Gumpo azalea… an abundance of flowers.

Of all the azalea family, I like the Gumpo azaleas best, if nothing else for their abundance of flowers. To be botanically correct azaleas are part of the rhododendron family, namely Rhododendron eriocarpum Gumpo and also known as Dwarf Indica Gumpo.

Gumpo azaleas grow to a compact 60cm tall with a 90cm bushy, dense spread and flower early to late spring. Floral displays will be more effective if they are planted in groups of threes, fives or sevens, depending on the available space. I suggest planting the same colour in each group.

Unlike most other azaleas and rhododendrons, Gumpos will tolerate full sun, are evergreen and, interestingly, bloom about two months after other azaleas, helping to provide a continuity of garden colour. Gumpos are an important part of Japanese gardens, where they have been grown for centuries.

England’s Rose… its fragrance is strong, warm and spicy.

It has blooms of deep, glowing pink that are neatly held in clusters. A weather-resistant rose, even in periods of continual heavy rain its blooms do not ball and the petals fall away cleanly. Its fragrance is strong, warm and spicy. It grows to 1.2m x 1m wide, a compact size to suit most gardens. It blooms from mid-November right through to the end of summer.

A gardener who grew this rose for the first time wrote: “I grew this rose last year and although it is still a small bush, it is the most floriferous thing I have seen.

“After the first enormous flush of pink flowers that covered the whole bush, I started pinching out buds, as this little bush pumps out these buds with great vigour to encourage more blooms”.

And another gardener said: “I wouldn’t bother pinching out blooms, it blooms too fast for that.

“It is bomb proof, even in terrible weather, and forms a brilliant shaped shrub”.

I will have to find a space somewhere in the garden for this little beauty!

Jottings…

• Plant Ericas for early spring flowers so loved by bees
• Move deciduous shrubs that are in the wrong spot. It doesn’t matter if all the soil falls off as they are in their dormant stage. Trim any broken roots.
• For an early crop of rhubarb, cover with pea straw or similar and cover with an upturned bucket to exclude light. Stems will be ready two to three weeks earlier than uncovered plants.
• John Bowe, of Tablelands Trees and Shrubs, will talk about alpine gardening at Parkwood Nursery, 10.30am, Wednesday, July 8. Bookings to 6254 6726.

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BLOSSOMS from the flowering apricot are tricking some people into believing spring has come early this year.

The trees in blossom over the last few weeks are almost certainly the flowering apricot, Prunus mume, which always flowers from early to mid-winter.

Prunus mume flowers on the new season’s wood, so it is best to prune immediately after flowering. If the tree is pruned in spring it will bleed profusely with sap, which can cause other problems.

It can also be pollarded, which is cutting back the branches almost to the main stem. This produces a mass of new growth and subsequently more flowers the following season.

I also recommend this process for Mop Top Robinias to keep them under control.

When the garden is rather drab, these flowering apricots brighten up winter with a splash of colour.

There are two main varieties; Prunus mume “Rosebud”, which grows to about 4m x 4m, making it eminently suitable for most gardens. Its large semi-double soft pink, delicately fragrant flowers are up to 2.5cm across and its leaves turn to a rusty-bronze in autumn.  And there’s Prunus mume “Splendens”, which has an abundance of double, deep-pink flowers with yellow stamens in clusters along the bare stems. The delicate fragrance is particularly evident in the evening.

For early spring colour plant iris rhizomes now.

I always say that anyone can have a spring garden, but the secret is to have an equally floriferous garden in summer and autumn. Bearded iris are always unpredictable and can flounce into flower unexpectedly in late winter, although the main flowering time is mid-spring.

I will not even attempt to mention any specific varieties, but with coloured labels it is easy to work out a colour scheme. Gladioli are back in vogue.

Rather than planting the corms all in one go, plant a few each week. This will result in flowers over a long period. Lilliums are a florist’s favourite, as they can be picked when in bud and brought into the home, quietly opening over a week or more. If you are planting agapanthus try to find the sterile varieties. The ordinary agapanthus produce an enormous quantity of seeds, which spread easily into bushland and are starting to cause environmental problems.

In some areas they are classified as a weed, such as in the Blue Mountains National Park. Local garden centres will have summer flowering bulbs in stock for planting now.

Jottings…

• Prune new roses at planting time: firstly prune any damaged roots, then cut stems back to 20-25cm above ground level.  
• After the recent rain it is an ideal time to hoe weeds. Also to loosen up mulch that may have compacted to allow better rain penetration.
• Plant the amazing new Daphne “Perfume Princess”, a cross between two greats, Daphne bholua and Daphne odora.
• Paul Tyerman will talk on summer bulbs at The Garden, Parkwood Nursery, 10.30am, on Wednesday, July 15. Book at 6254 6726.

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Ballerina apples… perfect for a small garden.

It’s important with many fruits to have two trees that flower at the same time for cross pollination by the bees.

Years ago in Canberra and Queanbeyan, when it seemed that every gardener grew a selection of fruit trees, it was almost certain that neighbours would have trees to share the pollination.

While most fruit trees have gone from gardens as lifestyles change, for those who still want to grow their own fruit there has never been a greater variety available.

Don’t stress about cross pollination; your local garden centre will advise you how to care for fruit trees, including evergreens such as Loquats and Feijoa, both excellent for jam and jelly making.

Fruit from trees for eating, cooking and jam making.

These delicious apples include varieties such as Charlotte or Crimson Crisp.

ORGANIC gardening is vitally important for the environment. Undissolved chemical fertilisers wash off gardens into stormwater drains and, ultimately, into the city’s lakes. This is a contributing factor in blue green algae.

Benefits of organic gardening include healthier plants and fruit and vegetables, saving bees and ladybirds, not to mention soil health. Soil contains a complex mix of microbes (bacteria and fungi) and mesofauna (worms and predatory mites) that play a vital role in recycling material to keep plants healthy.

Synthetic chemical fertilisers and non-organic products kill off this biological diversity and can build up salts in the soil. This can harm plant roots and physical structure of the soil.

Organic Crop Protectants is a company that specialises in certified organic products that are available at most garden centres. One important product in its range is Eco-Aminogro, a certified organic fertiliser made from a blend of amino acids, vitamins and essential bio-nutrients that improves growth through larger flowers and more fruit, and doesn’t affect soil organisms. It is safe for all plants, from natives to veggies. There’s a full range of OCP certified garden products at ecoorganicgarden.com.au

Events…

• THE Canberra Horticultural Society is demonstrating rose pruning at 1 Spence Place, Hughes, 1pm-3pm, on Saturday, July 18. And rose and fruit-tree pruning at its trial gardens, corner of Braybrooke Street and Battye Streets, Bruce, 1pm-3pm, on Sunday, July 19. Both sessions are free and open to the public.
• CEDRIC Bryant will give an illustrated talk on daphnes at the next meeting of the Horticultural Society at the Wesley Church Centre, National Circuit, Forrest, 7.30pm, on Monday, July 20. The meeting is open to the public.
• SOIL testing and how easy it is will be the subject of the next talk at The Garden Parkwood Nursery, 10.30am, Wednesday, July 22. Bookings to 6254 6726.

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Dwarf Meyer Lemon… ideal for container growing.

This doesn’t mean the fruit is small, only that the trees are grafted on to dwarf rootstock.

Dwarf fruit trees in containers require full sun most of the day, preferably in an area with good air circulation.

Citrus trees are ideal for growing in pots and this has been a traditional way of growing citrus in Britain and Europe for several hundred years. In fact special, heated buildings or orangeries were constructed where the citrus in pots were moved to in winter.

Dwarf Meyer Lemon and kumquats are especially suitable for pot culture.

Apples Gala, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady and Red Fuji are all available in dwarf form.

Fleming’s Trixzie miniature peach is a delightful small tree with delicious, yellow-fleshed, full-size peaches and the Victorian nursery’s Trixzie Black Cherree is the first truly dwarf cherry for home gardeners. It is reported to be self-fertile and doesn’t need another cherry tree to cross-pollinate.

The dwarf Trixzie Nectazee is a good way to grow nectarines in a container; a semi-freestone variety, it has good-flavoured, yellow flesh.

Or there’s a cross between a nectarine and a peach, Spicezee Interspecific Nectarine, a white-fleshed freestone with a great flavour.

All can be planted directly into the ground if you have a small garden.

Containers galore… but avoid the Ali Baba shapes.

When plants die in a container that curves in at the top, it is almost impossible to get the plant and its established root system out without smashing the pot.

Forget saucers under containers, they inhibit drainage and encourage root rot.

Always raise containers off the ground. For pots in garden beds, broken bricks or pavers will do. On a paved area, feet made especially to match the pots might look better.

YATES, Australia’s largest seed producer, historically sold three quarters of its seed for flowers and one quarter for veggies. This trend has reversed with more people looking for organic seed when growing their own vegetables (in addition to using only organic fertilisers).

Organic seeds are not easy to obtain. However, the Diggers Club in Victoria, founded by Clive and Penny Blazey in 1978, is a mine of information for gardeners. It’s at diggers.com.au

Jottings…

• Don’t cut off frost-damaged leaves from plants at this time. They help protect the leaves underneath from further frost damage.
• Prune kiwi fruit.
• Sand back and apply linseed oil to preserve wooden handles on tools.
• Paint small garden hand tools bright orange to make them easier to find when lost in the garden.

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Weeping cherries… no more glorious a sight.

To anyone intending to buy a weeping cherry, please allow it sufficient space to grow naturally. I know of weeping cherries in Canberra growing to a 10-metre spread.

Weeping cherries are the weeping branches grafted on to a standard cherry of various heights. I always prefer the 1.8-metre graft to allow sufficient height for it to grow into its naturally pendulous shape without having to prune every year. A 1.2-metre graft is available, which is suited to growing in a container.

Each variety has different characteristics and pruning methods.

A strong-growing, weeping, spreading tree, the Prunus x subhirtella “Pendula” is always a favourite. Its spectacular show of single, white flowers open in early to mid-spring before the leaves. The size for this cherry will be three metres tall with a five-metre spread in 20 years. This figure can be misleading as the growth obviously depends on the fertility of the soil and, in certain circumstances, it can reach this size in half the time.

The “Pendula Rubra” is slightly larger, five metres by five metres, and also has a prolific show of single, deep-pink flowers.

The Prunus snofozam “Snow Fountain” has a much narrower growth habit. It grows to 2.5 metres tall with just a 1.5-metre spread. It may be more suitable for the ever-decreasing size of suburban gardens.

NOT all flowering, grafted cherries are weeping in habit. Time and again I am asked about Prunus “Shirotae” or Mt. Fuji cherry, a  variety that doesn’t weep, but grows in a horizontal, wide-spreading manner. I have seen them with branches tied to lead fishing weights to try and force this tree to weep. Sorry folks, none of these ideas work, it just doesn’t weep.

It still presents a magnificent picture with its slightly pink buds opening into double or semi-double white flowers.

Weeping trees, such as this silver birch, need room to grow.

Always think carefully where you intend to grow any weeping tree and check the size in the garden centre before taking it home. The best worst example I’ve seen was two weeping cherries newly planted either side of a front door and just one metre from the door!

IT’S a berry, berry good time to plant all berry fruit. Almost all acid-loving plants, berries are best planted in full sun in soil with plenty of organic matter worked in.

Three such acid-loving berry plants are blueberries, cranberries and loganberries. They all belong to the same family, Vaccinium, and have similar growing conditions. They can all be grown successfully in straight sided containers.

While most blueberries are self-pollinating, it’s advisable to grow more than one variety close to each other to ensure good cropping. Redcurrants, blackcurrants, raspberries, loganberries and gooseberries can all be grown in containers for the small garden.

Jottings…

• Renovate and prune deciduous shrubs such as Philadelphus or Mock Orange. Remember the three “D’s” – remove dead, damaged or diseased branches, which are easy to see when there are no leaves on the shrub.
• Traditionally, the end of August to early September has been the time to prune roses. The thinking has changed and they can be pruned any time, even now. I pruned mine in April and they are looking just fine.

The post Gardening / Weeping with joy for spring! appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Strawberries… popular and so easy to grow.

Right now is planting time and my advice is always to buy virus-free strawberries certified by the Department of Agriculture and not accept runners from well-meaning friends. Strawberries sold at garden centres are always virus free.

The earliest fruiting variety is Tioga with picking often starting in October. Although with late frosts affecting the flowers, I’d suggest this is not the best variety for Canberra.

Red Gauntlet is the all-time favourite and picking starts in mid-November. A relative newly introduced variety is Hokowase, which is of Japanese origin, with its fruit sweet even before it is fully ripe. This is also an early fruiting variety that can suffer from late frosts (overcome by covering the plants at night).

When planting, dig in plenty of rich, organic matter from the compost heap or pulverised cow manure mixed with blood and bone fertiliser. Mound the soil into a ridge about 50cm wide and cover with black plastic.

The length of the mound will depend on the number of plants to be grown. Cut a cross through the plastic on the top of the ridge about 10cm long each way and plant the strawberry crowns about 20cm apart.

Water-in with, say, a seaweed plant nutrient and apply it every few weeks to encourage plenty of roots up to flowering time.

Snails are the biggest problem and Multigard Slug and Snail Killer, which is said to be safer than other snail killers if you have pets, will take care of them. Nor will it kill blue tongue lizards and geckos.

Mildew problems (for strawberries and, indeed, all plants) can be fixed by spraying a mixture of one part full cream milk mixed with eight parts water.

Pot up a variety of plants for added interest.

Although polyanthus, pansies, violas and primulas are technically winter flowering annuals, they will continue to flower well into the spring.

Apply a liquid plant nutrient, such as a seaweed plant nutrient on a weekly, weakly application (ie a weak solution once a week). Alternatively, if you have been dividing perennials plant any excess into containers. The larger the container the less likelihood of it drying out and it’s best keep the containers raised off the ground without saucers.

Jottings…

• Feed spring bulbs with a high potassium plant food to encourage flowering. Unless we receive no rain between now and flowering time cease watering bulbs now.
• Cut back hard ornamental grasses that have been left for winter interest.
• Prune Buddleias (or Butterfly Bush) very hard down to one metre to encourage flowering. Take out any dead, diseased or damaged branches.
• Start pruning roses even though the old advice was not to prune until the end of August/September. Don’t be afraid to really cut back hard to a metre or less if they have been neglected for some time.

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PEONIES would have to be in the top 10 of popular plants in the world.

I saw one description of these flowers “as outrageously beautiful in flower” and another, from a catalogue of 1928, as “the noblest hardy perennial”. These claims are not exaggerated. They are also long lived and have survived in old gardens for more than 100 years.

They were first introduced into western gardens in the very early 1800s from Tibet and China, having been discovered by European plant hunters.

If you have never grown peonies, now’s the time to have a go. They are sold as bare-rooted tubers in garden centres.

There is nothing complicated about growing them. They prefer full sun to part shade and are best planted in a rich, organic soil, which can be compost from your own heap or rotted leaves with composted cow manure worked into the soil.

The site must be very well draining; they don’t tolerate water-logged soil, especially after long rain periods.

Decide carefully where you want them to grow as they don’t like being disturbed once planted. Most importantly, give them space to grow; at least half a metre apart.

Cold winters such as we are experiencing are ideal because, as with many fruit trees, they require a chilling factor for good bud formation.

It is often said that peonies take several years to flower. This is usually due to such factors as too dense shade, poor soil preparation or not feeding them. From my own experience newly planted peonies flowered in the first year, although there is more chance of them flowering in the first spring, if planted in late autumn. Single and double varieties are available, although I think the doubles are the more spectacular.

Plant variety is the secret of hanging gardens.

Firstly, I recommend lining the basket with foam carpet underfelt, the multi-coloured one with plastic on one side. Usually you can find most carpet shops are happy to oblige with offcuts.

Unlike fast-draining coconut liners, birds don’t pull the underfelt apart for nesting material.

Place the plastic side on the inside with a few holes for drainage. The multi-coloured material of green, yellow and blue blend in with most gardens. Hang the basket with a swivel hook, which allows the plant to be rotated regularly. I have had hanging gardens of nearly 10 years old that still use the  same foam underfelt liner.

For maximum effect plant a variety to flower over an extended period.

IT’S potato planting time, with far too many varieties to list here. One exhibitor at the Royal Horticultural Society fruit and vegetable show in London regularly displays about 350 varieties!

Most garden centres in Canberra carry an extensive selection of potatoes. Of interest, it was quite late when the “e” was added to the name. I have original editions of the English “The Gardener’s Chronicle” from the 1870s to the 1930s that show the spelling as “potatos”. Who knows when the “e” was added?

Jottings…

• Plant a second crop of broad beans.
• Sow seeds of Virginian stocks, delphiniums and larkspurs.
• Plant a bay tree for flavouring stews and casseroles.
• Peas do best in new ground. Soak overnight in warm water before planting to soften them resulting in quicker germination.

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A magnificent display of wisteria.

This principle is applicable for most climbing plants including grapes.

It is fascinating that Wisteria sinensis, or Chinese wisteria, always grows anti-clockwise around supports and can grow anywhere from 18 to 30 metres.

This vigorous variety originated in a garden in Canton in 1816 and was unknown in the wild. With fragrant mauve or deep-lilac flowers, it is possibly the most popular.

Whereas the less-vigorous W. floribunda, or Japanese wisteria, with violet-blue flowers always grows clockwise around supports. No matter how hard anyone tries to make them grow the other way they always fail, though I’ve never known why. They grow to between 4 and 6 metres.

TRUFFLES, so popular with the French for hundreds of years, are catching on here with several large truffle plantations in the ACT.

Truffle spores are usually grown on the roots of oak trees and in France more than 400,000 oak trees are treated with the truffle spores each year. Anyone with a sufficiently large block, big enough to grow oak trees, is in a position to grow truffles.

Heritage Nursery has stocks of the right variety of oak trees already injected with truffle spores.

Plant variety is the secret of hanging gardens… for example, these baskets in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

As potting mixes drain very quickly, it means frequent watering. One suggestion is to mix about a quarter with clay soil, retaining the moisture more effectively.

Fuchsias… can only be planted up after the frosts.

To give life to baskets think of a selection of plants that will flower over a longer period of time. For strong summer colour in full sun, bedding begonia, lobelia, petunia, nasturtium, alyssum and chrysanthemum. Trail over the edge with ivy geranium.

For baskets in partial shade, fuchsia, impatiens (busy Lizzie), dwarf ferns, gardenia radians (rock gardenia) and campanula are all ideal. Naturally, some plants, such as fuchsias, can only be planted up after the frosts.

Or try a herb basket with pennyroyal, marjoram, sage, thyme, parsley, chives and mint (which is always a problem when grown in the garden with its rampant habit, but growing it in a basket solves that problem!).

Jottings…

• Complete the pruning of rose bushes.
• Look for camellias and azaleas at garden centres while in flower to plant now.
• Finish pruning crepe myrtles now as they flower on new season’s wood.
• Watch for formation of buds on peach, apricot and nectarines. Once pink shows, spray with Bordeaux or Kocide to prevent brown rot. Don’t spray after flowers have opened as this will kill bees, which are important for pollination.
• When purchasing new plants, apply Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient while still in the pot before planting, follow up after planting to encourage new root growth.

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A combination of silver, purple and white shrubs… English lavenders growing in combination with Cistus “Gallipoli Rose”, pink carpet thyme and Convolvulus cneorum.

That’s the feedback I get from designing planting schemes and public talks.

Some gardeners still want to repeat Vita Sackville-West’s famous White Garden at Sissinghurst Castle in England.

I am often asked to design using a combination of white and blue flowers with contrasting grey foliage. Or grey foliage with yellow flowers seems also to be acceptable, as does lavender with its grey foliage and purple flowers.

I’m told that the last thing householders want to look at on summer days are the hot colours of red and orange.

So, here are a few suggestions for grey-foliage plants, some semi-prostrate and others more of a small shrub, but all suitable for the smaller garden:

• Artemisia “Powis Castle” (dwarf wormwood) grows to about 60cm high with a metre-wide spread.
• Lavenders, with the French lavenders the first to flower in early spring such as Lavandula “Perfume Princess”.
• Two of the most popular summer-flowering lavenders are the English lavenders, Lavandula “Hidcote”, growing to about a metre or the lower-growing more compact L. “Munstead”. If you want to make fragrant potpourri for lavender bags to discourage silver fish in drawers or to put under the pillow to help with a relaxing sleep, these two varieties are ideal. It is recommended to cut the English lavender just as the flowers start to open in early summer when the fragrance is at its best for drying, not in autumn when they have almost finished flowering.
• Stachys lanata commonly known as Lamb’s Ears with soft, light-grey foliage.
• Cistus “Sunset” or Rock Rose (not actually related to roses) with grey foliage and pink flowers, growing to 60cm x 60cm.
• Phlomis fruticosa or Jerusalem Sage has grey foliage contacting with its tall, strange-looking yellow flowers in clusters along the stems. It grows to 1m x 1m.

• Teucrium “Silver Box”.

  Teucrium “Silver Box” is a new, grey-leafed plant with grey foliage and blue flowers. Growing to 60cm tall x 50cm wide, it is suitable for the smaller garden. I suspect this is going to become very popular for borders as an alternative low hedge to box hedging. Yes, there are many alternatives to Buxus sempervirens or box that can be clipped to shape with the advantage of flowers. Although some may be surprised to learn that box plants do have flowers, although so insignificant they are easily missed.
• Let’s not forget some of our wattles in their low prostrate form, such as Acacia baileyana prostrate, are ideal for training over rocks or stone walls.
• Convolvulus cneorum with its silver-grey foliage and white flowers is a hardy Mediterranean plant growing to about 40-50cm and is also an ideal container plant.

Jottings…

• When the oak tree comes into leaf before the ash we are guaranteed a fine, mainly dry summer.
• Plant garlic and spring onions.
• For citrus growing in containers, remove a few centimetres of soil and add sieved compost.
• Leave the foliage of frost-affected plants to protect the soft, new growth underneath; we still have plenty of frosts to come.
• Dig Seamungus seaweed and chook poo certified organic fertiliser into the vegetable bed and turn over every couple of weeks before planting spring veggies.

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The blossom of Malus ioensis plena... one of the most spectacular crabapples.

Hillier’s “Manual of Trees and Shrubs”, which I consider my bible, lists 130 varieties of crabapples.

One of the most spectacular crabs is Malus ioensis plena. This is one of a North American species, classed as the most beautiful flowering crabapple with its semi-double soft pink fragrant flowers. In 1940, the Royal Horticultural Society awarded it the Award of Merit.

Another stunningly beautiful crabapple is M. floribunda, whose crimson buds open to white or pale pink flowers. Introduced into Western gardens in 1862 from Japan, it is one of the earliest to flower with small red and yellow fruit.

M “GORGEOUS” is the one for making crabapple jelly. A small, densely rounded tree with pink buds opening to single, white flowers. The large crimson to orange-red fruit appears in late autumn.

For a stunning display of fruit you cannot go past M. “Golden Hornet”. The single, white flowers are followed by a profusion of bright yellow fruit that stays on the tree until late autumn/early winter. It was also given the Award of Merit in 1949.

WHILE the rose is a superlative plant, not all roses deserve the praise that is often attributed to them, say the well-known Tesselaar’s Nursery notes.  Anthony Tesselaar says that while new roses are released every year, this does not necessarily mean they are better. For example, he considers Rosa “Mr. Lincoln”, first released about 40 years ago, with its dark-red, velvety flowers and enticing scent as the best red, romantic rose and still available today. Incidentally, now’s the time to get on with planting new roses before their full flush of new spring growth. Also it’s time to complete pruning all bush roses without delay.

Covers of the “Yates Garden Guide” from 1944 and the first edition of “The Canberra Gardener” from 1948.

The Yates book had at least seven impressions with 170,000 copies printed. Much of the advice in both books is applicable today.

The current “Canberra Gardener” is the 10th edition, published in 2010. It still contains the best advice for newcomers moving here or those just starting their first garden and is still a best seller, available from most bookshops.

WHILE on the subject of books, I saw a copy of the newly revised “The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control” at the Botanic Gardens’ bookshop. With the latest and safest organic solutions, it’s highly recommended as a complete guide to maintaining a healthy garden and yard the earth-friendly way.

Jottings…

• It’s safe to plant out potted perennials appearing in garden centres as the weather warms.
• Water and liquid feed regularly spring bulbs in pots with warming days.
• Finish mulching the whole garden in the next couple of weeks.
• Now is an ideal time to plant out potted herbs. Instead of a dedicated herb garden plant amongst the general shrubbery to discourage pests.
• Look out for Yates’ new “Nature’s Way” certified organic citrus and ornamental shrub spray, pyrethrum based with canola oil.

The post Gardening / The joys and jelly of crabapples appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Sunset brilliance of Mollis azaleas.

However, nature presses on with bulbs and it’s just over a week until the start of Floriade.

But when will the new site for Floriade be announced? This is the last year for the event in Commonwealth Park. Will all be revealed at the launch next week?

BULBS may only provide a short burst of colour with nothing left when they die down, but rhododendrons, azaleas, daphne, camellias, pieris and many other eastern treasures will provide endless pleasure for years to come.

All of these are acid-loving plants that grew originally mainly in forest areas with a constant food supply of rotting, fallen leaves. And yet many gardeners have failures through not understanding the plants’ basic requirements.

Here are a few hints to help:

• For most acid loving plants (including many of our Australian plants, which I will deal with in a later column) a position with filtered shade is a must. They can be planted under deciduous trees, which allow the winter sun and provide shade in summer. Too dense a shade will inhibit full flowering.
• It is vital that they are protected from desiccating, hot, summer winds. This may mean that, unless a purpose-built shade house is built, I wouldn’t recommend growing them in new suburbs where there may be no shade from trees for many years.
• Good drainage is vital and with our common clay soil this needs to be fixed before planting. Alternatively, plant on a mound of soil to which plenty of compost, rotted leaves and/or cow manure has been added. A light crumbly soil is the ideal. To deal with heavy clay rather than gypsum I have used, with spectacular results, Multicrop Liquid Clay Breaker.

A spectacular show of pieris at the National Film and Sound Archive.

AT planting time, water in several times with Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient. This specifically promotes strong new root growth. Once well-established apply Neutrog Seamungus, a combination of seaweed and chook poo.

Pruning is usually not necessary except for dead-heading flowers or removing any broken/damaged branches. It the leaves are turning yellow this is usually a sign of magnesium deficiency and can be rectified with a heaped tablespoon full of Epsom Salts dissolved in nine litres of water ie a watering can.

THE spectacular Horticultural Society Spring Bulb and Camellia Show will be held at the Wesley Church Centre, National Circuit, Forrest, after judging, noon-5pm, Saturday, September 12 and 11.30am-3.45pm, Sunday, September 13. There will be a plant stall, a range of camellias for sale and refreshments will be available.

Jottings…

• Rather than giving a long list of vegetables to be planted, go see what seedlings are in stock at your local garden centre.

• In the interests of promoting the joy of gardening, I am taking bookings to give free garden talks to any organisation, not only garden clubs. Call 6241 8752.

• To encourage birds into your garden install nesting boxes with the access holes to suit the bird, perfect for the littlies such as finches.

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A display of Prostanthera ovalifolia

There was a time when unruly, straggly native plants were not considered worth feeding, watering or pruning. There was very little advice available, even in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, and native plants got quickly out of control in the home garden.

In those days Canberrans could pick up their 70 shrubs and 10 trees for free from the Yarralumla Nursery without really knowing that the little plant a few centimetres high in a plastic bag would grow into a 10-metre-tall Melaleuca, for example.

These little babies were planted around the perimeter of the block usually less than half a metre from fences. Nowadays, I visit old gardens where those plantings have tipped over fences and caused neighbours, in some instances, to fall out. If only the correct information was given in the first place.

We are a huge country and many native plants from other areas simply won’t grow in our climate. Fortunately, we now recognise that native plants respond to regular pruning, watering and feeding the same as every other plant.

A FEW years ago I was consulting for a large wholesale nursery in the south of England where we were trialling a wide range of Australian native plants with huge success.

Interestingly, there are more frosts in Canberra than most of southern England. In the west, in Devon and Cornwall, under the influence of the warm Atlantic gulf stream, the weather is warm enough to grow such plants as banana trees. Perfect conditions for our native plants.

Florists there almost fight over our native banksia flowers. It just needs some enterprising people to investigate and tap into this market.

Salvia “Love and Wishes”… growing to just 80cm high, is perfect for container
growing. Photo by Plant Growers Australia

Most native plants flower in spring and into the summer with few flowering in the autumn.

Salvia “Love and Wishes” is an example of an exotic plant with the flower colour blending perfectly with say Prostanthera ovalifolia (or native mint bush). Growing to just 80cm x 80cm, it’s a perfect mix-and-match plant flowering from late summer well into the autumn. Part proceeds from the sale of this salvia are donated by its breeder, Plant Growers Australia, to Make a Wish Australia, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses.

WITH modern breeding, there is now an extensive range of smaller-growing native plants suitable not only for small gardens and containers – ideal for townhouse balconies or small courtyards.

Jottings…

• Feed native plants now with a low-phosphorus fertiliser.
• Prune native plants after flowering finishes.
• Mulch all plants with an organic mulch that helps improve the soil, such as Canberra Sand and Gravel’s Canberra Organic Mulch.
• Do not use mushroom compost near native plants or acid lovers, such as azaleas and camellias.
• Advice on growing native plants in “Australian Plants for Canberra Region Gardens” published by the Society for Growing Australian Plants, available from the Botanic Gardens Bookshop.
• Paul Kirkpatrick will give an illustrated talk on “The Lost Gardens of Heligan” at the next Horticultural Society meeting, Wesley Church Centre, National Circuit, Forrest, 7.30pm, on Monday, September 21. All welcome. Supper provided.

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A garden mulched with Canberra Organic Mulch.

As the days warm and evaporation increases, it is time to mulch.

Canberra’s average annual rainfall is 620mm, but the annual evaporation rate is a staggering 1800mm!

Without mulching the soil dries out at an incredible rate.

With no mulching, shallow-rooted plants such as azaleas and rhododendrons simply cook.

While any mulch is better than no mulch, not all mulches are equal. Some of the traditional ones, such as pine bark (or tan bark) take forever to break down and are of no benefit to the soil at all. Likewise pine chips, which now come in designer colours of rich red or charcoal. Fine eucalyptus chips are great for only one use in the garden and that’s making paths. It packs so tightly it prevents water reaching the plant’s roots. It stops almost all weed growth.

Mulching keeps the ground moist and at a lower temperature and reduces run-off. In turn, by reducing the frequency of watering mulching reduces weed growth.

Keep in mind that with drip systems the lines are always placed on top of the soil and under the mulch.

If the mulch has been down for a couple of seasons, I recommend lifting all drip lines above the existing mulch before applying a new layer. If nothing else, it provides a good examination of the system to check joints or pin holes in the lines.

If mulch has been down for a while and has become compacted, it’s a good idea to give it a light hoeing to allow rain to penetrate more easily.

MULCH material should be a combination of coarse and fine material to allow good water penetration when it rains. If it is too fine the mulch becomes hydrophobic and repels water rather than allowing it to reach to the plant roots.

To reduce weed growth, ideally it needs to be at least 75mm thick and, at the same time, kept back from the stems of trees and shrubs to prevent collar rot. Always thoroughly wet the soil before applying mulch. The mulch will break down naturally and from worm activity. Worms are the perfect indicator of a healthy soil.

Finally, the mulch must be economically viable. For a small courtyard garden lucerne, pea straw or sugar cane mulch is ideal. However, on most blocks the cost would be prohibitive.

In all my landscaping projects, I recommend Canberra Sand and Gravel’s Organic Mulch. It comprises organic waste put through a large commercial shredder, then composted for a period before passing through the shredder a second time. The resultant charcoal colour suits all plants and provides a natural appearance, particularly in bush gardens.

As an example in nature, I took this photo in the NT. Man has had nothing to do with these trees and yet, to retain moisture, they regularly shed leaves to the drip zone, which means that when it does rain moisture is retained for longer periods. We can learn a great deal from nature.

• Finish planting summer-flowering bulbs.
• Prune winter-flowering Camellia sasanqua and a spring feed to encourage next year’s buds.
• If the worst of the frosts are over, citrus can be planted out in a sunny position. It is vitally important to plant into well-drained soil. Water in at planting with Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient.
• Plant globe artichoke suckers, Jerusalem artichokes tubers, asparagus crowns, lettuce, onions and English spinach seedlings now.

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Convolvulus mauritanicus adds interest to a stone wall.

Living mulches can also provide colour all year.

A good example is the ground-hugging carpet thyme, also known as creeping thyme, of which there are many varieties including, Thymus “Annie Doone”, T. “Doon Valley”, T.”Pink Chintz” and T. “Magic Carpet”.

The flower colours range from white to pink or purple. Some have attractive variegated green and gold leaves.

Carpet thyme softens a path combined with Dianthus.

Secondly, pavers absorb a great deal of water, drying the surrounding ground and robbing the soil of moisture.

OTHER ground covers that can add colour include Phlox subulata. Available in a variety of pastel colours, it has a long flowering period from spring to late summer, providing it receives an occasional feed. It blooms equally well in full sun or semi-shade.

The bright-blue flowers of Parahebe “Baby Blue” or P. “Oxford Blue” flower in winter and, at this time, is already in flower.

Convolvulus mauritanicus “Moroccan Beauty” with its summer-long, pale-blue flowers is a toughie. Originating in the desert areas of North Africa, it looks particularly spectacular spilling over rock retaining walls, as illustrated here. It is also available with white flowers.

LET’S not forget great native ground covers.

For a large area to be covered Myoporum parvifolium has a mass of white flowers over a long period. One small plant within a couple of years will easily cover an area 2m x 2m. M.p.  “Purpureum” has attractive purple leaves. Brachyscomb “Break O’Day”, commonly called Swan River Daisy due to its WA origins, has masses of tiny blue flowers.

While not technically a ground cover, growing in clumps about 30cm x 30cm, it is most attractive when planted in groups of five or seven.

NOW is the time to core lawns. Coring machines can be hired, although they are not easy to handle (I know horror stories of very heavy coring machines running out of control into garden beds). Alternatively, call an expert. Paul Howard has been coring lawns in Canberra for more than 20 years and has the latest coring/dethatching machinery. Paul’s on 6231 2920.

Jottings…

• Give azaleas, rhododendrons and other acid-loving plants a last feed before full flowering.
• Also, if leaves on the above plants and especially daphne plants are turning yellow with just the dark veins showing, they need a dose of Epsom salts, a heaped tablespoonful to a watering can of water.
• Check the mower blades for the season ahead. Change the oil on four-stroke mowers and touch up rusting paintwork.

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Syringa or lilac… flowering in a few weeks.

Well, here’s one very good example; when we owned a nursery in Yass some years ago a lady asked for “snow in summer”, so I showed her the plant Cerastium tomentosum, a ground cover.

“Obviously, you don’t know your plants; ‘snow in summer’ is a large native shrub!” came the smart comment.

“Quite right,” I replied. “Now, if we look at the labels, you will note that two plants have the same common name, one is Cerastium tomentosum and the other is your native plant Melaleuca linariifolia.”

“Well, I didn’t know that,” she replied indignantly. Had the customer asked for the botanical name there would have been no confusion.

WITH new plant discoveries from all parts of the globe arriving in Europe, the botanical naming of plants started with Swiss botanist Casper Bauhin (1560-1624), who devised a system of giving all plants just two names.

It didn’t really take effect until Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) undertook the huge task of methodically classifying the whole living planet.

His university studies in medicine included botany, as plants played an important part of healing and still do. Linnaeus became interested in the whole world of animal, vegetable and mineral and refined the universally accepted, dual-name system with his book “Species Plantarum”, published in 1753.

This is acknowledged as the starting point of all nomenclature (naming) in nature. Linnaeus’ research was so thorough that we continue to use most of his names to this day. Even new plant discoveries or new plants developed use the Linnaeus principle.

NOT all plant names are Latin or Greek, but some recognise those who discovered the plants in the wild and introduced them to the western world. For example, Kalmia latifolia is named after Peter Kalm, a pupil of Linnaeus and latifolia meaning broad leafed; Syringa vulgaris, takes its name from syringa, in Greek meaning a tube, and vulgaris meaning common, and Pyrus salicifolia, the silver-leafed ornamental pear refers to the leaves as similar to the willow, whose botanical name is Salix.

Kalmia or mountain laurel… grows well in Canberra.

“Research has shown a link between contact with the soil, plants and nature and stress.

“When we garden our brains go into a restful mode, allowing us to become more resilient to stress and reducing the risk of depression and anxiety. Being outdoors exposes our skin to vitamin D, which is not only good for our bones but also reduces the risk of heart disease, asthma and cancer. More of those at risk of disease should be encouraged to garden.”

More details of Intelligent Health at intelligenthealth.co.uk

Jottings…

• Many shrubs will have finished flowering and it’s an ideal time to prune the dead flowers. A rule of thumb is: reduce shrubs by one third and with native plants not to exceed this amount.
• Aphids love not only rosebuds but new growth on Japanese maples. Multicrop Long Life 20 Pyrethrum is an effective organic spray that will see them off for 20 days. If it rains, a follow-up application will be required.
• Don’t prune deciduous trees until the end of this month as the sap will pour out and the wound will not heal (callous over) quickly. Borers can gain easy access to wounds.

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Conifers can add a real architectural theme to a home

The optimum time to prune conifers is between March and October and they are really no more difficult to prune than any other plant.

Conifers have been a favourite of many gardeners and particularly the large estate owners in Britain and Europe for hundreds of years. Yews have been and are still clipped into every conceivable shape from balls to peacocks, although they do not perform well in our local climate.

Always trim conifer hedges narrower at the top.

If you are planting a hedge, always dig a trench and not individual holes. This will allow the roots to spread evenly with faster growth. Always trim so the top is narrower than the base of the hedge. This allows even daylight and sunlight to penetrate the plant. The most common cause of die-back is when the base of a hedge is wider at the top excluding sunlight to the base.

Like children, it’s important to start the training early if you are going to prune conifers. A drive around Canberra reveals the hundreds of examples where conifers were planted and the owner had no idea of the ultimate size.

Unlike other plants, don’t take too much notice of the size quoted on plant labels. It is standard practice to only show the size at the end of 10 years, not the ultimate size.

An example is the popular hedging conifer x Cuprocyparis Leylandii, which can grow more than a metre a year and up to more than 20 metres in height, depending on the soil.

Used as a hedge between neighbours, it can cause serious ructions and even legal battles. Despite the intention to keep it clipped small, the trunk and roots keep growing, which can cause huge problems with underground services. Check the internet for some alarming information on this conifer before deciding to plant.

AN excellent hedge plant is Thuja occidentalis “Smaragd”, developed in Denmark, which clips very well and retains its shape if given a bi-annual clip as recommended in October and March.

WARNING, unless you have a greenhouse, resist the temptation to buy tomato plants that are appearing for sale now. The rule is don’t plant out until Melbourne Cup Day (November 3) at the earliest.

By planting now you will not get tomatoes any sooner than planted in December. The days and nights need to be consistently warm.

I recall one year we had a minus 6C on November 6, effectively wiping out the whole fruit crop in Pialligo as the frost hit the flowers.

THE Australian Native Plant Society sale will be held at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, 8.30am-1pm, on Saturday, October 17 (bring your own bags and boxes). There is a plant list at nativeplants-canberra.asn.au

Jottings…

• Refrain from watering gladioli unless the weather is very dry. Mulch with composted cow manure.
• Add glucose, sugar or honey to the water of cut flowers to last longer and always remove any leaves under water.
• Plant rue and marigolds around the veggie patch to control insects
• Keep weeds and grass from growing under fruit trees. Grass is a rapacious feeder and can reduce your fruit crop by up to 40 per cent.
• Remember nitrogen for green growth, phosphorus for root growth and potassium for fruit and flowers when feeding plants.

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A stone retaining wall with Bink’s paver treads.

Often, when I am discussing a new garden, people immediately start giving me long plant lists.

But it’s not possible to start planting until hard structures and the layout of garden beds have been decided on.

The planting area will be reduced by lawns, an essential feature if you have small children. Then there’s the effect of play equipment, a garden shed or, maybe, a chook pen on further constraining the planting area.

Until the hard landscaping is in place, the planting area may be a quarter of the size planned for plants.  

On sloping blocks, retaining walls and steps will almost certainly be needed. It’s important to get these details right as it can be expensive to change them later.

Steps to welcome visitors to the home.

A hazardous set of steps.

The tread of steps needs to be a minimum of 340mm or the width of a brick and a half. Each step or riser should be no higher than 180mm.

The photo of brick steps, above, illustrates all of these points. Also, I designed the steps with the wings retaining soil spread outwards. This gives the impression of outstretched arms saying: “Welcome to our home”. Often we use Bink’s concrete pavers, in this instance the sandstone finish, which fits in with most landscaping.

PATHS

Paths should always lead somewhere, linking the various elements of the garden, ie to the clothes line or the garden shed.

With small children, it’s an idea to connect the paths to form a circular track for tricycles etcetera. Make it at least one metre wide. As a garden matures, there is nothing worse than losing half the load off the wheelbarrow pushing it through the shrubbery.

It seems standard practice with builders, particularly on spec-built homes, to lay concrete paths right next to the home.

They may be practical but concrete paths are the most uninspiring. In some instances, they can be made more pleasing to the eye with clay pavers laid as a “header course” each side of the path. Header course is landscaper jargon for laying the pavers next to each other rather than end to end. For an existing narrow path this immediately increases the width by 460mm.

It’s always best to have a paved area for an outdoor table and chairs. A six-seater setting will require a paved area not less than three metres wide to allow for chairs to be pushed back without going into the garden. Once again, Bink’s concrete pavers, which are available in a variety of colours, offer an ideal size at 400mm x 400mm.

Jottings…

• Continue to apply snail and slug killer to strawberry beds.
• If there’s space, plant Kiwi fruit, which grow well in this climate.
• Check the use-by date on seed packets, it’s as important as when buying food.
• Clean dust off the leaves of indoor plants with a damp cloth. This prevents the plant breathing.

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A free-standing, traditional gazebo… blends in well with a cottage garden atmosphere.

It’s ideal for enjoying a summer evening with a glass of shiraz and cheese or a full-blown Sunday lunch. It’s also a great place for children to play out of the hot, summer sun.

More traditional gazebo styles (as pictured) can blend well with a cottage garden atmosphere. While the roof can be of simple bamboo, I would recommend it being weatherproof (Colorbond, western red shingles or a weatherproof masonite) for year-round use.

The design can include timbers to train climbing plants to provide tantalising fragrances such as Trachelospermum jasminoides or Chinese Star Jasmine. Other suggestions could include clematis from the large-flowered variety putting on a great show in summer. This could be combined with the winter-flowering clematis, Clematis nepaulensis or C. cirrhosa. Alternatively, combine the summer and winter varieties for year-round colour. I don’t recommend thorny climbing roses, with the exception of the magnificently fragrant Rosa “Zephirine Drouhin”, which is thornless.

To my knowledge, Murray Fleming, of Outdoor Structures in Queanbeyan, is the only gazebo builder in the district. Murray will build to your design or show you a multiplicity of designs, in addition to children’s cubby houses and play equipment.

A garden shed that blends in with the garden.

Features worth considering are ensuring that the shed can be securely locked, include at least one window and lay an all-weather garden path linking the shed to the house.

Painting it to blend in with the house colours is a good idea or, to camouflage it, provide a screen of lattice with climbers or a flowering hedge rather than just an evergreen hedge. An example would be the surprisingly hardy Camellia sasanqua, of which I recommend two varieties, namely Camellia sasanqua “Hiryu” or C.s. “Plantation Pink”.

Alternatively, have upright metal or wooden posts about two metres apart with horizontal wires spaced 30cm apart for climbing plants.

Jottings…

• Plant the fragrant ground cover Gardenia radicans. A dwarf form of its big sister Gardenia Florida, with the same exquisite, fragrant, white flowers, growing to just 40cm high x 50cm wide. Ideal for pots or hanging gardens.
• Prune native plants after flowering, but no more off than a quarter at any one time.
• Remove any dead growth from azaleas and give a light trim.
• Dead leaves of bulbs can be cut to ground level six weeks after flowering is finished.
• The Horticultural Society Iris, Rhododendron and Azalea Show is an ideal show to see what can be grown in local gardens. It will be held at the Wesley Church Centre, National Circuit, Forrest from noon (after judging) to 5pm on Saturday, October 31, and 11.30am-3.45pm, on Sunday, November 1. A well-stocked plant stall and refreshments will be available.

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Liliums… provide height and bright colours for a backdrop to any garden bed.

Incidentally, once spring bulbs have finished, there’s no need to wait until the leaves have died before removing them, just wait six weeks after flowering and the leaves can be cut to ground level.

Summer flowering bulbs include Belladonna lilies or Amaryllis. Once the Amaryllis family included, crinum, nerine and hippeastrums. Now Amaryllis belladonna is considered to be the only true Amaryllis.

The common, easy-to-grow pink Amaryllis will grow anywhere, even under large trees. Always plant it with the neck above the ground. These are gross feeders, so mulch with rotted-down leaves mixed with cow manure.

Canna lilies provide height and bright colours for a backdrop to any garden bed. Liliums are a florist-shop favourite as a cut flower because the take a while to open into full flower.

Liliums have been grown in Europe for centuries and are synonymous with St. Anthony. Lilium candidum, with its pure-white flowers, is commonly called the Madonna lily. Many religious paintings show the Madonna holding a bunch of them. This variety is possibly the oldest cottage garden lily grown. With today’s plant breeding, they come in a multiplicity of colours. Liliums flower from December to March

Every garden should have at least a few groups of Tuberose, which flower from February to April. Some garden books and catalogues list it as Polianthes, its correct name.

It was introduced from Mexico and loves the heat. It was first introduced to England in 1629 and has been popular ever since. Although I have listed it here among bulb suggestions, in fact it is a perennial. Many catalogues list it as a bulb.

Continue to plant a few Gladioli each week between now and the first week in December, they will then progressively flower over a long period of time.

A true autumn bulb is Nerine Bowdenii or pink spider flower, and there is a white variety. They have a subtle fragrance and last an incredibly long time in a vase.

Finally, two other bulbs certainly worth including in the garden include Acidanthera bicolor or peacock orchid and Eucomis punctata or pineapple lily.

Most “bulbs” listed above will all grow well in containers, although many have vigorous roots and need containers not less than 30cm-40cm across. Place a layer of charcoal (available from most garden centres) in the bottom to act as drainage and keep the soil sweet.

Don’t be niggly, plant in bold groups and mix with perennials also planted in bold groups. Combined, they can then make a continuous floral display all the way to the end of autumn.

NOW is a good time to re-pot indoor plants, especially if they have been in the same potting mix for years.

Shake as much of the old potting mix off the roots. In the bottom of the pot put a layer of charcoal (as mentioned above for potting up bulbs). Use only top-grade potting mix such as the Debco brand.

Eighty per cent of indoor plants die due to poor drainage, invariably with water sitting in the saucer, which inhibits the potting mix to drain and the result is root rot.

Overcome this by filling the saucer with small pebbles and place the container on top of the pebbles. Decorative, coloured pebbles that suit the colour of the container can be found in pet shops for the bottom of aquariums.

Jottings…

• Check garden taps for dripping. They may need new washers.
• Remove spent flowers on roses and feed with Seamungus, a combination of seaweed and chook poo.
• Try growing climbing roses up through trees, especially the thorn-less “Zephirine Drouhin”.
• Be sure to keep whipper snippers well away from the trunks of trees and shrubs.

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PERENNIAL plants are a mainstay of any garden.

Some are evergreen, even when flowering has finished, and others hibernate for winter and appear, as if by surprise, in spring.

Other perennials provide colour even on the coldest, frosty days in winter. For example, polyanthus – with its delicate petals and striking colours appearing in the frost-covered ground.

Perennials are plants that appear year after year as opposed to annuals, such as pansies and petunias, which last one season and have to be replanted each year. In between are biennials, which are planted one season, flower the next and then die.

The great advantage of perennials is they are so easy to propagate, even for those new to gardening.

After they’ve been growing for one or two seasons, they can be gently dug up and divided, either to fill in gaps in the garden or potting-up for the local school, church fete or as a gift for visiting friends.

I divided salvias, sedums, asters and chrysanthemums in mid-July and they were ready, with plenty of roots, for sale at a plant stall in mid-September.

A great way for children to learn about gardening, they will have fun dividing plants, replanting in the garden and within weeks seeing the new growth appearing.

Seed from perennials can also be collected. While this process is slower, it can be equally rewarding, great for Christmas giving.

A way of collecting seeds before they dry and fall is to place a brown, paper bag over the flower head and tie it around the stem. The seeds will be collected and, even if it rains, the paper bag will stay intact, drying out very quickly. Don’t use a plastic bag as the seeds will sweat and rot.

HERE’S a corner of our garden, illustrating the sheer joy of the spring/early summer garden. In the foreground is a white Dianthus “Coconut Sundae” and then the pink D. “Candy Floss”. Next the blue pom-pom heads of chives. All of these can look stunning as an edging to paths. To the left is the speckled leaves of Pulmonaria “Electric Blue”, showing its rich blue flowers since late August. The leaves stay evergreen all winter and are untroubled by frost. The tall flowers are of an unnamed Heuchera. To the left is the deciduous Daphne genkwa and in the background Daphne “Eternal Fragrance”. These look after themselves, providing months of colour. Why would you not have a great selection of perennials?

GARDENS should be both a fun place for children and an ideal place for outdoor entertaining. Besides barbecues, why not build a pizza oven in the garden?

Here’s a good example that our friend Frank built. It fits in with the décor as both a useful and an added architectural feature to the garden.

Jottings…

• Fertilise lawns now.
• A perfect small tree for a container on a sunny balcony is a Kumquat of Calamondin. Evergreen with a mass of bright orange fruit makes a real statement.
• As a companion plant for a container grow the new bay tree “Baby Bay”, which grows to just one metre.

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