant, here are a few new ideas: usually, the size of the pot is too large for the plant and its root ball and leads to using more potting mix than is necessary. Potting mixes vary in quality and while it is tempting to buy the cheapest, this is a false economy. Spending, say, $50 or more for a beautiful specimen plant and planting it in $5 potting mix is something like driving a Mercedes and running it on standard petrol!

Pruning roots with a sharp knife.

Firstly, place a few pieces of broken tile or terracotta over the holes. Next shred some polystyrene to fill the container to a quarter or a third, depending on the variety of plant. For example, azaleas and daphne have shallow roots. With annuals, at least half the container can be filled with polystyrene, reducing the amount of potting mix.

With any plant, it depends on how long it has been in the pot at the garden centre. Check if it appears root bound. This is rarely a problem with perennials as the roots can be gently teased out. Certainly this is never a problem with veggie, herbs or flower seedlings. Incidentally, garden centres report herbs are outselling flowering annuals by a factor of three to one. If the plant is a shrub and has a mass of roots one can be quite ruthless using a sharp knife. Gently cut through the roots in three places from top of the plant to the bottom. Then similarly cut a cross across the base of the plants. The roots will then spread out from the cuts into the potting mix.

Firm the potting mix, leaving a space of about five centimetres from the top for watering. I suggest you plant carpet thyme or similar on the top of the pot as a living mulch, keeping the root zone cool in summer.

Finally, water the plant several times, adding Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient to promote root growth. All of the above advice can equally apply when re-potting older plants while at the same time trying to reduce the roots and soil by one third for fresh potting mix.

Always raise pots off the ground, even when placed on paving or concrete. Pots do not need a saucer as this leads to bad drainage and root rot and possible death of the plant.

Stuff to do

• If you have used a pot as a mini fishpond, clean accumulated leaves and other debris from the bottom.
• Group a variety of pot sizes together to form an interesting display of colour.
• To prevent terracotta pots drying out, paint the inside with a bituminous paint such as Ormonoid available from DIY stores.
• Grow a variety of plants in a pot with flowering times throughout the growing season.
• Focus outdoor lights on a group of pots.

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MANY people shun conifers and their appeal has been in decline in gardens for many years.

Low-growing Picea “Nidiformis” for the smaller garden.

“I fully appreciate their value as well as their problems; unfortunately, it is the latter which is often highlighted by the gardening media who often feel conifers have no place in the modern garden,” the Englishman says.

The demise of conifers is also partly due to gardeners not checking their ultimate size and, to a lesser degree, by garden-centre staff unfamiliar with conifers.

Most conifer labels state their size in 10 years, not their ultimate size, which is really no use. Growth will depend on the soil and subsequent care and attention to watering and feeding.

For example, 20-30 years ago, metre-tall Golden Cypress were sold by the hundreds in Canberra. Now they have grown to giants of 15m plus with a similar spread and are very costly to remove when in the wrong place.

In the ‘70s, conifers were very popular here, especially with the migrant population from Europe, where they are still very popular.

The other popular but incorrect notion is that “we will trim them to keep them small”. Fine in theory, but forgetting the trunk will still keep growing.

Before taking home a conifer, do some research; try Victoria’s Conifer Gardens Nursery’s website for a start.

Check out the dwarf conifers at Cockington Green.

A great place to start is at Cockington Green with their extensive use of small conifers, as illustrated here. One of the most popular conifers sold today is Thuja “Smaragd” from where the jewel Emerald comes from, originally from the Latin smaragdus referring to its dark green colour.

Conifers make an excellent evergreen foil against deciduous trees or shrubs, and can be used as an accent plant or for screening such as a hedge.

I have illustrated screening a building, reaching its full height or could equally be used as a formal clipped hedge.

WITH ever decreasing blocks sizes or for small townhouse gardens, many conifers are suitable for containers. The beauty of conifers is the minimum amount of care required.

In our garden, we grew a small, compact conifer with a weeping habit, namely Picea abies “Nidiformis”. It hasn’t been pruned in 10 years and has retained its neat shape.

The most important point is to lightly trim only in October and March. Never cut back into the old wood as most conifers, unlike other plants, will not grow back from the old wood. Finally, the trimming needs to take place from the very start, and not leaving it for several years when, depending on the variety, it starts to get scraggly.

Hi-ho, hi-ho…

Work in the garden is now a pleasure as the days warm:

• Check out your local garden centre for conifers.
• Once roses have been pruned, spray with lime sulphur for scale insects and other pests.
• As the flower buds form on roses, feed with organic Neutrog “Seamungus”, a combination of seaweed and chook poo.
• Even though garden centres have seed potatoes for sale, it is better to delay planting for at least another month.
• Spray fruit trees when the first buds show pink (before they come into flower) with Kocide or Bordeaux for curly leaf fungus.

TOP PHOTO: Thuja “Smaragd” for screening or a perfect hedge.

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THE mild winter, with its regular rain and few frosts, suggests we’re in for a super spring and now is the time to start planting flowering annuals.

It takes about eight weeks from planting those tiny seedlings to full flower.

Look out for Floriana’s new Petunia “Shock Wave” and Petunia “Coral Crush” arriving at garden centres in the next few weeks.

“Shock Wave” is a spreading petunia, suitable for containers or hanging gardens with each plant spreading to 80cm. For a massed effect, plant them 50cm apart in garden beds. They come in five glorious colours – ivory, pink ice, purple, denim and rose.

Equally, for a dense splash of colour plant Floriana’s Petunia “Coral Crush”, which will produce wave upon wave of shimmering bi-colour flowers of coral with creamy-yellow throats of densely-packed flowers for an incredible visual impact in the garden. They flower continuously from early spring until late summer.

COSMOS is a hardy, annual flowering plant from Mexico and is used to hot dry climates. Its bright, sunny plant grows easily from seed, making it a

great starter for a children’s garden.

Yates Cosmos “Bright Eyes” is a good source of seed. Forty cents from each packet sold goes to Retina Australia, a little-known charity that supports families affected by inherited eye diseases.

Scatter the seed from a few packets amongst perennials for a summer-long show.

BIG, bold and bright sunflowers are also good for children to grow from seed. However, if space is limited, try Yates sunflower “Sensation”. For medium height, there’s “Bronze Shades” and the biggies, for the back of the flower garden, are “Yellow Empress”.

Let the children dry the seeds for feeding birds in winter when food is scarce.

AS we head to the warmer weather and now have a seemingly huge water storage with the extension of the Cotter dam, it doesn’t mean watering mindlessly in the middle of the day.

Actew Water will continue its water-conservation program of using only sprinklers and drip systems between 6pm and 9am. Hand-held trigger nozzles can be used sensibly at any time. Simply put, if water is running off, you are over-watering.

THERE is a new edition of the “Open Gardens Australia Guide 2013/14” in newsagents and bookshops. There are 453 gardens listed in this year’s guide.

The scheme, in its 26th year, supports gardens opened by the generosity of private owners for gardeners to appreciate and enjoy.

This year, Friends of Open Gardens Australia will be established in response to requests by the Open Gardens family to build a greater sense of belonging to the scheme. More information at opengarden.org.au

Incidentally, any visitors to Britain might like to look out for their National Gardens Scheme’s “The Yellow Book”. It lists 3000 open gardens, attracting over three quarters of a million visits each year. More information at ngs.org.uk

This week, soak up the vitamin D and…

• Consider coring lawns, if not sure how, call me on 0418 620424.

• Plant a citrus tree, lemon, grapefruit, or lime to start. They can be grown in containers if you only have a small garden or sunny balcony.

• Finish tip-pruning Camellia sasanquas or, if really out of hand, reduce by one third.

• Spot kill weeds in the lawn.

• Sow broad beans, broccoli, lettuce and peas. The latter do best in new soil. Broad beans and lettuce like a well-limed soil.

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IT’S spring and gardening swings into top gear this month with events galore.

The Floriade Spring Festival, with the theme “Beautiful Innovation”, blossoms forth for a month, from September 14, encouraging even the most reluctant gardener into the wonderful world of gardening.

Correa “Canberra Bells”… especially bred for this year.

It seems ridiculous starting in March to rip up the turf to install the garden beds for just one month of Floriade. Then only to clear the area and re-lay 20,000 square metres of turf to return Commonwealth Park to its regular state in October. The turf has hardly had time to grow before the whole process starts all over again!

Also, why did we have to copy the name Floriade from the Dutch flower festival of the same name? Too late now, but surely we could have come up with an original Australian name.

MANY readers have raised with me the question of why the Floriade theme is showcasing a hybrid, non-existent flower.

The computer-generated flower is a combination of a lotus with the centre of a lily and an optic stamen.

Surely, when we are celebrating Canberra’s Centenary we should be promoting the native plant especially bred for this year, namely Correa “Canberra Bells”.

I hope to see massed displays of this in themed native gardens to celebrate our Australian heritage and promote plants indigenous to our local area rather than the computer-generated variety!

Email me your thoughts at cedricbryant@grapevine.com.au

FEED, feed, feed. That is the theme in coming weeks.

Surprisingly, Camellia sasanquas, which have only just finished flowering, need to be fed now. As soon as flowering has finished the new buds start to form for next year’s flowers. Late-flowering bulbs can be fed with a high-potassium liquid plant food until you see the flower buds appear.

Daffodils… The Horticultural Society’s Spring Bulb and Camellia Show is a must-see.

More information at hsoc.org.au

THE Kingston Organic Community Garden is holding its fifth anniversary garden party at 11 Currie Crescent, noon-3pm, on Sunday, October 20. There will be family activities and a birthday cake to cut at 2.30pm.

More information at 6295 9470 or email office@canbap.org.

Correa “Canberra Bells”… especially bred for this year.

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CANBERRA is hosting the South and West Regional Orchid Show and Conference this year, which will attract plants from as far away as Albury, Griffith and Wagga Wagga to the west, and on the south coast from Nowra to Bega.

The theme of the show is “Anniversaries”, to acknowledge the centenary of Canberra, the 175th anniversary of Queanbeyan and 30 years since the Orchid Society of Canberra was formed.

To accommodate the larger numbers of flowers, the show will be held at the Wesley Centre, 20 National Circuit, Forrest, 9am-5pm, on Saturday, October 5, and noon-4.30pm on Sunday, October 6.

Orchids from commercial growers and local hobby growers will be on sale and there will also be demonstrations on repotting orchids and opportunities to talk to society members about orchid care.

Anyone wishing to learn more about orchids should register for the conference at canberraorchids.org. The $20 registration fee covers attendance at all sessions of the conference on Saturday, morning and afternoon tea, unlimited entry to the show and participation in the field trips on Sunday morning.

More information at 6254 1119 or email orsoc@yahoo.com

IN this garden page, I like to feature practical garden ideas, not just lots of pretty flower pictures. 

Polystyrene containers make perfect seed-raising boxes.

So here’s a simple idea for raising plants from seed that is considerably cheaper than buying punnets and doubles as a practical learning experience for children.

I use polystyrene containers from our local supermarket to make into perfect seed-raising boxes that provide thick insulation so seedlings can be started off earlier.

In the illustrated example, the box has holes in its base for drainage and gaps in the sides at the top. This allows for good ventilation.

It can be covered by Perspex, which is safer than glass. And shadecloth can be used on hot days of full sun.

ORGANIC fertilisers, rather than chemical fertilisers, are absolutely vital in this age of all things synthetic.

Three years ago the Standards Association of Australia introduced Australian Standard AS 6000 for organic and bio-dynamic products.

If companies state their products are truly organic they should comply with this standard. In addition, there are existing organic standards certifier organisations that are, I understand, acceptable to the Federal standard. These include the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia, the nation’s leading organic certifier offering certification both here and overseas.

There is also Organic Gardening, originally known as Biological Farmers of Australia (the name change reflects more the natural products they certify).

Don’t be misled with the name “farmers” in their title as this certification equally applies to agriculture and horticulture, from commercial growers to the home gardener.

The important distinction to remember when buying products is to look for “certified” organic not just organic. Companies producing fertiliser do not necessarily have all their products labelled as “certified” organic. For example, if chook poo pellets come from battery hens, they cannot be classed as “certified organic”. Whereas from free range hens fed with natural feed, they can be certified as organic.

I always encourage gardeners to use certified fertilisers, with two examples being Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient, certified as organic by the NASAA, and Neutrog Seamungus and Seamungus Crumble by Organic Gardening.

WITH the tomato-growing season looming fast, here are two useful products.

Firstly, Maxicrop has introduced its tomato and vegetable fertiliser, especially formulated with seaweed and other nutrients. The seaweed content encourages strong root growth without which you will not get good, big healthy tomatoes and other veggies.

The second product, one of the best things since sliced bread, is not new, but the Velcro Tomato and Plant Tie may be unfamiliar to many people.  This tie, or rather a tape, can be used over and over again and will not rot. I have used it for tying and training every plant on wires from clematis to star jasmine and climbing roses.

Both these products should be readily available from local garden centres.

Goodbye woollies, hello spring garden

THE pullovers are off and so is everything growing in the garden:

• When planting trees and shrubs remove about a third of the potting mix so some of the roots are in direct contact with the new soil.

• When dividing clumpy plants such as grasses or Agapanthus run a dripping hose on the root ball for a couple of hours to loosen the soil and make it easier to dig up and divide.

• Do not tie up daffodil leaves after flowering as this affects the nutrient returning to the bulb. Cut off old leaves six weeks after flowering.

• If you have trees growing in lawn keep whipper-snippers well away from the trunk – they are the perfect ring-barking machine!

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Alan Neal with his historic-tools gate.

Putting finishing touches to the Sensory Garden.

Right now, the council’s Parks and Recreation staff are putting the finishing touches to what I understand was the idea of councillor Trudy Taylor.

The raised stone walls and wide paths provide wheelchair access to all areas of the garden. A wide variety of small trees, shrubs and perennials have been planted to enhance the senses of sight, touch and smell. These include lavenders, geraniums, rosemary and a variety of herbs.

Mayor Tim Overall said recent additions to the gardens included some amazing sculptures and hands-on musical instruments and a series of Aboriginal totems by the Ngambrii people would be included.

Two unique structures, or I should say works of art, by the council’s Alan Neal include the designer gate, in which he used old farm and garden tools to reflect the hard work of the early pioneers and his large free-standing metal design entitled “Clayton”.

More than 200 ceramic tiles adorn the walls.

I would like to congratulate Tim Overall and the Queanbeyan City Council and, in particular, the Parks and Recreation staff. The city has more than 50 parks, the largest being Riverside Park. They are all very well maintained year round, along with an excellent city-wide tree planting and maintenance program.

The city’s birthday celebrations, all centred in and around Ray Morton Park on September 28, will include an historical transport parade led by HMAS Harman personnel in a special “Freedom of Entry Parade”.

Jottings…

•  If you are selling your home, please don’t cover your gardening sins of neglect and weeds with a layer of mulch.
• And real estate agents take note: a “fully landscaped garden” is not a patch of lawn with a tree in the middle!
• Unless you have decided where to put new plants, stop buying them. I visit gardens with dozens of plants sitting around in pots for, sometimes, years. Then I am asked for planting ideas but by then they are totally root bound!
• As we go into spring, look out for the logo of possibly the best range of perennial plants in Australia grown by Plant Growers of Australia, the Victorian company that supplies almost every garden centre across the country. I use their plants almost exclusively in our garden because of their excellent quality. For Cedric’s and his clients’ gardens, only the best will do!

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A magnificent specimen of floral splendour, Magnolia
soulangeana… but did you notice how close it is to the house?

The magnolia family is very large. I have more than 100 varieties on my list that are mainly deciduous shrubs, from China and the Himalaya and can grow to tree size.

The only evergreen magnolia comes from Bull Bay in Carolina, US, hence its common name Magnolia “Bull Bay”, no relation to Laurus nobilis or bay tree.

Incidentally, recent queries regarding the bronze colour on the back of the leaf were concerned it was disease such as rust, but is actually one of the beauties of this tree, combined with the dark green, glossy leaves and huge saucer-size, creamy-white flowers.

But take a closer look at the M. soulangeana. At first glance, the floral display will wow you, but did you notice how close it is to the house?

This tree was obviously planted many years ago and seemed ideal to plant in the corner of the building. Now, with a trunk 40cm across and still growing, it could cause structural damage to the house, which has had several owners since 1964 and no-one knows who planted it. Each new owner has left it there to get bigger and bigger.

In addition, the plant’s roots can present major problems with all the building’s sewer pipes being the original earthenware type.

Unfortunately, at some stage this magnolia will have to be removed, a reminder that, when buying trees and shrubs, allow sufficient space for plants to grow and know where the underground services are, especially sewer pipes.

THERE is great excitement in the Bryant garden. One very small Daphne collina I have been nurturing for two years from barely 10 centimetres tall to its present 40cm has, this week, burst into flower for the first time.

This daphne is a taxonomic mystery. It is one of the Mediterranean daphnes as opposed to the Chinese daphne, such as Daphne odora.

It was first described by J.E. Smith when he saw it growing in southern Italy in 1792. But since then, this daphne is known only to grow in gardens and has never been found in the wild. Notwithstanding this mystery, it is an outstanding plant. Maybe a little hard to find, but if you see it, buy it.

Cedric’s Daphne collina… flowering for the first time.

The fragrance of a group of three Daphne “Eternal Fragrance” is wafting through the garden. This was bred in England and is a cross between D. collina and D. caucasica. Plant Growers Australia grow this here and market it through most garden centres.

SOME crazy person suggested recently in this column “the pullovers are off and everything is growing in the garden”! Slightly premature, as I write this the rain comes tumbling down and pullovers are back on. But what beautiful rain and so badly needed.

So, this week in the garden:

• Get ahead of the weeds, so easy to remove when the ground is moist.
• Rake lawns with a strong metal fork and sow grass seed to repair bare patches.
• Tie in rapid new growth of clematis and other climbers to support wires.
• As the days warm, look out for aphids on new growth. Hose off with a strong jet of water or spray with organic Pyrethrum.
• After this rain, keep the pet-safer Multiguard Snail and Slug Killer on hand for those critters emerging from their winter hibernation.

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BLOSSOMS, blossoms everywhere as we go into the real start of spring in Canberra – October.

The blossoms contrast with every shade of green of the emerging new leaves of deciduous trees.

We can enjoy a succession of ornamental, deciduous blossom trees from mid-winter to November/early December, plus the blossoms of fruiting plants – the more blossoms, the more fruit.

WEEPING trees have one of the most spectacular blossoms. Ideally, plant as a specimen tree and give it plenty of room to be admired. Weeping trees are grafted and I always recommend a tall graft to two metres to allow the branches to weep naturally from on high.

Prunus “Cheal’s” cherry is one of the most beautiful weeping trees with its emerging bronze-green leaves. Its deep pink double flowers are freely produced giving a spectacular show.

Cheal’s weeping cherry at Tulip Top Garden, open to October 13.

FOR some reason, Syringa or Lilacs, once a feature of most gardens, seem to have diminished in popularity, despite its range of flower colours being awesome and combined with a heady fragrance.

Lilacs ask only for a little patience. They take two to three years to become established and then repay you generously over a three-to four-week period with an abundance of blooms.

The famous Goulburn Lilac Festival takes place in early November and is well worth a visit.

THE all-time favourite crabapple, Malus ionensis plena, is truly spectacular in full bloom at this time with its double pink flowers.

Spectacular crabapple blossom at East Basin Park.

WANT your garden in top shape throughout the year? Help is at hand with Jennifer Stackhouse’s new book, called simply “Garden” with the sub-title “Everything you need to know to keep your garden thriving and beautiful throughout the year” (ABC Books, rrp $35).

Stackhouse is a qualified horticulturist and former editor of the ABC’s “Gardening Australia” magazine.

There is a myriad of garden books available and then there is this one, which I highly recommend for its practicality.

The perfect companion book is “The Canberra Gardener”, published by the Horticultural Society of Canberra. This is the bible of gardening specifically for our climate. Available from bookshops and major newsagents.

Jottings

• When planting a hedge, leave space either side for clipping.
• Prune Camellia sasanquas now. Reduce scraggly plants by one third.
• Roses need Neutrog’s Seamungus plant food, a combination of seaweed and chook poo to help bud development.
• Prune off last year’s dead growth on fuchsias.
• Plant bedding begonias for a summer-long display.
• For a continuous display of gladioli, plant a few each week over several weeks. They take 90-100 days from planting to flowers.
• Plant potatoes now, the largest selection I have seen is at the Heritage Nursery, Yarralumla.

Win a book

CEDRIC has a copy of Jennifer Stackhouse’s new book “Garden, everything you need to know to keep your garden thriving and beautiful throughout the year” (valued at $35) to give away.

Simply list three words that represent a perfect garden on the back of an envelope (with your name, suburb and phone number) to “Garden Book Competition”, CityNews, GPO Box 2288, Civic 2601. Entries close on Friday, October 19 and the winner will be announced in Cedric’s column in the edition of October 24.

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HERBS are going through a tremendous upsurge in popularity at the moment with the increasing number of cooking shows on TV.

Just look at the make-up of a chive flower.

For example, there is nothing more showy than a border of Allium schoenoprasum or chives in full flower along paths – just look at the amazing detail of their flowers. Or Monarda didyma (Bergamot) named after Nicholas Monardes in 1577 with its culinary as well as medicinal uses (pictured at top).

One of the most useful herbs in the kitchen is Petroselinum crispum or chives and a great filler for gaps in any garden bed. Herb books traditionally illustrate bunches of herbs hanging to dry, but this is not necessarily the most effective way for later use. Many herbs can be frozen with all the freshness of being just picked.

Common parsley is a great fill-in for flowerbeds.

MOST magnolias have completed their “wow” factor. So, when is the best time to prune them?

Established magnolias need little or no pruning. There are exceptions to this when, for instance, they have outgrown the space you gave them.

For large, overgrown magnolias, select a few of the highest and widest branches to reduce height and spread. Although, it is always advisable to have a continuous process with any plant to prune from the time of planting as they grow. This includes removing weak and badly placed growth such as crossing over branches.

Then, after flowering, clipping back long, leggy growth to encourage more bushiness.

After recent wind storms check for damaged branches. For smaller varieties of magnolias prune once flowering is over. This gives the wounds/cuts a chance to heal before next winter and reduces the chance of dieback.

On this point, unless absolutely essential from storm damage, no pruning of deciduous trees or large shrubs should take place before the end of October. At this time the sap is rising rapidly and will pour out to the detriment of the cuts healing. Betula pendula or silver birch are particularly vulnerable to this bleeding. This advice includes large shrubs such as the magnolia mentioned above.

MANY Canberrans do not realise that fuchsias can grow here. Some folk have tried growing fuchsias and, seeing all the leaves drop when frost arrives, assume they are dead. Those seemingly dead stems are now sending out new leaves and will be in flower by November. The Geranium and Fuchsia Society society meets the first Saturday of each month at 2pm at St. James Uniting Church Hall, 40 Gillies Street, Curtin. All are welcome. For your diary, its annual show is on Saturday, November 23.

Jottings…

• Grow long-stemmed rhubarb in a pipe. Equally with celery, for crisp long, white stems (unlike the green stringy celery sold in supermarkets).
• Grass mowing is under way. Don’t pile clippings around the base of trees or shrubs. This will encourage “collar rot” and can kill even large trees.
• Keep whipper-snippers well away from trunks/stems. These machines are great ring barkers and can kill plants.
• Add sugar/honey or glucose to the water of cut flowers to extend their life. Remove all leaves under the water.
• Refrain from watering gladioli unless the weather is very dry.

Top image: Bergamot for flowers and culinary uses.

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STUNNING is a word that comes to mind with many trees and shrubs when in flower and the deciduous dogwood ranks as one of the best.

Cornus florida under-planted with mollis azalea, in a Griffith garden last week.

The Cornus florida is a large shrub (or small tree) that was brought into cultivation in 1730 and the Royal Horticultural Society bestowed its prestigious Award of Merit in 1951, always a guarantee of plant excellence. Each of its flower heads has four conspicuous white bracts, rather than petals. The most popular is the pink-flowering Cornus florida “Apple Blossom” (pictured here in a Griffith garden I saw last week). In autumn, it develops a stunning, rich leaf colour.

Cornus capitata’s award-winning fruit.

The RHS gave it the Award of Garden Merit in 1922 for its flowers and, unusually, again in 1974 for its fruit.

The sulphur-coloured bracts over several weeks gradually change to pale lime-green and then to a bronze-pink. The fruit is almost identical to pale red strawberries.

However, I don’t recommend deciduous dogwoods for an exposed garden in new suburbs. They need protection from hot summer winds and should be planted among well-established trees and shrubs to ensure adequate protection from the elements.

SPIRAEA was a popular shrub in the early gardens of Canberra as an individual shrub or a hedgerow. Also known as the May Bush, it is still popular today if the prolific mass of white flowers, resembling freshly fallen snow, seen in gardens at present is any guide.

One popular variety is Spiraea “Anthony Waterer”, raised at Waterer’s Knap Hill Nursery in England, which I visited when it was celebrating its 200th anniversary.

In my original 1894 edition of “The Garden” journal, the nursery announces: “In reply to the many inquiries and intending purchasers of our new release S. ‘Anthony Waterer’, I beg respectfully to say that it will not be distributed until November, 1894”. Such wonderfully quaint language.

The Horticultural Society’s Rhododendron and Azalea show is on at the Wesley Church Centre, Forrest, October 26-27.

Following a mild winter, these plants will be looking even more spectacular. There will be potted plants, plus floral art and the popular plant stall with all plants grown by members. Light refreshments available and the show is free.

More information at hsoc.org.au

FOR a great day out in the beautiful Southern Highlands, visit the Bundanoon Garden Ramble on October 26-27. Eight gardens will be open, plus garden workshops and guest garden speakers. Tickets from the Bundanoon Soldiers’ Memorial Hall.

More information at 4883 7812 or bundanoongardenramble.org.au

Jottings…

• Orchids do not like to be divided too often, but now is a good time.
• With continuing nights close to frosts, it is still too early to plant tomatoes in the garden.
• Transplant broccoli, cabbage, celery, lettuce and spinach seedlings.
• Plant dahlia tubers. First, dig in well-aged compost or cow manure. To prevent damage to tubers, put stakes in first for taller varieties.
• Do an environmental weed check on the whole garden, especially newly germinating privet seeds and ivy. Not sure which are environmental weeds? Collect the ACT Government’s list “Are your weeds going bush?” from the nearest shopfront.

The post Delicious, deciduous dogwood appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

IT is vitally important, with unprecedented high fire risks and increasing temperatures, to look closely at your garden.

As we have already experienced in Canberra, one does not necessarily need to live in a bushfire-prone area; fire and ember attack can leap boundaries into urban areas.

Research into the aftermath of the 2003 Canberra fires by Phil Cheney, of the CSIRO, showed that the type of garden plantings played a major part in why some houses survived and others burnt.

This home was saved due to the lawn between the home and shrubs.

Likewise, accumulated debris, particularly from eucalyptus trees in your garden or even if in a nearby park or a neighbour’s garden that fall into your garden, could increase the risk of fire.

Large conifers, with their highly flammable resins, should be avoided .

IT is vitally important not to have native plants close to the house, especially near flammable walls and windows. This includes the garage, shed and even flammable material against timber paling fences.

I am not against native plants, and have used them in many gardens I have designed. However, exotic plants with their glossy green leaves provide a low fire risk.

Immediately after the Canberra fires, I saw that hedges of Viburnum and Photinia did not burn. They were certainly singed badly by the fire and yet, within weeks, were re-shooting.

I visited dozens of fire-affected gardens and saw instances where this type of planting actually saved the house. In the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires it was noted that exotic trees such as oaks, elms and ashes did not ignite and burn.

Lawns can also play a vital part in the survival of houses where they were between the building and shrub beds. Incidentally, artificial grass may not burn, but it can melt, possibly giving off noxious fumes from the burning rubber and synthetic grass blades. If you decide to stay to fight a fire approaching your house, the last thing you want is to be overcome by these fumes.

FOR everyone in a fire-prone area, that means everyone in Canberra and Queanbeyan, I recommend “Essential Bushfire Safety Tips” (CSIRO Publishing), a small but vitally important paperback by one of the foremost authorities on bushfires, Joan Webster, with a foreword by Cheney.

It is concise and straightforward. This latest edition, updated after the 2009 fires, is available from the Australian National Botanic Gardens bookshop and, at $29.95, could be one of the cheapest insurance policies you have ever bought.

MANY people who request the removal of trees that could present a fire threat to their house can face enormous opposition from government, especially in heritage areas.

It is time we looked at this realistically. I have had battles to remove pine trees close to clients’ houses and equally to remove eucalypts in heritage areas. At times, it has taken several appeals before removal was permitted. I am not suggesting the wholesale destruction of trees, but reality must prevail and obviously each case has to be assessed.

LIKEWISE, there must be an increase in funding for pruning, in particular of eucalyptus trees with substantial dead branches.

Numerous roads have what I term “ribbons of fire” with Antill Street as a prime example (pictured at top). Or the parkland extension of Stirling Street, in Watson, with the massed planting of eucalyptus directly behind houses. Maybe it’s time to call a halt for expenditure at the Arboretum to look after the 600,000 urban trees, many in an ever increasing declining state.

Open gardens in Yass

THE Red Cross Open Gardens, part of the Yass Classic Festival, will be held, 10am-4pm, on Sunday, November 3. Entry $10 to all three gardens, which include the historic “Old Linton” gardens in Yass, plus two country gardens. I will be there to answer garden queries. The Yass Tourist Centre can help with the garden locations and a program of festival events or go to classicyass.com

Friends with plants

GROWING Friends Spring Sale, a major fundraising event of the Friends of the Australian Botanic Gardens, is on Saturday, November 9, 8.30am-11am unless sold out sooner. All plants are grown by the Friends from material sourced from the Gardens. All plants are sold for either $3 or $5. Be early and don’t forget to bring your own boxes and bags. Full plant list can be viewed at friendsanbg.org.au

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