AUTUMN is changeover time for annual plants, otherwise known as “bedding plants”.

Oasis Pansy “Spreading Violet Wing’… great for ground cover with a spreading range to 60 centimetres.

A perfect example to brighten dull winter days is the new Oasis “Natural Beauty” range of pansies. Especially stunning are the new varieties of Pansy “Vivid”, which are due to arrive any day at local garden centres.

HOW soon the garden returns to colour (it takes about eight weeks from planting time to full flower) depends on how well you prepared the soil, feeding and watering.

Dig the soil over and, as it has most probably been feeding plants all summer, it will need a boost. Add certified organic Neutrog Seamungus – a combination of seaweed and chook poo – into the soil. Don’t overdo it; about a good handful per square metre combined with garden lime at the same rate. Work this into the soil about a week before planting. To encourage strong root growth, water the plants in with seaweed plant nutrient with my usual recommendation, “weakly, weekly”, ie a weak solution once a week.

I STILL get inquiries from readers confused about how deep to plant bulbs. Simply, plant the bulb with the same amount of soil over the top as the bulb is thick. As an example, daffodils are about 5cm thick, so plant the bulb with 5cm of soil over the top. This applies to all bulbs, so simple.

ONE of the other most common inquiries is: “My daffodils have been in for many years and now I get hardly any flowers”. What’s happened is that over time the bulbs have gradually got deeper into the soil. Usually with a combination of leaves, mulch etcetera. By the time the bulb struggles through to the surface spring is over! Also there is the effect of shade from trees that possibly were quite small when planted but keep the bulbs in too much shade.

Dig up the bulbs now and replant them in a sunny place after improving the soil as described above. It is important not to put fertilisers into the planting holes of bulbs, this includes chemical or organic fertilisers and fresh manures.

Malus “Golden Hornet” crabapple… the beauty with crabapples is they are virtually pest and disease free.

IT’S time to start replacing strawberries that may have been in the ground for three years or longer. Always buy “certified virus free” strawberries from your local garden centre rather than accepting plants from well-meaning friends. Never grown strawberries before? Help is at Cedfacts at cedricbryant.com

Jottings…

· Pieces of carpet thyme can be dug up from the big patch and replanted to fill gaps in the garden.

· Plant seedlings or sow seed of corn salad.

· Think daphnes and camellia sasanquas for winter colour.

· Keep rhododendrons and camellias well watered to ensure good bud formation.

 · Move citrus in containers under cover to protect it from early frosts. Cover young citrus in the ground using four tomato stakes and hessian over the top and sides.

The post Gardening: Bedding down for winter appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

A prize-winning garden at the Melbourne Garden Show… large round stepping stones lead the eye to a rather stunning orange coloured leaf sculpture.

Classed as the largest flower show in the Southern Hemisphere it is easy to see why.

Set in the Carlton Gardens and the magnificent Royal Exhibition Building (constructed in 1880 and the first building in Australia to receive World Heritage listing), the most popular attraction is the Showcase Gardens. They are in two divisions; one for landscape designers to compete for prizes and promote their work, the other for “achievable” garden designs with ideas that can be translated into gardens for the average backyard.

The first category is similar to the showcase gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show; many of the ideas are totally impractical. However, ideas can be gleaned from maybe a part of the design, which could be used in your own garden.

Similarly, when visiting open gardens locally in the autumn, look for simple ideas that have been used in parts of the garden. This may be a gazebo, a water feature or simply an arrangement of plants for visual effect that would translate into your own garden.

One of the prize-winning gardens I have shown here illustrates a happy medium between the two categories. Large round stepping stones lead the eye to a rather stunning orange coloured leaf sculpture. This provides partial shade to the timber deck. With the garden on a slope, dry stone walls have been used, which look more natural when used without cement. Areas of lawn for children to play and a good selection of hardy plants complete the picture.

The “Dry Garden” at Lambley Nursery… the plants are only watered three to four times a year.

Nurseryman David Glenn and his artist wife, Criss Canning, purchased a hectare of barren land surrounding an 1870s farmhouse in 2002 on the hot, dry, windswept plains of the central Victorian goldfields.

Now divided into a series of “garden rooms”, the site has been transformed into a stunning display of perennial plants.

The couple breeds plants for tough, extreme conditions and most perennials live up to these conditions. For example, in the “Dry Garden” the plants are only watered three to four times a year.

I have voiced my opinion of the uncertainty of buying plants and bulbs from mail order houses. Having now inspected this nursery, its propagation of plants and the trial beds, I have no hesitation in recommending its plants/seeds ordered by mail or online.

 More information at lambley.com.au

 Jottings…

• Add a handful of blood and bone to every few barrow loads of raked leaves to your compost heap for quicker composting.
• Apply decking oil to outdoor timber furniture before winter.
• Plant a few bulbs of the same variety every week rather than all in one go. This will extend the flowering season.
• Place fine netting over fish ponds to stop autumn leaves accumulating on the bottom. Rotted leaves can kill fish.

The post Gardening: A big show of happiness appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Two large trees, just two metres apart.

It would appear that trees are often purchased without the builder/developer having any idea of appropriate plants for these gardens, thinking that putting a few random trees and shrubs in constitutes landscaping and will help to sell the home.

Liquidambar grows to 15m tall x 7m

I am sure tree surgeons don’t mind this, as in a relatively short time they will be removing these troublesome trees.

The real concern is the size of the trees in relation to the block. It is particularly important to select the right trees for the available space, not forgetting underground services, gas, water, sewers etcetera.

Homeowners seek professional advice from a landscape architect/garden designer or even the local garden centre.

Illustrated here is a classic example of a display home with inappropriate trees. I am standing with my outstretched arms just 1.8 metres apart.

Pistachio grows to 10m tall x 8m

To me, this approach to landscaping makes about as much sense as building a home without plans.

If you are unable to identify trees and there is no label, take photos and some leaves to your local garden centre for identification. In many instances, I would be recommending removal before the trees get established. This equally applies if you have purchased an older home with mature trees that may also cause problems.

A NEW hi-resolution map of global forest losses and gains has been created using Google Earth. This is based on 650,000 satellite images and is now publicly available. It charts the world’s tree canopies between 2000 and 2012.

In that time the Earth lost a combined “forest” the size of Mongolia or enough trees to cover the UK six times.More at tinyurl.com/n2srxb9

AFTER recently discussing crabapples, some readers have said parrots love crabapples and, in particular, the red fruit. I understand birds do not touch the yellow fruit of M. “Golden Hornet”.Let me know if this is the case if you are growing this particular crab.

ANYONE intending to plant deciduous shade trees, especially for their autumn leaf colour, should visit a local garden centre now to select the best colours.

Not all trees of the same variety will necessarily have the same leaf colour. For example Acer palmatum, or Japanese maples, are usually grown from seed rather than grafted and the leaf colour will vary considerably. However, if the leaf colour is seen at its best when you buy the tree, it will be the same as it matures.

LOOK for the new Dianthus “Memories” at your local nursery. Its pure-white, long-lasting flowers, exquisite fragrance and low maintenance is perfect for every garden. Join Ita Buttrose and lend your support to Alzheimer’s Australia Dementia Research Foundation with a dollar from the sale of every plant donated by Plant Growers Australia to support the cause.

Jottings…

• Keep fresh animal manure or pelletised chook poo away from emerging leaves of bulbs.

• When potting up containers place a layer of wood charcoal in the bottom of the pot. This acts as drainage and, more importantly, keeps the soil sweet.

• Cut back leaves now of Iris stylosa (winter iris) to allow sunlight into the plant for flower production.

• Be very aware when walking under oak trees. The acorns are very slippery, especially if you have walking difficulties.

The post Gardening: Beware of the big-tree surprise! appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

The effects of Elm Leaf Beetle… now the pest has spread to Canberra.

Most gardeners are familiar with the pear and cherry tree slug, which skeletonises the leaves, leaving just the veins showing. The Elm Leaf Beetle does the same thing on a bigger scale, but attacking only elm trees.

First spotted in Australia in 1989, it has now spread throughout Victoria and is now in our region.

These beetles can completely defoliate even the largest elms in a short time in late summer and autumn. Elms will sprout new leaves in spring, however the growth of the tree can be affected and may ultimately lead to its demise.

Trunk banding (available at most garden centres) creates a sticky band around the trunk similar to that used on fruit trees and can break the beetle’s cycle. This is done before the descent of significant numbers of larvae, usually around Christmas, so band around the end of December.

Report infestations on trees to Canberra Connect on 132281.

The all-new daphne “Spring Pink”.

Most people are familiar with Daphne odora and the variegated form Daphne odora aureomarginata, which have been in cultivation by the Chinese for several thousand years, although not introduced into the West by early plant hunters until 1771.

However, there are only a few daphne from China compared with the great many varieties from Europe, especially from the Mediterranean, growing from the toe of Italy right up through the Caucasus and Piedmont.

Used to long, hot summers, are well suited to our extremes of climate, more so than the Chinese varieties. Although, there is no doubt that Daphne odora grows well in this area.

ENGLISH author Robin White’s book “Daphnes – A practical guide for gardeners” (Timber Press) is essential reading for daphne lovers. This book lists more than 200 daphnes, many cultivars bred by White.

His speciality is the European daphnes. Daphne x transatlantica “Eternal Fragrance” became available here about two years ago and the garden centres cannot get enough. Now “Spring Pink”, its newly released first cousin, has hit the shelves.

WHEN buying plants, don’t just look at the common name, but read the full name on the label. Some common-name labelling can be misleading.

For example, Correas have been described as “native fuchsias”, whereas in reality they are not even related. A better description would perhaps be “fuchsia like”.

Another example is Edgeworthia papyrifera labelled as “yellow daphne”, is not a daphne, although botanically it belongs to the same family as daphne, namely Thymelaeaceae.

Interestingly this Edgeworthia, more correctly E. chrysanthas is a Chinese shrub that grows to between 1m and 1.5m tall with clusters of fragrant yellow flowers clothed on the outside with white. It is used in Japan for the manufacture of high-class paper for currency. It was introduced to the West in 1845. Despite the misleading common name it is still an attractive shrub.

Jottings…

• With the ground soft after recent rain, it’s a good time to move wrongly placed evergreen shrubs. Trim any broken roots before replanting.

• Hellebores can also be moved at this time. Apply Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient to encourage new root growth to relocated shrubs.

• Final reminder to move citrus in pots under cover, i.e. under eaves or in carport. In the garden, if not too large, cover with hessian supported by tomato stakes.

• Remove plastic tap watering timers before frost (by the time you read this this may have already happened!).

The post Gardening: March of the deadly beetle appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

CHRYSANTHEMUMS are always synonymous with Mother’s Day and autumn colour in the garden.

Chrysanthemums… easy to grow and can be divided into dozens of extra plants in late winter/spring for filling bare spots in the garden.

They have been cultivated in China since the 15th century, where by 1630 there were more than 500 cultivars recorded. More than 140 varieties have gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s prestigious Award of Garden Merit. Chrysanthemus tanacetum (syn. Pyrethrum tanacetum) is the source of the safe organic insecticide Pyrethrum. The flowers are pulverised to gain the active components called pyrethrins.

SALVIAS provide a real floral joy in the late summer and autumn garden. They seem never to stop flowering, even into winter. So when is it the best time to give them a haircut?

Lambley’s, the specialist perennial nursery advises: “Salvia ‘greggii’ and similar varieties are given a haircut in late autumn/early winter with the hedge shears.

“Reduce the plant by cutting off about a third or a little more, trimming into a rounded ball shape. Growth soon recommences in late spring and most are in flower by Christmas.”

ONE plant that always attracts interest in our garden is Myrtus communis or myrtle.

The edible fruit of Myrtus communis for liqueur

The Italians make a wonderful liqueur from the berries and the leaves can be used as an alternative to bay leaves in casseroles or for covering roasting lamb for added flavour.

It has been suggested the shrub is prone to a rust, although there is no evidence of this in the ACT and I understand our cold winters fix this problem.

A REMINDER to anyone new to Canberra that it is illegal to burn autumn leaves (or any other matter) in gardens. Territory and Municipal Services also ask householders not to rake leaves off the lawns and nature strips on to the road to avoid blocking gutters and stormwater drains.

Rotting leaves provide great additional nutrients for the garden. If you do not have a compost heap, make a simple enclosure of chicken wire held in place with tomato stakes. Add a handful of blood and bone fertiliser and similarly garden lime to every few barrow loads of leaves. This will activate the rotting process.

In spring and summer the rotted material can be spread on garden beds as a mulch. Oak leaves are the highest in nitrogen content. I shred the leaves with the mower, half on to the compost heap and the rest directly on to garden beds.

The other alternative is to use a trash pack. Tom Ballard started this idea many years ago and Tom’s Trash Paks are now firmly part of many gardens. Call 6249 7834 for more information or tomstrashpaks.com.au

Jottings…

• Once leaves have fallen, remove low branches of trees that can be a hazard to head and eyes when mowing or working in garden beds. It will also allow more light to plants.

• After leaves fall spray fruit trees with Bordeaux or Kocide, not forgetting the ground under the trees. This is in addition to spring spraying for brown rot and other fungal diseases.

• Move frost-sensitive potted plants under cover.

• Last chance for planting spring bulbs without delay.

• Plant lilium bulbs now

• Plant primulas and polyanthus for winter colour now

The post Gardening: The colourful ‘mums of autumn appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

When it comes to roses, you get what you pay for… consider where you buy them, says Cedric.

There is always a rush to be the first in town to be selling roses. Not so the garden centres, but supermarkets – which readers will well know, I don’t believe should be in the plant business.

One has only to look at the often wilted plants held under artificial light and air conditioning. What hope has any plant to be suddenly taken into the open garden with frosts at this time of the year, let alone pampered roses?

These supermarkets usually sell roses with the roots wrapped in plastic with more plastic over the stems.

To beat the garden centres, these roses are often only year-old roses with thin stems. The foliage is sprayed with a defoliant to shed the leaves early. Once again, under artificial light and air conditioning this encourages new soft shoots.

Planted out with a good frost, first the leaves shrivel and then the sap in the thin stems freezes. This spells the end of your rose!

I would never recommend buying roses less than two years old with well-established, thick stems. Nor would I recommend buying roses that are not displayed in the open air under natural conditions and potted up.

It is the old saying: “You get what you pay for.” If you pay only $5-$6 for a rose, don’t expect too much. Expect to pay at least $10-$12 for a good quality, two-year-old rose.

Even with a minimum of care, roses can provide enjoyment for easily the next 30 to 50 years, which is why I recommend buying them from the experts at a garden centre.

THE May edition of a leading Australian garden magazine advises readers that “now is the time to prune roses” with no qualification on different times depending on climate conditions. This may be the case in a temperate climate but definitely notin our local climate. Delay rose pruning until at least the middle of August to early September. The Horticultural Society of Canberra will be conducting rose-pruning demonstrations in July and I’ll have details of them in due course.

The stunning autumn berries of Callicarpa… flowers, autumn leaves and berries like this, what more do you want?

They follow the dark violet flowers that appear in late summer. The autumn foliage is deep rose purple.

A group of these small shrubs will give an awesome lift to a dull spot in the autumn garden. Flowers, autumn leaves and berries like this, what more do you want? And yet this plant that has gone out of fashion with the demand for everything that is evergreen.

Jottings…

• Tall bearded iris can be dug and divided now. Trim scraggly roots before replanting.

• Spring flowering Dianthus are now arriving in garden centres. Look out for new varieties such as “Candy Floss”, “Sugar Plum”, “Slap and Tickle” or “Waterloo Sunset”.

• Remove fallen leaves from the tops of small hedges such as Buxus or box and Hebe. Accumulated rotting leaves on top of plants can kill them.

• Keep off lawns when frost is on the ground.

The post Gardening: Picking the right roses appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

The true magnificence of rhododendron flowers.

Magnificent rhododendrons, some up to 10 metres tall, are hardier than most people think and grow well in this region.

They are the perfect companions for azaleas, daphne, pieris and a host of other plants.

The earliest varieties start to flower any time now right through until October. Fine specimens can be seen in flower in Commonwealth Park during Floriade.

They are generally considered as shade-loving plants, preferring the early morning sun to the hot, westerly sun. Therefore, I wouldn’t recommend growing them in shadeless new suburbs that are blasted by hot winds in summer.

The ideal watering method is by drip irrigation and mulching is vital to their relatively shallow root system. Canberra Organic Mulch from Canberra Sand and Gravel is ideal.

For strong root growth, I suggest initially applying Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient then use Neutrog’s Seamungus, a combination of seaweed and chook manure.

Rhododendrons respond well to hard pruning in spring, if you have some growing too large. Incidentally, there are many dwarf varieties suitable for container growing.

IDEALLY suited to a large bed combined with camellias and rhododendrons is the colourful autumn foliage of the medium shrub Hydrangea quercifolia or oak leaf hydrangea.

It grows to about one metre tall with a similar spread and its leaf shape is similar to oak tree leaves, only much larger. It is grown more for the rich autumn leaf colour than the flowers, which are unlike most hydrangeas, being white only and up to 40cm long.

Originating in the south-east of the US, like most hydrangeas it prefers filtered shade.

WINTER starts on June 1 and yet only four weeks until the shortest day of the year. In eastern Australia, the winter solstice will be on June 22 at 3.16 am.

For gardeners, as eternal optimists, this will mean gradually lengthening daylight hours. Leaves of bulbs are now very much in evidence and by mid-June Prunus mume, the flowering apricot with its deep rich flowers, will be in blossom.

WINTER is also the best time to plant deciduous fruit and ornamental trees and deciduous shrubs.

Here are a couple of important points: when selecting trees or large shrubs at a garden centre, always ask staff to lift them. Always lift by the pot, never by the trunk, as these new trees have only just been potted up the roots will not be established.

It is best to decide where the tree is going to be planted before buying. This way it can be taken straight home and planted immediately. Always check the roots and trim any broken roots with sharp secateurs, preventing entry of fungal diseases.

Always dig a square hole. This encourages the roots to spread naturally rather than following the sides of a round hole.

Plant trees in shrub beds, not in lawns.

During the drought, when lawn watering was forbidden, trees in lawns simply did not get watered, resulting in the unnecessary death of many trees.

Applying chemical fertilisers to lawns can also be detrimental to trees and shrubs when planted in lawns. Finally on this point, when fruit trees are planted with grass right up to the trunk, with grass being a rapacious feeder, it can reduce the fruit crop by up to 40 per cent.

Jottings…

• The tall-growing Sedum “Autumn Joy” will have finished flowering and the fleshy stalks can be cut back to ground level. This is also the time to dig up and divide.

• Plant rhubarb, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, peas and spinach now.

• Snails are still active, use the pet-safer Multiguard Snail and Slug Killer as recommended by Dr. Harry Cooper, the TV vet.

• Soak raspberry canes in Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient for an hour before planting and then water in with same after planting.

The post Gardening: Behold the brilliant rhododendron appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Soft and furry.. a possum mother and baby.

A reader in Downer tells me she finds it almost impossible to grow anything in her garden because of the presence of possums.

The local daily must have been having a slow news day recently when it devoted a whole page to one man’s obsession to have the Territory rid of our furry friends.

We have possums in our garden, but we have no serious problems apart from foraging in the compost heap. I found just one half-chewed apple out of the entire crop on our apple tree and the veggies and roses are left alone.

The only plants they do eat are parsley (and only in winter) and English spinach, though they do love apples. Bananas are bad for them.

Possums are protected under the Nature Conservation Act 1980 (ACT) and the internet lists numerous local firms specialising in possum control, but beyond that I can be of no help.

AMONG the many varieties of fruit trees, the persimmon tree, Diospyros kaki, is worth considering.

Grown in China for hundreds of years, this deciduous tree has glossy broad leaves changing to brilliant yellow and red in autumn followed by bright orange fruit.

Persimmons… delicious and store well frozen.

Two of the most non-astringent varieties are “Fuyu” and “Jiro” grown by Flemings Nurseries and available at local garden centres. The fruit is borne on the new season’s growth, so it is important to encourage as much new growth as possible by cutting out laterals that have previously borne fruit. As with most fruit, you will need to net the tree.

THE UN World Environment Day, on June 5, is the time to do something positive for the environment.

It’s the day for galvanising individual actions, however small, into having a positive impact on the planet.

But with block sizes getting smaller, it’s getting harder to do in many urban environments.

Where once a row of individual homes stood, each with their own garden of trees and shrubs, they are now replaced by the wall-to-wall concrete of massive unit developments. Even block sizes, of an average of about 800sqm, are now reduced to between 270sqm to 400sqm.

On the positive side, it is up to those still with room to plant trees and shrubs to do just that.

I like to encourage children to be involved in planting trees and shrubs and, as the UN special day falls on a Thursday, perhaps a planting could take place the weekend before with, maybe, a label giving the details of who planted the tree and the date, and a photo of the event. If you have the space, plant a fruit tree for summer shade, its beautiful blossoms, fruit and autumn colour.

Jottings…

• Once leaves have fallen, check that no ties attached to support stakes are cutting into trees and shrubs. I suspect some have been in place for years and they can ringbark small branches.

• Prune Acers (maples) now, checking for any dead, diseased or damaged branches. With no sap flowing, pruning at this time prevents undue “bleeding” that happens with spring pruning.

• Band fruit trees with sticky bands (available from garden centres) to stop insects travelling up the trunk.

• Get rid of saucers from under outdoor container plants and raise them off the ground to prevent deadly water logging and root rot.

The post Gardening: What to do about possums? appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

IN 1618 the English gardener, naturalist and collector John Tradescant set out for the Nikolo-Korelsky Monastery in Arctic Russia to collect rare plants not known in the western world.

Then on to the Levant and Algeria, finally returning, via the Low Countries, to England with a remarkable collection of plants.

Tradescant was the first official plant hunter to go into Russia and most of the plants he introduced into English gardens are still available.

June 12 is Russia Day, the day the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Federation was formally announced.

So let us look at some of the plants introduced by Tradescant, the first from his initial trip to Siberia, namely Bergenia crassifolia. It is amazing that this plant, with its huge, soft succulent leaves, commonly called Elephant’s Ears, would survive extreme cold to minus 50C. The flowers of various shades of pink to white appear in winter here.

It is really surprising the number of seemingly delicate plants that came from Russia’s harsh and extreme climate. Other examples include Delphinium grandiflorum or Larkspurs, Trollius asiaticus, and the delicate flowering Gypsophila paniculata with its soft pink flowers used extensively by florists.

Lychnis chalcedonica, also known as the Maltese Cross or Jerusalem Cross plant, so called with its four-petalled blooms resembling the holy cross, was adopted by the Crusaders and grew extensively in the Middle East, although it originally came from Russia.

Later, the majority of ornamental plants introduced into Britain came from the St Petersburg Botanic Gardens, founded in 1714 by Peter the Great.

In 1937, in a book about these gardens, V.I. Lipsky listed more than 1500 species introduced from Russia into western horticulture. We owe a great deal to those early plant hunters and especially those plants from Russia.

TWO quotes from Ric Glenn, son of David Glenn, of Lambley Nursery in Victoria, and head gardener of the Cadogan Estate Gardens in central London: “I don’t do favourite plants; it’s not fair on the others” and “I don’t use pesticides and never have; if a plant struggles with pests consider another plant”.

Win a book about veggies

SEED company Yates says that the sales of vegetable seeds have outgrown flower seeds by two to one.

So it is timely for a brilliantly simple new book called “Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg” by Alan Buckingham (Dorling Kindersley/Penguin, rrp $39.95) to arrive.

It covers every aspect from where, when how to plant followed by harvesting and, I like this, what can go wrong! Extensively illustrated, I recommend this book.

And I have a copy to give away. Simply write your name, suburb and a contact number on the back of an envelope and send it to Cedric’s Book Prize, “CityNews”, GPO Box 2448, Canberra 2601. Competition closes at midday, Monday, June 16. The winner will be announced in my column of June 19.

Jottings…

• Use egg cartons filled with seed-raising mix to start germinating seedlings.
• Start a garden diary of what you planted when and where purchased.
• Remove runners from strawberries and apply Healthy Earth fertiliser with its high potassium content (ideal for all flowering plants). The only stockist in Canberra is Heritage Nursery Yarralumla.
• Prune crepe myrtles by at least one third.
• Hard prune large flowering clematis.

The post From Russia, with leaves appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

AFTER an amazing autumn, we’re now into the second week of winter and the mild weather continues.

I am still picking tomatoes growing outside and fuchsias still in flower. Regular falls of rain, not too heavy, has meant that no plants needed watering for at least the last two months, with the exception of container-grown plants or perhaps those under eaves.

GREY or silver-foliaged plants are usually indicative of coming from a hot, dry climate. The greatest variety of such plants is from the Mediterranean and southern European region. Typical examples include lavender, thyme, cistus and many of the salvia family. This characteristic of grey foliage also applies to some South African plants.

Teucrium fruticans … sky-blue flowers appear from autumn and into spring.

I am often asked for suggestions of a fast-growing hedge other than the ubiquitous photina or pittosporum. For some Teucrium fruticans grows too fast with the complaint it has to be clipped too often!

If you like the look of Teucrium and wish there was a dwarf variety for low-growing hedges, the answer is Teucrium fruticans  or “Silver Box”. Its sky-blue flowers appear from autumn and into spring. It is a compact variety growing to one metre tall with a spread of 60cm that responds well to clipping.

It is ideal as a border to paths, planting at least 40cm from the edge of the path. It loves full sun and, once established, is extremely drought tolerant and is tolerant of most soils. Fruticans simply means shrubby. It should now be available from your local garden centre.

WINTER is an ideal time to tidy up some of the hard landscaping in the garden before spring, which is just 10 weeks away!

Up the garden path to… nowhere.

AND for steps the rising part should not exceed 18cm or less than 12.5cm, with the tread at least 30cm. In gardens, I always try to make the step at least 35cm deep. If the rise is too steep, incorporate one (or even several) landings at least 80cm to 120cm square.

Rather than going straight up a slope, think about taking the path up the side of the slope. Remember sheep tracks; they always use the easy way up a slope.

SOME weeks ago I mentioned the ridiculous lack of space allocated for trees in some gardens. A reader has drawn my attention to another perfect example at a new display home. The space just 8m x 1.5m and the trees, not just one, but six planted less than a metre apart. The trees are Pyrus calleryana “Bradford”, which grow to 11m x 6m plus! Please, builders/developers get some professional advice before planting.

Jottings…

• Cut paeony leaves to ground level.

• Spray fruit trees with Bordeaux or Kocide once all leaves have fallen. This is just as important as spring spraying for brown rot.

• Lift dahlia tubers. If named varieties, write the name on them with a waterproof Texta and store in sawdust or dry washed river sand in a dark place.

• Prune hydrangeas by removing the old wood of previous years in the centre and reducing last year’s growth to three nodes (leaf joints) counting from the base.

The post Gardening / Enjoying the fruits of mild weather appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

ONE of florists’ favourite flowers is the lilium (or lily) because they can be delivered in bud and open slowly over one to two weeks.

It’s lily planting time… no garden is complete without them.

There are more than 80 recorded species belonging to this genus, all from the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. With the range of varieties and colours available, no garden is complete without them.

The bulbs are easy to grow in a sunny spot provided the soil has perfect drainage. They will not tolerate heavy clay soils that can become waterlogged in wet weather. In such soils, mix in coarse washed river sand combined with other organic matter, such as rotted leaves, which are plentiful at present. Alternatively, plant in a raised bed for drainage. It is important not to plant the bulb too deep with no more than 2-3 cm of soil over the bulb.

Lilies are synonymous with St Anthony, the wonder worker of Padua, always shown in pictures with white lilies. It is part of tradition in Christian art to use lilies as a symbol of purity when portraying Our Lady and the Saints. Lilies are of particular significance with this saint as they flower in Europe on St Anthony’s Feast Day, June 13.

Lilies can be seen growing wild along the road near Mogo, out of Batemans Bay. It has been suggested that as they multiply so readily they should be classed as an environmental weed. You can guess my thoughts on that!

LIRIODENDRON tulipifera, or tulip tree, with its flowers resembling big tulip-shaped flowers and distinctive leaves is a superb, large deciduous tree for shade even without the flowers.

Lapageria albiflora “White Cloud” or Chilean Bellflower… six years for it to flower.

A plant that takes up considerably less space is the climber Lapageria albiflora “White Cloud” or Chilean Bellflower. It has taken ours six years to reach 1.5m and produce one flower. And in the past week, in its seventh year, it has three flowers.

Is it worth growing? A look at the flowers and the answer is a definite yes, especially as it flowers in winter. There is also a rose-coloured variety L.a. “Rosea”. I would be interested in hearing from readers who may be growing this delightful climber of their success or otherwise.

“HOW do I get rid of ants on my shrubs?” is a frequent question to me. Do not be in a hurry to get rid of ants if you see them climbing up trees and shrubs. Ants are friends of the gardener.

Often ants are an indicator of scale insects that suck all the goodness, especially the sugars, out of leaves. Ants, as we all know, love sugar and will attack the scale insects for that sugar. They also attack aphids for the same honeydew, protecting such other friendlies as ladybirds. They are only a nuisance when they get inside the home or build nests under paving. But treat them as friends in your garden.

DIARY date: The Horticultural Society will conduct rose-pruning demonstrations on Saturday, July 19 in the Woodfield’s garden at 1 Spence Place, Hughes, and on Sunday, July 20 at the society’s demonstration garden, corner of Battye Street and Weston Lane, Bruce. This will also include fruit tree pruning. Both from 1pm to 4pm and all welcome.

Jottings…

• Continue to feed lemon trees monthly as the fruit matures with a high potassium nutrient and trace elements such as tomato fertiliser.

• For a colourful winter display in a container, hanging garden or even in the garden, mix and match ericas with cyclamen and violas.

• It is still not too late this year to sow seeds of broad beans and snow peas.

The post Gardening / For the love of lingering lilies appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

UK breeder David Austin has taken the rose world by storm in recent years.

Born in 1926 into a farming family in the Shropshire village of Albrighton, he just loved the roses in the garden and, after reading “Old Garden Roses”, a book published in 1936, he became almost obsessed with growing them.

“Gertrude Jekyll”… one of Cedric’s favourite David Austin roses

But most of the existing roses in the ‘30s bloomed only once and this did not satisfy Austin. In 1969, after many years of breeding, he released his first repeat-flowering roses named after characters in Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales”. One of his first was Rosa. “The Wife of Bath”.

Dissatisfied with just repeat flowering, Austin crossed perfumed, old-fashioned roses with beautifully shaped modern roses that had virtually no fragrance.

Each year Austin’s nursery raises upwards of 150,000 seedling roses, of which 10,000 will be selected for further breeding. From these, 300 seedlings will be selected and after anything up to 10 years, a final selection of just four to six varieties are presented at the Chelsea Flower Show for public release.

I have seen the hectares of glasshouses, all sealed so that bees cannot get in to upset the breeding process. It is an amazing sight.

Vital to the selection is disease resistance, including to mildew and the dreaded black spot. The breeding continues with the release every year of these special new varieties eagerly awaited by rose lovers worldwide.

“Graham Stuart Thomas”… named after David Austin’s early mentor.

In our garden, our favourite is R. “Gertrude Jekyll” with an abundance of large, rose-pink blooms and wonderful old-rose fragrance.

More than three million David Austin or English Roses are sold worldwide every year. His demonstration rose garden is considered the best in Britain. It’s open every day, entry is free, and worth a visit.

More information at davidaustinroses.com

Rose jottings…

• Always look for healthy roses with thick, two-year old stems and kept in garden centres in outside natural daylight. Vitally important when transplanting in Canberra’s winter cold.

• It has now been proven by the Royal Horticultural Society that roses can be planted in the same place as previous roses.

• Do not use any chemical fertilisers in the planting hole. I recommend organic Healthy Earth fertiliser well mixed into the soil, preferably a week before planting.

• Examine and trim any broken roots with sharp secateurs and ensure the hole will accommodate the roots without bending.

The post Gardening / Coming up roses appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Bowel cancer survivor Cedric Bryant… “I was so very lucky.”

I was fortunate and am a healthy survivor, unlike my sister who died in 2008 after battling the disease for three years.

Huge advances have been made in cancer research in recent years and, despite being second only to lung cancer as the country’s biggest cancer killer, bowel cancer is one of the most curable – if found early.

I have always been an extremely fit person and to be sick was almost unknown, as my previous doctor for more than 30 years would verify.

By chance, I was advising Dr. Cameron Weber on his garden one Friday afternoon nine years ago when he said he had to check on one of his patients who had cancer.

I mentioned that my sister, then living in Ireland, was also being treated for bowel cancer.

“What about you?” he inquired.

“Oh, I’m fine, I never get sick,” I said.

I was 65 at the time.

“When did you have your last colonoscopy?” he asked

“What on earth is a colonoscopy?” I replied, promising to report to my doctor first thing Monday morning.

From there, I was referred to a specialist, Dr. Graham Kaye, who gave me the dreaded news; yes, this supremely fit person who had never been sick in all his life had bowel cancer.

My sister hadn’t wanted to worry me and had been treated for at least two years before she told me she had bowel cancer. This was a bad decision and could have been the difference on my early diagnosis between survival and being treated quickly.

Once the diagnosis had been made events moved swiftly.  Dr Kaye referred me to surgeon Dr. Noel Tait and I was straight into hospital.

Fortunately, as the cancer was found early, I only lost a small part of my intestine. Believe it or not, I was out and about seeing my garden clients a week later.

I was so very lucky, for that chance discussion with Dr Weber was the difference between my sitting here writing this nine years later or being in another place.

I have had no recurrence of the cancer with regular colonoscopy checks. And, yes, I know what a colonoscopy is now!

My recovery was fast from a number of factors:  I was relatively fit, not overweight and  never smoked a single cigarette – plus a great team of doctors.  And, importantly, the huge support of my wife, Gerdina and family.

The moral of this story is once you turn 50, or if you are at a higher risk of developing the disease, get a check up.  For some reason men are more reluctant than women in being tested for any sort of cancer. The procedure is non-invasive and is very simple. See your doctor now.

More information at bowelcanceraustralia.org

The post Nasty surprise for the fit and confident man appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Quince for delicious paste and jellies.

I think the priority is to plant deciduous plants, fruit trees, ornamental flowering trees, berries and more. This year it is highly likely that most, if not all, deciduous plants will be coming into bud and/or flowers much earlier.

Therefore, it’s important to plant while they are still in their dormant stage.

Berry bushes take up little space in the garden. Raspberries are a favourite, although the complaint is they tend to sucker.

The simple answer is to cut off the base of a large plastic pot and completely bury upside-down in the ground. Plant the berry bush in the pot, which will act as a root barrier.

I have just tidied up our strawberry bed, getting rid of weeds, unnecessary runners and applying fresh Lucerne mulch, which will discourage the snails and keep the strawberries clean.

So what is the best strawberry? While there are quite a few varieties available, the tried and tested over many years and my favourite is “Red Gauntlet”, reputedly named after Sir Walter Scott’s book of the same name.

Make sure the plants you buy are certified virus free and if you want to know how to grow luscious strawberries, visit cedricbryant.com and click on Cedfacts.

WHILE there may be new shoots on roses due to the mild winter, do not prune until the end of August/early September. Watch this column for rose and fruit tree demonstrations.

Rambling roses, such as the Banksian roses or Rosa “Dorothy Perkins”, are not pruned until after they have finished flowering in late spring.

FOR fruiting, most fruit trees need two varieties to flower at the same time for the bees to take the pollen from one tree to another.

You can also buy two varieties of the same fruit on the one grafted stem. However, there can be a problem with some fruit, especially apples, in that one variety can grow faster than the other, which can lead to a lopsided tree. Plus if one variety dies you then have to buy another tree to match the survivor.

Most cherry trees require two varieties and, because they grow to large trees, they are almost impossible to cover with nets against birds. The answer is the dwarf “Black Lapin” cherry with dark red-black delicious fruit plus it is self-fertile.

Most plums need two varieties for pollination, although the “Stanley” plum is self-fertile. This is a European freestone with purple skin and yellow-orange flesh. Most peaches, apricots and nectarines are self-fertile.

If you have limited space, check out the dwarf “Trixzie” series of fruit trees. They can also be grown in a large container and include dwarf cherries, apples, nectarine, peach and pears. Most grow to just 2m x 2m or less. Although dwarf trees, the fruit is full size.

Always check with your garden centre to make sure the fruit trees are compatible with each other.

Pineapple guava fruit is super with ice cream.

Quince is a favourite because of the popularity of quince paste and jelly conserve made from its fruit. Cydonia “Champion” and “Smyrna” are the two most popular varieties.

I AM now accepting bookings for garden talks to garden clubs and other organisations. I provide these talks free and they always include plenty of good gardening advice. Call me on 6241 8752.

Jottings…

• Cut back kangaroo paws.

• Plant Hippeastrum bulbs (naked ladies) now, keeping the neck of the bulbs out of the ground.

• Carrots like good deep, light soil. One of the best ways is to sow seed in a large plastic pot with soil mixed with 25 per cent washed river sand.

• Did you know that Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient reduces the effect of frost on plants?

The post gardening / The priority is to get planting appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Hellebores… totally frost hardy and will multiply over the years or can be dug up and divided in spring.

Although no relation, the name is due to its resemblance to old-fashioned roses.

Hellebores have a huge range of pastel colours from soft pinks to purples. Plus they come in single flowers to semi-doubles and full doubles.

They grow best in well-drained soil and ideally planted under deciduous trees or shrubs for shade in summer.

The largest range I have seen in Canberra is at the Heritage Nursery in Yarralumla, where it is one of their winter specialities.

If you have older, scraggly specimens, it is not too late (although I recommend early autumn) to cut the old leaves to ground level. Apply a good organic fertiliser such as Healthy Earth and then mulch to about 50-75mm deep.

They are totally frost hardy and will multiply over the years or can be dug up and divided in spring. They are the ideal plant to combine with herbaceous peonies, often referred to as the “Queen of Flowers”, also now in stock at garden centres.

HERE’S a perfect recommendation for daphne “Eternal Fragrance” from the largest garden society in the world, the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society, which says: “Tolerant of pruning, it can be used as a low hedge, a specimen plant or grown in a container.

“It is one of the best plant introductions in the last 10 years – described as the first ‘bombproof’ daphne. Sun or part shade with a temperature tolerance of -10c to + 40c”.

It is a hardy variety originating from a cross of two daphne from Italy, and ideally suited to our hot summers. It is also available in a pink form, “Spring Pink”.

Berries of Euonymus japonicus… wonderfully coloured berries as seen here in a Chifley garden at this time.

If you want a really dense, sturdy hedge 2m-3m it is worth considering. This evergreen shrub will withstand hard clipping. Its fluffy white flowers appear in late summer, followed by wonderfully coloured berries as seen here in a Chifley garden at this time.

Unlike other plants such as Pyracantha, birds do not eat the berries. Over the years it has lost popularity in favour of quicker-growing plants such asPittosporum, but without the problems of that plant, which can become very scraggly in a short time. It is still readily available at most garden centres.

LAST week I said that quince trees had been grown for hundreds of years. In the “Life of William Dampier”, second discoverer of Australia, in 1704 he captured a Spanish ship off the coast of Panama. Instead of the expected gold, the cargo included bales of linen and wool plus 30 tons of quince marmalade.

DIARY date: The Horticultural Society’s rose-pruning demonstrations will be held on Saturday, July 19, in the Woodfield’s garden at 1 Spence Place, Hughes, and on Sunday, July 20 at the society’s demonstration garden, corner of Battye Street and Weston Lane, Bruce. This will also include fruit-tree pruning. Both run from 1pm to 4pm and all welcome. There is no charge.

Jottings…

• The sweet scented “Lily of the Valley” can be planted now under deciduous trees for summer shade.

• Prune gooseberries, red and white currants to keep an open-centred bush with 8-10 main branches. Prune last year’s growth of the main stems by half.

• Start pruning wisteria branches back to three nodes or leaf joints.

• Prune apples and pears to maintain an open centre of the tree.

• Do not prune or cut back evergreen shrubs during winter.

The post Gardening / Winter joy of hardy hellebores appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

PROMOTING fertilisers is big business with colourful pictures of plants on the packet.

Fertilisers… how different are they really?

The tills are ringing with all the bags of different plant foods you have just bought! But, do you really need all those different ones? I am often asked about the use of chemical fertilisers, particularly the question: “Can I use tomato food on my camellias?”

The essential ingredients of plant food, namely nitrogen (for leaf growth), phosphorus (root growth) and potassium (flowers and fruit) are shown, respectively, on the back of every packet as N, P and K.

A look at the comparisons of one popular fertiliser brand reveals there isn’t much difference.

PlantsNPK

Complete     7.6    1.0    6.5

Veggie          8.0    1.6   6.6

Rose            7.5    1.5    6.7

Azalea         8.0    1.5    6.5

If you have a surplus of one fertiliser, and before it all goes solid in the bag, use it on other plants. Alternatively, tip all the different fertilisers into a big plastic garbage bin and mix all together.

The only exception is to ensure the plant food for Australian plants is low in Phosphorus (P). Apply fertilisers, like all things, in moderation and always keep back from the stems or trunks. In any case, I still recommend using certified organic plant foods rather than chemical foods for environmental reasons. Don’t start the spring fertilising program before the end of August to early September.

THE use of Latin names for plants is still questioned in this day and age, but using their common names often just doesn’t work.

The Latin name provides a great deal of information about the plant, for example Daphne aureo-marginata describes the leaves as with a golden edge.

Latin and common name…  Malus floribunda aka “Japanese Crabapple”

“Certainly,” I said and showed her Cerastium tomentosum, a low-spreading ground cover.

“It is quite obvious you do not know your plants,” she retorted. “‘Snow in Summer’ is a tall shrub or small tree and that is what I am looking for.”

“Absolutely correct,” I replied, “have a look on the label, Melaleuca linariifolia is also called ‘Snow in Summer’.”

The lesson is that if the lady had used the correct Latin name we could have immediately given her the plant she wanted.

Also, it’s often useless using part of the Latin name, such as Prunus, which can apply to many varieties of trees.

Fleming’s Nursery catalogue lists 50 trees with the Latin name Prunus. Were you to order Prunus at the garden centre, they would ask: “Do you mean Prunus mume, flowering apricot or Prunus cerasus, the sour cherry or Prunus persica can be both a fruiting and a flowering peach”.

It is always preferable to use a combination of Latin and common English names if you are looking for a particular plant. As an example Prunus cerasifera “Oakville Crimson Spire”. This may avoid confusion for you ending up with the wrong plant.

DAVID Kennedy, from Clover Hill Rare Plants, Katoomba is the guest speaker at the Horticultural Society of Canberra’s meeting at the Wesley Uniting Church Centre, National Circuit, Forrest, 7.30pm, on Monday, July 21. A selection of his rare bulbs and perennials will be discussed with plants for sale. All welcome, no charge and supper provided.

Jottings…

• Dig organic matter into the veggie garden in readiness for spring. Pulverised cow manure is excellent.

• With regular rain, bulbs will not need any additional watering.

• Sand and treat with linseed oil all wooden handles on garden tools.

• Cut back salvias to ground level and divide for extra plants.

The post Gardening / Fertilisers… how different are they really? appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Elm trees planted by Charles Weston in Weston Park.

One person on that committee is still a member of the Assembly, Simon Corbell. Over several weeks there were many submissions from individuals and organisations concerned about the state of our trees.

In that inquiry, our urban trees were considered Canberra’s most valuable asset. It was suggested a reasonable figure for maintaining our 500,000 trees to be $12m annually.

This amount was never actually accepted. In recent years I understand the figure has been about $4m or less. This is to cover replacing of losses due to the drought plus new plantings, removal of dead or dangerous trees, regular formative pruning of newly planted trees and pruning of older trees. The latter is especially applicable to eucalyptus trees that need regular pruning, more so than exotic trees.

About three years ago a committee under Territory and Municipal Services was established. Initially called the Urban Forest Renewal Program, it was intended to re-examine the care and maintenance of trees in our urban parks and streets. I was a member of that committee.

Things looked promising with research examining other varieties of trees used in our urban forest. Unfortunately, due to budgetary restraints this committee was abandoned, although some of the work has continued in a limited capacity.

I read of a recent study by ANU researchers who suggested that present tree management practices could wipe out all of Canberra’s large old native trees by the end of the century if changes are not made.

This may seem a long time, but take into consideration that it takes many years for a tree to reach maturity.

Similar comments were made by Prince Charles regarding the same subject in Britain: “The British countryside and its trees is the unacknowledged backbone of our environment and national identity. It is as precious as any of our great cathedrals and we erode it at our peril”.

The same could be said in relation to Canberra. Our early directors of Parks and Gardens, such as Weston, Hobday and Pryor, recognised this and the planting of trees was one of the first priorities of the establishment of this city.

Manchurian Pear trees in Knox Street, Watson.

However, we are not providing sufficient resources to sustain Canberra’s urban forest. Oh, you might say look at our arboretum, where ratepayers have contributed more than $70m so far. But this does nothing for the urban forest in our streets and urban parks with ever decreasing house block sizes and nature strips.

This situation is leaving literally no space for trees of any meaningful size to provide summer shade, biodiversity for birds and other wildlife, let alone the natural carbon offsets.

Certainly Minister Corbell, who sat on that committee, would be aware of the findings of the 2000 inquiry, and Shane Rattenbury as the Greens would be aware of our treed environment.

The ACT Government must as a matter of urgency provide sufficient funds, even in their Budget-stressed state, to protect Canberra’s acknowledged most valuable asset.

Just planting a couple of thousand trees each year with formative pruning and maintenance running years behind will, as the ANU report suggests, come back to haunt us and future generations.

Perhaps as Sunday, July 27, is National Tree Day it is a good day to change the current situation and announce a reversal in the decline of the care of our trees.

Jottings…

• Go plant a tree this Sunday. Look at cedricbryant.com, click on Cedfacts and scroll down to “small trees for small gardens”.

• Look around your suburb and see which trees do well in your area.

• Prune dead, diseased or damaged branches on trees in your garden.

• Ensure tree branches are not growing into power lines.

The post Gardening / Starving the urban forest appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

It is hard to surpass the beauty of a weeping cherry.

But despite flowering blossom trees of every variety growing well in Canberra, there are no blossom trees in Commonwealth Park.

This is made harder to understand when the park was originally laid out by one of Britain’s most distinguished landscape architects, Dame Sylvia Crowe, in 1964.

The park plantings are predominantly exotic with substantial banks of rhododendrons for which spring blossom trees would be complementary.

I believe it’s time this was rectified and maybe the National Capital Authority could look at this in their next tree plantings.

THIS is the ideal time for planting flowering blossom trees, especially the weepers, which belong to the large Prunus family.

The pendulous branches weep to the ground and become covered with a magnificent display of flowers that can be either white or pink and either double or single blooms.

Two of the most popular are Prunus subhirtella “Rosea” with lavender-pink buds opening to single, soft pink flowers (pictured here at Tulip Top Gardens) and Prunus subhirtella“White” that flowers in early spring looking like it is covered with snow.

Prunus “Cheals” has bronze-green emerging leaves with a profusion of deep-pink double blossoms.

One flowering cherry, Prunus “Mt. Fuji”, is often confused as a weeping cherry, but has upright spreading branches grafted on to an upright standard.

Not realising this, some home gardeners try to weigh the branches with, among other things, heavy lead fishing weights. Of course, none of this works, it is simply the nature of the tree.

The weeping part of the tree is grafted on various upright standards, varying from ground level to the graft from 1.5 metres to a tall 3 metres. I prefer the taller graft to set the tree off to perfection, but remember, they can have a large spread.

I know of one in Hughes that has a 10-metre spread and it worries me to see them planted a couple of metres either side of a front door!

They can be kept somewhat smaller by judicious pruning after flowering although it is important not to prune before the third week in October when the sap has finished rising or they will “bleed” profusely and the cuts take longer to heal.

WINTER is flowering time for Cyclamen, which in the botanical pronunciation guide is sounded “sik”, not as in bicycle.

It is Cyclamen time for the garden and home.

When they finish flowering they can be planted in the garden and will continue to increase over the years.

Pictured here is a Cyclamen hanging in our gazebo. Note the basket liner is foam carpet underlay, perfect for lining baskets because birds don’t raid this material for building nests as they do with, say, coconut liners.

With the multi-coloured side facing outwards, this will weather and even grow moss to make it very natural. With plastic on the inside, it retains the water better, but you should punch a few holes in the plastic for drainage. This liner and plants have now been in place for more than seven years and, with regular feeds of organic plant food, look how well they grow.

Jottings…

• Plant bearded iris with the rhizome facing north-south. It’s not too late to divide for flowering in mid-spring.
• Start planting a few Gladioli corms each week for a succession of flowers. Do not water after planting until the flower buds appear unless it is very dry.
• “Gardening is the only unquestionably useful occupation,” wrote George Bernard Shaw

The post Gardening / Happiness is a weeping cherry appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Lavender “Princess”… named as the Plant of the Year in the 2014 Nursery and Garden Industry Awards.

Almost all female perfumes use lavender oil as a base to which the various perfume houses add their secret ingredients.

One of the world’s largest suppliers of essential lavender oils is Bridestowe Lavender, of Tasmania. Based near Launceston, its several hundred hectares of English lavender are a sight to behold in December.

BASICALLY, there is French and English lavender, with the latter surprisingly used by the perfume makers rather than the French.

Lavender “Princess”… named as the Plant of the Year in the 2014 Nursery and Garden Industry Awards.

Lavender grows well in Canberra and will blend with every type of garden from the bush garden with the mauve and violet flowers blending perfectly with our Aussie plants.

French lavender flowers early in spring and the English lavender later and into summer, giving an extended season of fragrance and colour.

For potpourri, the time to collect the flowers is just as they come into bloom, early in the season.

Lavender “Princess”, developed and grown by Plant Growers Australia, has just been named as the Plant of the Year in the 2014 Nursery and Garden Industry Awards. The award represents the pinnacle of PGA’s breeding success with a background of 15 years of dedicated lavender development.

“Princess”, a compact small bush that is less inclined to go woody and sparse at the base, is famed for its vivid electric pink flowers. Being a Mediterranean plant, it is drought hardy, although in prolonged dry periods appreciates a good deep drink.

I have been trialling a group in our garden for the last 12 months and am impressed with their performance. It is available from most garden centres.

THE next winner is the Chelsea Flower Show’s 2014 Product of the Year, namely the Bosch Isio cordless shears.

The Bosch Isio cordless shears… Chelsea Flower Show’s 2014 Product of the Year.

The clippers are available in Canberra, but I bought mine in Holland several years ago. I use them for deadheading perennials after flowering to shaping topiary, clipping box hedging and edging our small lawn.

There is also a mini 13cm hedge-clipping attachment as an accessory.

ANOTHER winner… congratulations to Jim Fogarty and the Australian landscape team for winning the Best in Show and Gold Medal at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Flower Show in London. Their “The Essence of the Australian Garden” was presented by the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne in partnership with Tourism Victoria and Tourism Northern Territory as the principal sponsors.

This follows Victorian nursery Fleming’s winning a Gold Medal and Best in Show at the Chelsea Flower Show in London last year.

Jottings…

• Do not cut back frost-damaged foliage as it helps to protect the soft foliage underneath. Wait until the frosts are over.

• Keep picking lemons because if they’re left on the tree they slow down new growth.

• Time is running out to plant deciduous trees and ornamental blossom trees.

The post Gardening / In praise of lovely lavender appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

An example of the effect of plants in a group.

It’s that time when you get excited about that new plant covered in flowers at the garden centre and simply must have it.

At home, you wander the garden trying to decide where to plant it. Then is sits in the pot for weeks until you settle on a spot – or it dies.

It’s always best to look at the vacant spaces in the garden and then decide how big a plant will fit there, and even then think of groups rather than individual plants. This will always be more effective in colour, leaf form and shape.

Often plants grow considerably larger than the information on the label. David Young, one time presenter on ABC Saturday morning radio in Canberra, used to say: “Look at the plant size on the label and double it”.

When I am considering plants for clients’ gardens, my approach is based on the Royal Horticultural Society’s plant list of 85,000 plants. The UK-based RHS is a perfect place for garden information, but  remember to add six months to compensate for the difference in seasons. The website is at rhs.org.uk

Magnolia stellata… shedding its winter coat.

Some deciduous plants are starting to shed their winter coats. I just love this picture of Magnolia stellata or Star Magnolia with the flower buds emerging out of hibernation. In a few weeks the single, pure white, star-like flowers will burst forth.

POLYANTHUS is one of the great winners for a floral display in winter and are not affected by frost. Planted in groups, they can make a colourful display that will last well into early summer.

AVID beekeeper David Purdie fell in love with bees in 2009 when he read about the battle bees face in the environment with widespread disease and the use of pesticides. He now manages more than 70 beehives on city rooftops, community gardens and backyards.

Inevitably, this led to his book “Backyard Bees” (Murdoch Books, rrp $35).

It describes, with coloured illustrations, every step of the way for keeping bees. They take up little space and are great for pollinating plants for greater production, especially fruit trees.

THE Horticultural Society of Canberra has a trip to the Forbes Festival of Flowers planned for the long weekend of October 4-6 that includes visits to town and country gardens in and around Forbes. Open to the public, booking details are at hsoc.org.au

AUTHOR and well-known radio garden broadcaster in Victoria, Penny Woodward, will talk on “Pest Repellent Plants and Other Organic Solutions” at The Horticultural Society of Canberra’s August 18 meeting at the Wesley Church Centre, National Circuit, Forrest from 7.30pm. All welcome with supper provided.

PROF Elizabeth Minchin will discuss “Exploring ancient Roman townhouse gardens, in particular the atrium gardens at Pompeii” at the next Australian National Botanic Gardens lunchtime talk, 12.30pm, on Thursday, August 21.

Jottings…

• Crack the ice on the bird bath before going off to work.

• Check out garden centres for potted crocus and cyclamen for inside colour that can be planted out after flowering.

• Just a few more weeks to wait before pruning roses, especially with these severe frosts.

• Deciduous summer flowering shrubs such as Buddleia can be pruned quite hard now. Remove some of the older wood in the centre.

The post Gardening / A fortnight to spring fever! appeared first on Canberra CityNews.