Dutch floral roundabouts… great competition to create the best landscaped roundabout.

Another sharp difference is the massive formal tree-planting programs in towns and along the highways.

Unlike the couple of thousand new trees planted in Canberra, the Dutch plant tens of thousands of trees. When I mentioned the destruction of trees on Northbourne Avenue for our light rail project, I was reliably informed that such destruction would simply never be allowed in Holland.

Shady street trees in Holland.

Almost every roundabout in England, Holland and France was planted with floral displays. On one large roundabout there were fountains and a rock garden.

These roundabout displays are sponsored by companies of every type of business, from car firms to real estate agents, who pay either landscape contractors or the local council to maintain them. There is great competition to create the best landscaped roundabout.

And all at no cost to the town councils.

Being away, we missed all the main spring bulb displays and many of the spring blossoms. However, when we arrived home the desolate bare trees and garden beds we left behind were replaced by trees in full leaf and all the glory of perennials.

Here are suggestions for perennials to plant now to complement the summer bulbs I mentioned recently.

It’s important to get them established before the heat of summer and a reminder to plant them in groups of say three, five or seven for maximum effect. Water in with Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient, which specifically promotes root growth.

Looking stunning right now include Lavandula “Princess”; the ground cover Convolvulus mauritanicus with its mass of bright blue flowers and Alstroemeria, which will flower from now until autumn.

Dianthus, in its many soft-pastel colours, combined with Armeria and Lychnis are looking particularly lovely.

All these plants can brighten up even a small unit balcony in containers, providing they get a few hours of sunshine each day.

THE excellent publication “Australian Plants for the Canberra Region and Other Cold Climate Areas” ($30) by the Canberra branch of the Australian Native Plant Society is now available at Canberra Sand and Gravel depots.

With a tempting profusion of coloured photos, the book would make an excellent Christmas present for anyone starting a new garden or renovating an older one.

Jottings…

• With a measly 26mm of rain in October, it looks like a hot, dry summer ahead. Which means it’s vital to mulch garden beds without delay. I recommend and only use Canberra Organic Mulch from Canberra Sand and Gravel.
• It is now fairly safe to plant out all those frost-tender veggies such as tomatoes, capsicums, eggplants etcetera.
• Roses are now in flower and it’s important to dead head the old flowers every few days to encourage new ones.
• Trim all evergreen winter/spring flowering shrubs that have finished flowering, such as daphne, spiraea (may bush), viburnums and camellias.
• Tie up climbing plants such as clematis and  Trachelospermum (star jasmine).

The post Gardening / From spring to glorious autumn appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

An easy care green garden with just a touch of colour.

Cedric Bryant.

How many shades of green are there? A Wikipedia check lists 43 colours resembling green for all varieties, not only shades in the technical sense.

I have had clients who request a green garden without flowers, and one perfect example was Polly and Peter Park’s amazing garden in Red Hill, open for many years before they moved interstate. It was a green garden with a wide range of plants including Kurume and gumpo azaleas, which had all the buds cut off before they had a chance to flower.

Weird maybe, but what a garden!

IT is important to plant bulbs for summer and autumn colour now.

In the word bulbs, I include rhizomes, tubers and corms. One great example are nerines, the most popular being the pink Nerine bowdenii.

Plant nerines now for autumn colour.

Always plant nerines with the neck above ground. They will grow equally well in sun or partial shade.

The whole variety of bulbs will be in local garden centres now.

I am often asked when is the right time to plant various plants, especially bulbs and veggies. Quite simply, just go to your local garden centre and if they are in stock it is time to plant.

IT has been seriously suggested that Glebe Park is an ideal place for any future Floriade, but I don’t think the general public has any idea of the implications.

Firstly, the available space is considerably smaller than Commonwealth Park, unless they continue to make the displays smaller and fewer bulbs planted.

Secondly, this would mean the public would be deprived of the only real, large, green space in the city for much of the year. The start of preparation commences in February/March, ripping up large areas of grass for the importation of soil to form the garden beds.

It is obvious that all the flower beds will not be left in place permanently, as has been suggested. So, do they re-grass the area as at present at the end of Floriade in late October only to be ripped up again in February before it has become properly established? There are more questions than answers in this idea of Glebe Park.

Jottings…

• Cover plants between the nursery and home with an old sheet to prevent the heat through the car windows cooking them.
• If daffodils flowered poorly they are possibly too deep. Dig them up now and store in an orange strip bag (the one oranges come in) and hang in a cool, dry spot.
• Spread pea straw or similar under strawberries to keep them clean and discourage snails.

The post Gardening / Shades of green in all their glory appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

The Cornus capitata… for late spring flowers.

Cedric Bryant

My favourite flower this week is Cornus capitata, the evergreen dogwood. It is in full bloom in our garden with an absolute abundance of flowers. I particularly love the way the flowers change colour as they age.

Firstly, as in the picture, the flowers are lime green, gradually changing to a light green and finally into shades of pink. The flowers last a remarkably long time on the tree. Technically, they are bracts, not flowers, followed by large strawberry-like fruit.

The Royal Horticultural Society gave this tree its Award of Merit for its flowers in 1922 and for its fruit in 1974. This is an ideal tree for the small garden, ours is about six metres after 15 years.

SPIRAEA or May bush, with its white flowers appearing in early spring, finished flowering some weeks ago. However, the outstanding Spiraea japonica “Anthony Waterer”, with bright crimson flowers is now in full bloom.

In my original edition of “The Garden” journal, dated January, 1894, an advertisement by Waterers Nurseries advises gardeners: “In reply to the many inquiries and intending purchasers of this new plant, I beg respectfully to say that it will not be distributed until November, 1894”.

Costing seven shillings and sixpence, it was a hefty price at the time for a new variety of plant. And it is still readily available today.

It is one of a huge family, with Hillier’s trees and shrubs manual listing more than 120 varieties of May Bush.

An ideal shrub for the small garden, it looks particularly effective in a group of, say, three.

Spirea Anthony Waterer.

The term tufted varieties has been properly used to distinguish plants of a spreading habit. Such exotic names include the Countess of Wharncliffe, Marchioness of Tweeddale and Lady Dundonald. It would be hard to find more than a dozen varieties of any sort of pansy available today.

“YATES Garden Guide” just gets better and better. The 44th edition has been fully revised and updated, profusely illustrated guiding every step of the way for the dedicated gardener to the absolute beginner.

Arthur Yates first published the gardening guide in 1895, which proved a winner from day one. Since then, Yates has become synonymous with all things gardening, helped by this guide, with impressive sales of more than seven million copies.

Available from most bookshops and newsagents. I am giving one lucky reader the chance to win a copy. Write your name, suburb and a contact phone number on the back of an envelope and mail it to Cedric’s Garden Guide Giveaway, GPO Box 2448, Canberra 2601 by midday, Friday, December 4. Winner will be announced in my column of December 10.

WHY is it that blackbirds upset so many people? Sure, in their hunt for worms they scatter mulch all over paths. But so what? It’s the only bird I know that can sing from dawn to dusk without repeating a tune.

Jottings…

• For an early display of summer bedding plants, keep in mind from the time of planting (petunias etcetera) that they normally take eight weeks to be in full flower.
• Michelia figo or Port Wine Magnolia can be given a light prune now that it has finished flowering.
• Don’t put coffee grounds into garden beds because they kill microorganisms and worms.

The post Gardening / Playing favourites with flowers appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Clematis… large-flowered hybrids are the most popular for a spectacular floral show.

It is a genus of more than 300 species of deciduous and evergreen climbers. The large-flowered hybrids are the most popular.

Its flowers are comprised of 4-8 sepals, the true petals are absent in almost all clematis.

Clematis flowers in all seasons, although the large-flowered varieties appear mainly in late spring to early summer. Mid-winter flowering clematis includes Clematis napaulensis, a vigorous climber with cream-coloured flowers and purple centre. It was first discovered by the famous plant hunter George Forrest in China in 1912.

I combined this with Rosa “Crepuscule”, a beautiful apricot climbing rose over an arch.

In summer we are provided with the colour of the rose and in winter, when the rose is bare, the clematis flowers. After flowering, clematis is referred to as “Old Man’s Beard” due to the silver-grey of the fluffy seed pods.

Clematis cirrhosa is an evergreen, winter-flowering variety that I have growing over an arch in our front garden. The profusion of small, creamy-white flowers are a joy. It comes from southern  Europe and North Africa, and has been recorded in gardens since 1596. There are several varieties of this clematis, ours is C. cirrhosa “Wisley Cream”.

ON a trellis in our rear garden, we have five clematis including the illustrated C. “General Sikorski”, plus C. “Romantika”, C. “Ernest Markham” and the early spring flowering C. montana rubens, a vigorous climber with white or pink-tinged flowers.

Due to its vigour, it is ideal for growing over sheds and, in times past, was popular for growing over outdoor dunnies.

Clematis is in full flower at local garden centres and now’s an ideal time to choose the colours.

These are all combined with that rose I rave on about; the climbing thornless Rosa “Zephirine Drouhin”, an old French rose from 1858 with possibly the most fragrance of all roses.

It is used in Europe extensively for pot-pourri. Those who have seen it growing on the northerly side of our house often remark: “For once Cedric, you are not exaggerating”.

An example is growing at the entrance to Heritage Nursery in Yarraluma, although it does not do it justice there. I did explain to owner Bruno that he would run out of these when they arrived in late winter, particularly when I featured them in this column and, sure enough, he did! He has managed to find some more.

Bruno Zimmerman, left, Clive and Penny Blazey with Hedy Zimmerman celebrate the arrival of Diggers Seeds at Heritage Nursery.

Many old varieties of vegetables were disappearing as the large seed companies dropped lines they couldn’t sell, which concerned the Blazeys enough to want to rescue and continue to make them available.

Putting action into words, in 1978 the first seed catalogue was posted out listing an amazing 300 varieties.

While ostensibly a mail-order business, Clive and Penny Blazey have partnered with Bruno and Hedy Zimmerman, of the Heritage Nursery in Yarralumla, to offer locally a range of Diggers organic seeds.

Jottings…

• Look out for the new Martin’s “Pelletised Lucerne”. Expands four times and a bag covers nine square metres. Better than cane or pea straw.
• Take out dead leaves of bearded iris, a hiding place for snails.
• Prune spring and early flowering shrubs such as Deutzia, Philadelphus, Kolkwitzia and Weigela.
• Dead head delphiniums and lupins to encourage a second flowering.

The post Gardening / Meet the queen of the climbers appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Nerium oleander… best to wear gloves when handling it.

SOME readers might be shocked at the mere mention of Nerium oleander. Never plant this in the garden, all parts are poisonous, they say!

I recently spent time in the Provence area of France where, besides lavender production, Oleanders are seen everywhere. I don’t recall banner headlines of massed deaths due to Oleanders.

Yes, all parts of the plant are poisonous and it’s best to wear gloves when handling it.

LET’S take a look at other plants that may be poisonous that can be found in almost every garden without realising their poisonous nature.

A few years ago “The Canberra Gardener” listed more than 120 plants that are poisonous if the leaves are chewed or berries eaten, starting with the common potato through to daphne, cotoneaster, Digitalis (foxglove), laburnum (Golden Chain tree), wisteria, ligustrum, rhododendron and azaleas.

In reality, are you going to start ripping all these plants out? No.

So why pick on the oleander with a flowering time possibly longer than any other plant?

A small genus of a single species first introduced into Western gardens in 1596, it became an instant favourite. It can be seen growing along the Mediterranean and is a rival to camellias grown in more northern climes.

The most common variety has pink flowers although, with breeding, numerous forms are now available, which include a variety of flower colours with single and double flowers and even variegated leaves. They are ideal for growing in pots and take to very hard pruning in winter. If ever there was a plant suitable for our climate this is it.

The National Flower of Chile, the stunning Lapageria.

Introduced into Western gardens in 1847, it is an evergreen with a strong twining habit and rosy-crimson, bell-shaped flowers up to 7cm long and 5cm wide that are borne singly in summer.

Pictured here is the pure white Lapageria var. albiflora growing in our garden in Watson in the shade of silver birch trees. It likes growing in lime-free soil in shade or semi-shade and doesn’t like exposure to long periods of strong sunlight. I understand that the Heritage Nursery at Yarralumla now has it in stock.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Yarralumla Nursery, winning a major award with the National Trust Heritage Awards 2015 for an outstanding project in working with GML Heritage on the Yarralumla Nursery Conservation Management Plan. GML Heritage has been at the forefront of heritage consulting for more than 25 years. Minister Mick Gentleman presented the award to Chris Ware, general manager of the Yarralumla Nursery.

Yarralumla Nursery wins the National Trust Award, from left, nursery general manager Chris Ware, Minister Mick Gentleman and from GML Heritage, Rachael Jackson and Bethany Lance.

ONE of the most knowledgeable horticulturists regarding Australian native plants is the inimitable Angus Stewart.

Well-known for his plant expertise and breeding skills and a presenter on the ABC’s “Gardening Australia”, Stewart’s new book “The Australian Native Garden” in conjunction with AB Bishop (Murdoch Books, rrp $49.99) is a must for any lover of Australian flora. Alternatively, this down-to-earth practical guide will encourage those who’d like to grow native plants, but think they are maybe too difficult.

Jottings…

• When sowing carrot seed, don’t cover with soil. Simply place shadecloth over the seeded area and remove it once seedlings show with a couple of leaves.

• Complete planting of dahlia tubers, putting the stake in first.

• Watch out for rose suckers from the rootstock and remove as soon as they appear.

• Harvest broad beans and freeze for later use. Chop up old foliage before putting on compost heap.

• Lightly prune Daphne plants after flowering. Take cuttings at the end of this month.
• Winner of the copy of  the latest edition of  “Yates Garden Guide” is John Bourke, of Pearce. Thanks to all who entered, it was a keenly sought prize.

The post Gardening / Oleanders get some bad press appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

CLIMATE change is on everyone’s lips and those possibly affected most are farmers, horticulturists (especially commercial food producers) and gardeners.

Cedric Bryant.

Dr Johanna Speirs is an atmospheric scientist with Snowy Hydro and says understanding the weather in the region helps the company manage the Snowy Hydro Scheme’s water resources.

Its research partner is the University of Queensland, which works on trends that deliver precipitation to the Snowy Mountains.

The research looks at pre-history, utilising paleoclimate from the Yarrangobilly Caves in the mountains. By analysing stalagmite samples, researchers are able to reconstruct temperature and snow cover at Cabramurra over the last 1000 years. The reconstructed climate records are showing patterns consistent with current global trends.

The stalagmites have recorded rapid warming and reduced snow cover since about 1960. This is similar to trends elsewhere in Australia.

This year we have already seen record temperatures in Sydney and the same is predicted for Canberra.

Good snowfall and the resulting melt is extremely important. Water from the Snowy Mountains is vital to the large agricultural areas of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area at Griffith and poor snowfalls could spell a massive disaster if the rivers dried up.

CHRISTMAS is close and with the rush on for last-minute presents, it’s worth remembering your local garden centre. These days they not only sell plants but have a variety of gifts, often costing considerably less than the big shopping centres.

THERE’S nothing worse than being woken from a Sunday morning sleep-in by the sound of neighbourhood mowers or blower/vacs. Or enjoying a quiet drink with friends in the cool of the evening when the neighbour’s machines roar into life!

Interestingly, in parts of London, Hampstead Gardens for example, authorities now drop warnings to noisy neighbours into the letterbox; a yellow card or red card for repeat offenders. What a great idea!

Jottings…

• Cut old leaves off polyanthus hit by snails. The new leaves are most probably already appearing.
• Plant lettuce, English spinach, chives and other culinary herbs amongst the flowers and shrubs. They provide added greenery and do not need to take up space in the veggie garden.
• Give your gardening friends a copy of  “The Canberra Gardener” for Christmas, written especially for Canberra. Available from most bookshops.
• Electric mowers now account for 75 per cent of sales in the UK.

The post Gardening / Caves hold the secrets of climate change appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

NOT everyone heading to the coast in summer is a beach lover, but looks forward to other forms of relaxation.

One alternative is the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens, five kilometres south of Batemans Bay, which holds the greatest collection of native plants from the Shoalhaven area from near Nowra in the north to Bega in the south.

A never ending display of native plants in flower at the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens, five kilometres south of Batemans Bay.

The lakes and streams are a special feature with hides from which a wide variety of birds, especially the water birds, can be observed.

There is a never ending floral display, depending on the season, providing interest to all native flora lovers with guided walks from the visitors centre. The Children’s Walk offers kids the chance to learn about the animals that inhabit the gardens.

There are colourful signs plus full-size sculptures of the various animals with the chance of seeing them live.

Lucky visitors may see the giant goannas throwing dirt high in the air as they dig for rodents. If frightened, the goannas race up the nearest tree and are almost impossible to see with their camouflaged bodies against the eucalyptus bark.

Plus there’s the children’s playground, where some of the equipment is exclusive to the gardens, with the slippery dips that disappear into the “jungle”. Alongside this is a covered area with free gas barbecues.

Entry to the gardens and parking is free. The gardens are open 10am-5pm, Wednesday to Sunday and open every day during public and NSW school holidays. And the Mogo Zoo is just a few kilometres down the road.

More information at erbg.com.au

The Children’s Walk at Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens…  the chance to learn about the animals that inhabit the gardens.

However, pot plants will not and will need a relative or friend to give them a water at least once a week, plus fill the bird bath. The smaller the pot, the more frequent will be the watering, not forgetting any hanging gardens.

I mulch around the top of all pot plants with pea or cane straw to reduce evaporation. If the pots can be easily moved, place them in shade, under the eaves or in a carport or gazebo, out of the direct sun.

I suggest indoor plants, if small enough, are placed in the bath or laundry tub with a few centimetres of water. It is a good idea to put an old towel in the bottom of the bath under the pots to prevent scratching.

If you have a veggie garden, obviously it will need at least that weekly watering. Tell your watering friends if veggies are ripening to help themselves rather than seeing them go to waste. It may be a further incentive to look after your garden.

UNLESS you are putting in new plants, mainly in the veggie garden, there is no point feeding during mid-summer. Most plants put on little or no growth over the summer period and start their autumn growth about March/April. For new planting, water in with Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient to promote root growth

QUOTE: “If you grow contented plants you will find peace in your garden.”

–Beth Chatto, renowned English gardener

The post Gardening / Call of the summer gardens appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Roses… pruning now will provide an autumn floral show in about 50 days. Photo by hdwallpaperbackgrounds.net

Quoting advice in “The Canberra Gardener”, pruning at this time will usually provide an autumn floral show about 50 days later.

Always water at the base of roses, not the foliage and always in the morning. Watering in the evening leaving the foliage wet combined with a warm night encourages mildew and black spot.

Some roses are more susceptible to mildew more than others, so an effective organic spray is one part full-cream milk (none of this Lite stuff) mixed with 5-9 litres of water. Spray under the leaves as well as on top and on the ground under the rose, once again in the morning.

Ripening nettle tree berries… the trees are now on the government’s environmental weeds list.

These seedlings are either carried in when the cockatoos eat the berries or seeds literally blown in from trees in Knox Street.

These extremely tough trees were planted as street trees all over the older suburbs. It took many years for our landscape planners to realise the error of their ways.

While these trees are now on the ACT government’s environmental weeds list, it is still almost impossible to get permission to have a single tree removed in one’s own backyard.

I pull up dozens every week. Once they get established they are very hard to get out. Once they grow to, say, 40mm-50mm the only way is to cut them close to the ground and use an old paintbrush and apply undiluted glyphosate on the cut immediately.

A pretty flower but terrible weed… the wild passionfruit.

The leaves of the wild passionfruit are a dull grey and 3-5 fingered, whereas the Nellie Kelly is a large, glossy leaf.

The wild vine can grow as thick as my wrist and climb to the top of gum trees in a very short time.

To get rid of this is the same as above with undiluted glyphosate, the strongest you can buy. It’s no good trying to dig it out as it grows from the tiniest part left in the ground.

Jottings…

• When temperatures exceed 30C, it’s recommended that drip systems are turned on for two hours once a week; say, one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening. Water follows water and it will penetrate to the root zone more effectively.
• Not sure if this is enough? Dig a hole not too close to the root zone of plants, but near the drip line to check if water has penetrated the roots.
• It’s still not too late to lift spring bulbs, such as daffodils, if they are in the wrong place, overcrowded or simply not doing well and possibly planted too deep?
• Water restrictions still apply, despite our new big dam. Sprinklers, especially lawn sprinklers, may not be used between 9am and 6pm. There is no restriction on drip systems, although it is best not to water in the heat of the day.

The post Gardening / Tidy up the roses for an autumn show appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

THE mere mention of the word hibiscus conjures up images of Hawaiian hula girls with flowers behind their ears.

These sorts of tropical hibiscus certainly grow in our northern climes, but not in the colder southern areas. However, for that tropical feel around the pool, there are three varieties of hibiscus that will grow here. They all love the sun and flower at different times of the year.

Hibiscus moscheutos, often called the hardy hibiscus or Mallow Rose, is in flower now as this photo of the most common variety “Southern Belle”, demonstrates. It was taken in our friend’s garden in Yass.

A vigorous, sturdy multi-stemmed plant growing to two metres, its flowers are similar to hollyhocks. Native of the mid and southern states of North America, another common name is Swamp Hibiscus as it thrives in very wet ground although it will grow well in hard ground with little watering.

There used to be a great display on the nature strip in front of the old Embassy Hotel in Deakin. Mostly the flowers are red; however recent crosses with other hibiscus are resulting in other colours.

THEN there are native hibiscus, with 62 endemic species, most of which grow in the tropical north. The native Alyogyne huegelii or Lilac Hibiscus, despite being indigenous to SA and WA, grows very well here up to two metres, with brilliant lilac flowers up to 12cm in diameter in spring and summer.

LASTLY, Hibiscus syriacus, or Rose of Sharon, can be seen growing in many district gardens. Originally from Iran and the Middle East, it is not known when it was introduced into Western gardens but has been grown in Britain since the 16th century.

A deciduous shrub or small tree with more than 40 named varieties including a few that are usually readily available such as Hibiscus “Blue Bird” with large pale blue flowers; “Ardens” has pale rosy-purple flowers with maroon blotches at the base and “Aphrodite” with deep pink flowers and a deep red centre. There are single and double-flowering varieties. This hibiscus flowers in the autumn, although in recent seasons it seems to flower in late summer. Flowering occurs in the new season’s wood, so a winter prune is recommended to promote new spring growth.

MOST English lavenders have finished flowering and it is time to give them a good haircut, just past the base of the flowers. These dead flower heads have virtually no fragrance and are unsuitable for making pot pourri or sachets.

For this, I suggest planting two areas of lavender; one for the general flower garden and the other for cutting.

The time to cut for the ultimate fragrance is just as the flowers start to open in late spring/early summer. Despite the romance of French lavender, English lavender is the variety mainly used in the French perfume trade. French lavenders generally flower late winter/early spring in Canberra.

IT’S wise to be familiar with the “Bushfire Survival Plan”, available from ACT Shopfronts. This particularly applies to all gardens, especially because many native plants are very flammable with volatile oils and easily burst into flames.

Jottings…

• Nip out the centres of chrysanthemums and reduce the height of Asters or Michaelmas daisies and salvias, even if they have buds or show signs of flowering. This doubles the number of shoots promoting more flowers for a great autumn display for both these plants.
• Don’t overwater tomatoes; a deep watering once a week is sufficient provided they are well mulched. Water at the base, not over the leaves.
• Dead-head agapanthus flowers once flowering is finished to prevent seeds developing. Consider planting sterile agapanthus that does not set seed.

The post Aloha to lots of local hibiscus appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Hydrangeas flower well into late autumn.

And still do. It’s an important and colourful time in the garden with Lagerstroemias (or Crepe Mytle) and many Hebe varieties flowering from late summer well into autumn.

Then we have a wonderful range of perennial plants including Asters or Michaelmas daisies with pink and purple flowers and Salvias with too many varieties and colours to mention. Echinacea or cone flowers in the deep pinkish/purple, used in many alternate medicines, stand bold in clumps half a metre tall.

Echinacea or cone flower used in alternative medicines.

The list of autumn perennials is endless, so go and get carried away at the local garden centre.

Finally, let’s not forget the good old hydrangeas, which flower well into autumn.

IN our harsh climate, when we can have 30C temperatures in September, it seems like abuse to expose plants to the extremes of heat and even sudden late frosts into November.

The worst ordeal for plants is scorching hot winds. By planting in autumn, around late March/April, we avoid all that stress.

Even with low temperatures and frosts, in our climate the ground stays warm and the roots continue to grow, especially with the addition of the right organic plant nutrients.

As a trial, try planting in spring with some of the same in autumn. When I say plants, I am excluding annuals. Then in 12 months’ time, dig them up and you’ll be amazed at the difference in root growth.

Such trials were carried out by students at the old School of Horticulture in Weston as part of their training.

Of course, the other main planting time for all deciduous plants is winter.

ALTHOUGH a few weeks off, the Lanyon Plant Fair, the biggest event for real gardeners in the Canberra calendar, on March 12-13 will feature more than 40 stalls, many with rare plants and associated garden products, along with talks and demonstrations.

Jottings…

• Wait until bulbs arrive in your local garden centre so you can select the largest, healthiest ones.
• Dead head rhododendrons and lightly prune azaleas.
• Leave hydrangeas for the flowers to die off and use them in floral arrangements.
• Trim lavenders that have finished flowering, but not too deeply into the old wood.

The post Get carried away into autumn appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Sturt’s Desert Pea in the Red Centre Garden… grows on the median strips of Alice Springs.

THE Red Centre Garden, at the Botanic Gardens, is a great, underrated tourist attraction.

The best time to visit the amazing Red Centre Garden is on a really hot day of, say, 35C-38C or more, although in reality in the real desert the temperatures are more likely 45C+.  

“The Red Centre is the physical and symbolic heart of Australia,” says the entry board.

“It is a land of beauty, endless plains and stunning natural monuments, steeped in Aboriginal heritage with distinctive plants and animals.

“This garden showcases the dramatic landscape with elements of sand-dune country, rocky escarpments and desert rivers.”  

Starting in 2012, it was an amazing challenge to create a desert garden in Canberra, reflecting as it does the country within 500km around Alice Springs.  

Desert plants can be seen here that could only be seen by travelling a few thousand kilometres.

For example, Swainsona formosa or Sturt’s Desert Pea, pictured here, which grows on the median strips of Alice Springs and flowers most of the year.  

Desert dragon on the children’s trail… where they can track native animals and not be too frightened by the super-enlarged versions reminiscent of the dinosaur age.

One area of research at the Gardens is using micrografting techniques; as an example, Sturt’s Desert Pea uses NZ’s Clianthus puniceus as stock, resulting in it surviving the Canberra winter.  

However, the conditions are completely different at the Botanic Gardens to the home garden in Canberra. The Gardens are a micro-climate in themselves and many plants in this living museum wouldn’t survive elsewhere in the district.  

Although the Red Centre Garden needs to be better signposted, especially for overseas visitors, one of its features is the children’s trail, where they can track native animals and not be too frightened by the super-enlarged versions reminiscent of the dinosaur age.

If ever in Alice Springs, visit The Olive Pink Botanic Garden and the outstanding Alice Springs Desert Park.

THE Australian Native Plants Society grows a staggering 600 different species, cultivars and forms that are suitable for Canberra and Queanbeyan gardens. With this in mind, an important diary date is its autumn plant sale at the Gardens, from 8.30am, on March 19. While it may seem a long way off, autumn is planting time and I am reminding native plant lovers early. Bring your own bags or boxes.

WE certainly have had central-Australian summer temperatures followed by several weeks of sub-tropical Darwin type monsoonal weather. The problem with storms dumping huge amounts of rain in a short time is that most of it runs off into the storm-water drains while washing chemical pelletised fertilisers from gardens into the lake (thus contributing to blue-green algae). In addition, chemical fertilisers kill worms and many other microbes in the soil. Fortunately, between storms we have had some steady soaking rain, which augers well for autumn planting. Autumn is also plant-feeding time.

Jottings / fertilisers

• Blood and bone was considered an essential organic fertiliser in its original form and safe, even for native plants. However, extreme care should be taken with current products sold under this name as often some inorganic material is added in manufacture.
• Cow manure is an ideal fertiliser because the way the cows chew the cud they destroy any weed seeds, whereas horse or sheep manure can have an abundance of weed seeds.
• Maxicrop Liquid Seaweed Plant Nutrient, which encourages root growth, is suitable for native plants.
• Likewise, Neutrog’s Seamungus, a combination of seaweed and chook poo (not from battery hens) is a Biological Farmers Australia Certified Organic product.

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The toughest of the tough… Elephant’s Ears.

NOW is the time to plant for a winter floral display; particularly after the soaking rain, the roots will become established before winter.

Some of the late-autumn flowering plants often continue into winter  depending on the arrival of frost.

This doesn’t mean the garden is naked of colour in winter, so here are a few suggestions for perennial plants, all of which can be divided at the end of the season:

• Bergenia cordifolia is commonly called Elephant’s Ears due to the leaf size. Very popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it has largely gone out of fashion. This remarkable plant, which comes from Siberia and Mongolia where temperatures drop to minus 50C, will tolerate our full sun and extreme frost. The large, heart-shaped leaves are a feature in their own right and its flowers appear as panicles of rosy-red or pink flowers on long 30-40cm stems during winter and into the early spring.
• A favourite of mine is the winter-flowering iris with an unpronounceable name, Iris unguicularis (Syn. I stylosa). It is often not grown to its full potential as the flowers are usually lost amongst the massive grassy foliage. To overcome this, remove all the foliage within 15cm of the ground (and it’s not too late to do this) to encourage sunlight into the plant. The plant is at home in full sun or shade and the delicate fragrance of the lavender-mauve flowers holds well for bringing indoors. Always pull the flowers off from the base of the stem, rather than cutting.

  The deliciously fragrant flowers of the Winter Iris.

• Helleborus, is commonly called Winter Rose, although no relation to roses except the flowers are similar to old-fashioned roses. These are treated the same way as Winter Iris, by cutting back the leaves, although in this case to ground level in autumn. There is a magnificent range of Hellebores with today’s breeding programs. For example, the stunning Helleborus “Anna’s Red” or H. “Ivory Prince” and H. “Penny’s Pink”. Hellebores will arrive at garden centres in the next few weeks.
• Most of us are familiar with Polyanthus, which is a cross between a primrose and cowslip. Renowned for a wide range of colours, they give a lift to gardens on a dull winter’s day. Because of the variety of colours it’s easy to have a themed garden with, say, all white or all purple flowers to complement other plants. The bane of Polyanthus is snail attack, particularly after rain.

This list can be supplemented with winter-flowering annuals such as primulas, pansies and violas. Remember, from the time of planting, most annuals take about eight weeks to full flowering.

This will depend naturally on how well the soil is prepared and regular plant feeding. It is essential to get the roots established by applying a liquid seaweed plant nutrient on a “weakly, weekly” basis; a weak solution once a week. Once established, this can be extended to every few weeks.

Jottings…

• After the recent rain, look out for weeds. Treat with glyphosate if they can’t be pulled or dug out.
• Keep dead heading dahlias to prolong displays.
• Once agapanthus have finished flowering remove the flowers to prevent seeding.
• Plant Nerine bulbs now for autumn/winter flowering, keeping the bulb neck above ground level.
• Continue to dead head and feed annuals such as petunias to encourage autumn flowering.

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An ideal time to take cuttings of geranium and pelargonium.

MAYBE it’s a strange time to talk about fuchsias, when in only a few weeks their leaves will fall.

But it is a great time to see them in full flower in garden centres and, secondly, it’s an ideal time to take cuttings.

Fuchsias strike readily from cuttings when taken at this time of the year. In spring, the stems are very soft and brittle with all the energy going into new growth and flowers. In autumn, the stems are thicker and have hardened off. Plant the cuttings in a 50/50 mix of washed river sand and perlite or coco peat and keep the mix moist at all times in a shady spot in the garden. Better still if you have a greenhouse.

When the roots have developed, pot up into a premium-grade potting mix and immediately start a regular feeding program. Finally, do not prune back the bare stems in winter. Wait until spring when the new shoots appear and at that time cut off any dead branches.

Fuchsias originated in South and Central America and NZ. They were introduced into the Western world by 18th century missionary Father Plumier, who named the plant after Dr Leonard Fuchs, an eminent 16th century botanist.

The ideal planting position will have morning sun to about 10am and then filtered shade for the rest of the day. Fuchsias are popular in hanging gardens combined with ivy geraniums. In the garden, the soil should be well prepared with added organic compost or cow manure. Mulch well after planting and apply a seaweed plant nutrient to promote strong root growth.

Fuchsias must never be allowed to dry out, vital when in hanging gardens or pots. On hot days, a fine spray of water during the day is especially beneficial.

The stunning Fuchsia “Empress of Prussia” photographed in Rex and Nancy Daley’s Curtin garden. Rex’s speciality is growing pelargoniums and geraniums, with fuchsias his second love. In the ‘70s Canberra’s Geranium and Fuchsia Society boasted nearly 300. I was growing nearly 300 varieties at that time, but like many plants they fell out of fashion. Gardeners often thought that when all the leaves fell off in autumn the plants were dead and out they came! Today, there is a resurgence within the Canberra Geranium and Fuchsia Society with numbers growing (more information at cgfs.org.au).

SNAILS are on the move, chomping on the emerging leaves of my polyanthus. I have always liked the comment of David Young, former ABC gardening presenter, suggesting the best way to deal with snails without using snail bait: put your foot on them and if you are squeamish put shoes on first!

Jottings…

• Collect seeds from perennials by placing a brown paper bag over the flowers as they start to die off (never a plastic bag) and tie round the stem of the plant. Use a waterproof Texta to label the bag.
• As with fuchsias, it’s an ideal time to take cuttings of geraniums and pelargoniums.
• Keep dead heading dahlias and salvias to keep them flowering until the first frosts.

The post Gardening / Enjoying fuchsias before the fall appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Plant bulbs in colour groups close together to support each other in windy weather.

THE great spring bulb planting time is about to begin; bulk bulbs will arrive at local garden centres in the next couple of weeks as catalogues arrive in the mail for online ordering.

Cedric Bryant.

While there are many very reputable online bulb growers, when buying this way one doesn’t know the quality until the bulbs arrive. There really is nothing to replace selecting the best bulbs from a local garden centre.

Here are a few suggestions for the best results when buying spring bulbs:

• Always check each bulb is firm when gently pressed between thumb and forefinger. Softness is a sign of rot.
• Make sure the bulbs are a good size, generally the bigger the better. However, bulb size can vary between cultivars.
• Always store in a cool, dry place until planting, ideally in an open net bag, such as orange bags.
• Daffodils are best planted as soon as possible to make good root growth.
• Plant bulbs at the right height. Generally ignore most of those complicated charts showing bulb-planting depths. With most bulbs, plant the same depth or slightly more than the bulb is thick, ie if a daffodil bulb is 5cm thick (from top to bottom of bulb), then plant 5-10cm deep.
• Plant most bulbs in full sun. This can still be under deciduous trees that are bare in winter and generally still bare in spring when the bulbs flower. With only a few exceptions do not plant under evergreen trees with little sunlight to the bulbs.
• Plant in good fertile well-drained soil. In heavy or wet soils plant on raised beds. Improve the soil by digging in well-rotted compost or cow manure.
• Plant bulbs in colour groups close together to support each other in windy weather. At Floriade I notice bulbs are being planted further apart and infilled with annuals. An economic measure?
• Bulbs grow well in pots. Use premium-grade potting mix and don’t encourage root rot by putting a saucer under the pot. Place pots on terracotta feet.
• There is no need to fertilise until early spring with a good organic plant fertiliser.

Select the biggest and best bulbs… always check each bulb is firm when gently pressed between thumb and forefinger. Softness is a sign of rot.

The strength of glyphosate varies from 260 grams per litre to 490 grams per litre, all of which are usually diluted with water.

The strength depends on whether you are simply killing grassy type weeds or environmental weedy shrubs such as privet, pyracantha or nettle tree (Celtis Australis).

Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendation. However, if you are killing plants such as privet with thick stems, which can be as thick as my arm, I recommend the strongest such as Yates Zero Weedkiller Glyphosate 490 grams per litre.

It is vital to apply the glyphosate immediately to the cut after you have cut each shrub down. Either use a paint brush to apply undiluted or a 50/50 mix of glyphosate and water. Take care not to splash on nearby, desirable shrubs. A shrub can die from being exposed to just two per cent of glyphosate.

If you are unsure which are environmental weeds, collect the coloured brochure “Are your garden plants going bush?” from any ACT Government Shopfront.

Jottings…

• Bulbs planted in the wrong place (ie in too much shade) can be lifted and relocated at this time.
• With the risk of early autumn frosts, it might be best to leave citrus planting until late spring.
• Summer and early autumn flowering shrubs can be pruned once flowering is finished. Think the three “Ds” – remove dead, diseased and damaged branches. Then remove any crossing-over branches rubbing against each other.
• Remember, with veggies, if they’re in stock at garden centres it’s time to plant them.

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Sweet pea trials in the Royal Horticultural Society gardens in Surrey, England… amateur growers submit seeds for evaluation, hoping their sweet peas are selected as a new variety.

ST Patrick’s Day, on March 17, is traditionally the time to plant sweet peas.

In Britain, St. Patrick’s Day is, of course, in spring. So, how did this tradition take hold here in autumn, with sweet-pea supplier Yates recommending we sow the seeds now? Maybe a reader has the answer.

Cedric Bryant.

Australia leads the world in the development of sweet pea varieties, largely thanks to Dr. Keith Hammett, a New Zealander who works closely with Yates Seeds in its main growing areas in Tasmania.

While sweet peas originated in Sicily and Malta, where they grow wild, modern sweet peas were originally developed in the gardens and glasshouses of the Spencer family estate, Althorp, in Britain in 1901.

Unlike the wild species, the new sweet peas had larger frills and bigger wings and took the world by storm at the time.

They were named “Countess Spencer” or just “Spencer” sweet peas, after the grandmother of Princess Diana.

Every year the Royal Horticultural Society trials beds of sweet peas, as seen here at its Wisley Garden in Surrey, England, where amateur growers submit seeds for evaluation, hoping their sweet peas are selected as a new variety and hopefully sold on to a major seed company. They are evaluated for the flowers and their fragrance.

THE Australian Nursery and Garden Industry body has selected the heady perfumed daphne “Perfume Princess” as its Plant of the Year 2016.

The prestigious award recognises this great addition to the daphne family and its many years of development. Happy with full sun, the “Perfume Princess” is available now from the Heritage Nursery, Yarralumla.

“Bush Tucker”… a new fertiliser for native plants.

Often this is due to farmers having previously applied phosphorus to get pastures to grow. Phosphorus stays in the ground for many years.

Most soils in Australia have low phosphorus that, over millennia, native plants have adapted to.

Ideally, native plant fertilisers should contain no more than 1-1.5 per cent of phosphorus as an NPK rating.

Three years in the making, Neutrog has developed “Bush Tucker”, a revolutionary new native plant fertiliser.

It follows extensive research by two of Australia’s leading plant and soil authorities – Angus Stewart (I recently reviewed his new book “The Australian Native Garden”) and Dr. Simon Leake, principal soil scientist and managing director of the Sydney Environmental and Soil Laboratory.

The new fertiliser will be available at garden centres over the next few weeks.

Jottings…

• Love them or hate them, autumn leaves are great for the garden, either rotting as compost or shredded with the mower and used as an instant mulch.
• Trim conifer hedges now, but don’t cut into the old wood as they will not shoot again. Always trim hedges narrower at the top and broader at the base, allowing the sun into the whole plant.
• Encourage children into gardening by sowing seeds in egg cartons using seed-raising mix.
• A garden spectacular not to be missed, the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, the largest in the southern hemisphere, is being held at the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, March 16-20. More information at melbflowershow.com.au

The post Gardening / Sweet and seasonal, but why? appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

Loropetalum “Plum Gorgeous” makes a great hedge as seen here in Manuka.

FROM time to time, I am asked to create gardens with coloured themes, the most popular being the soft pastel flowers of pink, white, mauve and lavender.

Cedric Bryant.

Apparently, some people don’t like looking out at their garden with bright reds, orange or yellow on a hot day. Unfortunately, many of our native plants have these strong colours.

Despite requests of “no native plants”, I sometimes sneakily include native plants of the blue, white or pink varieties. For example, Prostanthera ovalifolia, the mint bush with its profusion of blue flowers or the white-flowered Philotheca myoporoides, the native mint bush.
Recently, I’ve had requests for plants of purple or burgundy, with the emphasis on the foliage rather than the flowers.

Among the smaller perennial plants available, the spring-flowering Heuchera “Palace Purple” fits the bill perfectly. Then there’s the Ajuga “Black Scallop”, a dense ground cover growing to just 10cm high with a spread of 80cm of glossy, deep-purple foliage and pink flowers.

The autumn-flowering Salvia sinaloensis “Aztec Blue” has purple leaves. Leucadendron “Ebony” has almost black leaves all year round with yellow/red flowers in autumn and winter, growing to two metres. I particularly recommend this plant.

The last suggestion is Berberis thunbergii “Little Favourite” with deep purple foliage, clips well for a dwarf hedge or pot specimen. 

Berberis thunbergii “Little Favourite” as a low hedge or trimmed for a container.

Fleming’s Nurseries, of Victoria, recently introduced Lagerstroemia “Plum Magic”, a semi-dwarf crepe myrtle growing to about two metres.

Its leaves are a rich, deep-plum colour when it comes into leaf in spring and changing through the season to rich, deep green with pink flowers.

Then there’s a plant that’s taken gardens by storm, the perfectly named Loropetalum “Plum Gorgeous” with its purple leaves and masses of tiny, pink spidery flowers in spring and into the summer.

In our garden, I under-estimated its size, so allow for it to grow up to 1.5-metres tall with a metre-plus spread. It responds well to clipping, as shown in the photographed hedge in Manuka.

Purple-foliaged plants act as a foil for other plants. For instance, purple next to a plant with orange flowers makes a stunning combination. These are just a few of the purple-foliaged plants, all with a variety of flower colours.

THE majority of plants in British gardens have been introduced. Many have “English” in the name but are anything but English.

Buxus sempervirens (English box) was introduced into Britain by the Romans. Similarly, Quercus robur (English Oak), like many oaks, originated from the Mediterranean.

Many smaller shrubs such as lavender, rosemary and many perennial plants originate from harsh climates such as Greece, Spain, Portugal and North Africa. These all grow well in our local climate.

Jottings…

• Now’s the time to cover the fish pond with a fine mesh to catch the autumn leaves, which can cause problems for fish as they rot.
• Trim evergreen shrubs before Easter (March 25) to spare new growth being burnt by early frosts.
• Now that most perennials have finished flowering, it’s time to divide them. Pot up some for the next school/church fete and others for filling in blank spaces in the garden.

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Camellia sasanqua “Hiryu”… makes an excellent screening hedge.

When we had our Yass nursery, one customer expressed surprise we didn’t have a particular variety in stock. I politely explained that it was not possible to carry all varieties because, as the Camellia Society will verify, there are more than 38,000 named cultivars registered worldwide.

So, where to start in selecting from the plant’s huge range of colours and varieties?

Author Peter Valder, in his book “The Garden Plants of China”, says while many species of camellia occur in China, very few were brought into cultivation until recently.

There are exceptions such as Camellia sinensis, the tea camellia that has long been grown for its leaves.

In China, surprisingly, only a handful of indigenous species have been used as ornamental plants. Today we are all familiar with C. japonica, C. sasanqua, C. reticulata and C. williamsii.

C. japonica, with its large, glossy leaves and huge flowers, blooms in spring and needs filtered shade.

C.sasanqua is one of the hardiest, even in our summer sun. Unlike most camellias, this one is scented. As illustrated here in our garden, C. sasanqua “Hiryu” makes an ideal hedge for screening, in this case it’s more than two metres tall. The added advantage is that it flowers in winter, which is important as it provides food for birds, especially honeyeaters, when most other plants, including native plants are dormant. Valder says that while cultivars of this type have been introduced into Western gardens, it’s rare to see this variety in Chinese gardens.

He describes the flowers of C. reticulata as having the “sumptuousness and mystique of tree peonies and our debt to generations of Yunnanese gardeners who long ago developed these wonderful plants,” adding that “this variety of camellia has been recorded from the 11th century. From that time these Yunnan camellias were praised by poets for their longevity and the beauty of their flowers”.

At the Yufeng Lamasery, in Tibet, there is an example of this camellia’s longevity, reputed to be more than 500 years old and bearing at least 4000 flowers. It is said that during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, 50 years ago, a monk risked his life by keeping it secretly watered. Modern breeders have produced some wonderful C. reticulata including “Dr. Clifford Parkes”, an informal double with rich red flowers; “William Hertrich”, a large semi-double with light red blossoms and “Valley Knudsen”, a compact, show-stopping, semi-double with luminous pink blossoms.

Helleborus “Anna’s Red”… the leaves are growing at five centimetres a day!

MODERN breeding has produced an amazing colour variety of hellebores, which are starting to appear in garden centres now. They grow remarkably well in Canberra.

While hellebores prefer semi-shade, they will often tolerate full sun in the morning, but need protection from the hot midday and westerly sun. They are great fillers and particularly like being under deciduous trees where they get the sun in early spring before the trees come into full leaf.

Quite a few weeks ago I recommended cutting the leaves to ground level. There’s still time to do this, but don’t delay. Some people have questioned this advice, but I have proved this approach over at least 30 years. A good example is H. “Anna’s Red”, of which 10 days ago there was bare ground and now the leaves are growing at five centimetres a day!

Jottings…

• Sow Flanders’ poppies now to celebrate Anzac Day.
• The white cedar caterpillar is a menace and gets into everything, including the home. Use Dipel, a biological spray non-toxic to humans, but you will need to spray several times as new larvae emerges.
• Core lawns any time now. Professional advice from Paul Howard on 0412 483846.

The post Gardening / Time to make the most of camellias appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

An Acer palmatum… stunning leaf colour throughout the spring to autumn.

We owe much to the early pioneers for planting Canberra: Weston, Bruce and Pryor. The planting of street trees, for which they were responsible, resulted in the right balance between deciduous and non-deciduous trees, especially spring blossom trees, conifers and native trees. This planting approach is particularly evident in the older suburbs.

Unfortunately, in the newer suburbs and town centres in the late ‘60s and ‘70s there was a change in policy. In Belconnen, the planners decided to follow what was, at that time, the “bush capital” concept, which meant almost every street planting consisted of eucalypts, leading to the high costs for maintenance. Also, these evergreen trees cast shadows during winter, affecting the efficiency of solar panels and photovoltaic systems.

The almost total plantings of eucalypts rob residents of magnificent spring blossoms and the kaleidoscope of autumn leaf colour.

Falling leaves of deciduous trees are a rich source of compost, used for adding valuable nutrients to the soil. Shredding the leaves with a mower is an effective way of breaking them down for adding to garden beds. I put 50 per cent of my leaf mulch on to the compost heap and 50 per cent directly on to garden beds. They rot down and worms, vital in every garden, just love the leaves.

Perhaps there may be a tourist attraction in a festival promoting the colours of autumn leaves as Tumut does with its Festival of the Falling Leaf.

The superb richness of an Acer dissectum.

This is a relatively small selection. The best place to look is a garden centre where coloured labels give the relative ultimate sizes. There is:

• A crabapple, Malus “Tom Matthews” with stunning pink flowers in spring followed by dark purple-red fruit and spectacular red, yellow and orange leaves in autumn. Growing to just 2.5m high with a similar spread.
• Japanese maples have always been a favourite, not only for their autumn leaf colour, but many with stunning leaf colour throughout the spring to autumn. Acer palmatum “Senkaki”, known also as the Coral Bark due to its coral pink new growth of branches with deep yellow autumn leaves. Slightly larger to 4m high with a 3m spread.
• Acer palmatum “Bonfire”, which as the name suggests has brilliant foliage in spring and autumn.
• The leaves of Acer “Villa Taranto” turn in spring to a deep green with a reddish tinge and rich golden-yellow leaves in autumn.

A word of warning; if you are in a new suburb with little or no tree protection from hot, scorching summer winds, I suggest you put off planting the fine-leafed Japanese maple, many of which have fine, dissected leaves and are quite delicate, especially the grafted weeping maples as illustrated here.

Jottings…

JUST one hint this week to combine with the autumn feeding program using certified organic fertilisers: I recommend giving all acid-loving, deciduous plants (such as daphne and camellias) a dose of magnesium sulphate, ie Epsom salts.

Magnesium is the centre of the chlorophyll molecule, so essential for good, healthy plant growth. The usual indicator is yellowing of leaves. Mix one heaped tablespoon full with nine litres of water.

The post Gardening / Glorious show of autumn colour appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

AUTUMN is the main planting time of the year for most plants; as one well-known garden writer said: “Summer planting is as inappropriate as wearing a bikini in church”.

Cedric Bryant.

The most important procedure to ensure the health and longevity of plants is properly preparing the soil before planting.

I’m repeatedly called for advice where plants have failed from simply not being planted with that little bit of extra care.

Here is my simple guide to planting, which will give plants a good chance of a long life:

• Ascertain if the plant is for full sun or shade/semi-shade.
• Check the height and spread of the plant on its label.
• Don’t plant in the same hole of previous plants.
• Ensure you know where services such as gas, water, phone etcetera are located.
• Check that the ultimate height and spread of trees will be clear of overhead power lines.
• Make the hole only slightly deeper and wider than the pot size. For example, if the nursery pot is 200mm wide, make the hole about 300mm wide. If the plant needs staking, position the stake before planting to avoid root damage.
• Water the plant while still in the nursery pot with a plant nutrient.
• Fill the planting hole with a seaweed plant nutrient to promote root growth and let it drain away.
• If the ground has a high clay content dig the hole as deep as you can, this may only be half the ultimate depth. Fill the hole with a “ground breaker” from a garden centre and let it soak away. If the clay is dense, it could take up to a full day to drain. This is preferable to gypsum, as it soaks deep into the soil.
• Plant the tree or shrub with the soil at the same level as in the original pot (if grafted, make sure the graft is above the soil line).
• Fill in around the plant with a mixture of the existing soil and some better soil or compost, firming the soil with your heel.
• Make an embankment of soil around the plant to hold at least a bucket of water. This eliminates any air pockets in the soil.
• Mulch around the plant, keeping back from the actual trunk/stem. Apply a bucket of water with a seaweed nutrient once a week for the first few weeks.
• Finally, when planting a hedge, always dig a trench rather than individual holes. The roots will spread sideways with faster growth.

A permanent compost bin made from forklift pallets.

Tomato stakes can be used to hold old fence palings in place in front.

One easy way to make leafmould is to construct a round or square cage of chicken wire, at least one metre across and held in place with tomato stakes.

Alternatively, bag up and moisten leaves in black plastic bags. Then loosely tie the bag and make a few holes in it. Store out of the way in the garden and keep until the following autumn. By then, you will have leafmould, which the plants will love.

For a more permanent compost bin, make it out of recycled forklift pallets as I have, as pictured here.

Jottings…

• Cyclamen bought as an indoor plant can be planted out in a semi-shady spot in the garden (once flowering has finished), where it will multiply and continue to flower for many years.
• Prune climbing roses.
• Plant garlic by splitting the individual cloves and plant about 5cm-10cm deep, spaced about 15cm-18cm apart, enriched with well-rotted garden organic matter.
• Harvest the last of the pumpkins and squash. “Cure” them in a warm room for 10 days. Fill the opposite end to the stalk with paraffin wax to keep air out.

The post Gardening / Planting secrets for success appeared first on Canberra CityNews.

THERE are 600,000 trees lining our parks and streets and almost nothing is being spent on our urban forest, arguably the most valuable asset in the ACT.

No formative pruning of new trees is taking place, virtually no pruning or even removal of dangerous trees. This is all part of Territory and Municipal Services’ “Safe and Sustainable Trees in the Bush Capital” plan, sub-titled “Urban Trees Asset Management Strategy 2005-2022”.

A comprehensive ANU study of Canberra’s street and park trees shows that large numbers of these trees are at the end of their safe life. They are in serious decline and the study anticipates the situation will “dramatically magnify” in the next 10-20 years.

It goes on to say: “Whilst older trees are more costly to prune and maintain current ACT funding is only sufficient to respond to maintenance requests from the public and does not provide a systematic inspection and maintenance of trees”.

Canberra is not a garden city, it is a treed city with an amenity value of Canberra’s street and park trees calculated in 2015 to be around $1.1 billion. Trees are vitally important in the urban environment to help combat climate change.

And yet, despite this, we continue to pour millions into the National Arboretum at the expense of the urban forest.

In the last couple of years, I understand the ACT government allocated a further $26m over three years to continue planting on a site totally unsuitable for rare exotic trees.

The original figure quoted for the setting up of the Arboretum was $6.4m. How many ratepayers realise that figure is well over $70 million and growing as the trees are dying?

Despite a one-off grant of $20m from the Federal Government can we, as ratepayers, continue to support this dying white elephant?

In a talk to the Horticultural Society of Canberra in about 2003-04, it was indicated that it was estimated 900,000 people would visit the site annually with an entry fee of $20. This, it was estimated, would make the project largely self-sustaining. So why was the decision made to have free entry resulting in the ratepayers of Canberra carrying the can?

It is reported that 1000 trees had died last year and the results of a recent review are soon to be known. Arboretum patron Jon Stanhope is quoted as saying he hoped “the review into the health of the trees would be released publicly”. We hold our breath!

This review should report on more than the health of the trees. It’s time the community was told of the true picture of the total costs, including pruning, the maintenance of the watering system and the massive ongoing cost of mowing etcetera.

One of the first plantings was 850 Wollemi pines from a highly protected area in the Blue Mountains with protective vegetation, good rainfall, virtually no frosts and occasional snow.

Planting on the side of a hill exposed to hot winds, poor soils in the extreme and without adequate watering was suicidal for trees.

ANU Forestry professor, Peter Kanowski, reported at that time “a quarter of these planted the year before were now dead”.

He went on to say “things went off the rails – something has gone wrong” and that the “site was not the world’s best site for growing trees”.

That’s exactly why pine trees were planted in the first place and close together to encourage tall, straight trees for the logging industry, surviving on poor soils with minimal rainfall.

In 2008, Ron Gray, past president of the Horticultural Society of Canberra, and I were upset to discover that the green shadecloth covers were reinstalled after the dead Wollemi were removed.

A worker at the site told us “when people are travelling along the Parkway it would give the appearance that all the trees were still in place and growing”. Gray described the site as a “hospice for trees”. It would appear nothing has changed?

However, many other totally unsuitable rare trees have been and continue to be planted with little chance of their long-term survival.

In a recent press report veteran forester Peter Marshall said that as a result of  “poor management, lack of planning, and overplanting” the entire Arboretum will be dead within 10 years unless drastic action was taken.

Not many people realise the entire planting is watered by drip irrigation from numerous storage tanks, with water carted from the Lower Molonglo Treatment Works.

I understand the system has had and is continuing to have constant failures. While artificial watering of new trees is perhaps acceptable, it is unsustainable to have the whole forest of large trees being watered this way.

It is suggested that replacement trees will be planted to fill the gaps. To keep the concept of the grid patterns this would mean planting in the same holes where the trees died. Not a very good idea!

In summary, we should call a halt to any further planting at the Arboretum and try and keep alive the trees already planted, then direct some of the millions from the Arboretum to properly maintain our existing, most important asset, our urban park and street trees.

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