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Gardening / A growing passion for ‘pearls’
Pieris or pearl bush… a great companion for Daphne.WHILE Daphne is a hugely popular plant around the globe, an ideal companion shrub is Pieris or pearl bush, whose small white or pink flowers resemble...
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Gardening / The ‘baloney’ of growing roses
Roses… “Among the easiest and most rewarding of all plants, but they don’t have to be constantly watered, dead-headed, pruned and sprayed – just simply enjoyed”.AS we go into spring with high...
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Gardening / Hail the mighty magnolias
Massed flowers of Magnolia stellata in Cedric’s garden.ONE of the most magnificent plants about to flower are magnolias. Ranging from shrubs to small trees they need sufficient space to grow...
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Gardening / Local plants get a look in
THE government nursery at Yarralumla is mounting a display of Australian plants at Floriade – and about time! I cannot understand why Tourism Minister Andrew Barr isn’t insisting that every year there...
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Gardening / Luscious berry time is back
Raised veggie beds are the answer.THERE’S nothing compares with fresh, lush raspberries straight from the bush… and, as with all berries, they are so easy to grow. Stop raspberries suckering with a pot...
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Gardening / Prepare now for dahlia delights
Dahlias are a feature for the late summer/autumn garden.EVEN though they’re for sale in garden centres now, it’s still too early to plant dahlia tubers, which flower in late summer to autumn. It is...
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Bryant / Get past ‘quick thrill’ annuals
Perennials for year round colour and effect.ANNUALS provide the “quick thrill” in gardens. They are planted for the moment and have to be replanted several times a year. For example, pansies and violas...
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Gardening / Flushed and ready for summer
A simple way to check if the drip system is working.NOW is the time to prepare for summer and it is important to flush out the drip-irrigation system. For the first time in seven months, I have turned...
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Gardening / Hardy hydrangeas full of flowers
Hydrangeas… long flowering from spring to late autumn.THE real beauty of hydrangeas is the long flowering period from spring to late autumn. Celebrity gardener Don Burke says they would have to be...
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Gardening / Peonies leaping from the ground
Tree peonies in the Riek’s garden make a spectacular show.HERBACEOUS peonies, Peony lactiflora, are leaping from the ground at the rate of five millimetres a day in our garden and will flower in a few...
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Garden / In praise of the lovely lilac
Shades of lilac to suit every gardener’s colour taste. ANYONE can have a wonderful spring garden, just look at Floriade, but the real challenge for gardeners is maintaining colour throughout the year....
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Gardening / When a garden makes scents
The climbing rose “Zephirine Drouhin”.A GOOD time to enjoy the scents of the garden is in the still of a warm evening. Along the drive in our garden is the truly wow factor of Rosa “Zephirine Drouhin”,...
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Gardening / Why tomatoes grow slow in the cold
HOT, cold, hot, cold seems to be the weather pattern this spring, which makes it a challenge for gardeners and plants alike. With regular winter rain at the right time, this spring has been one of the...
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Gardening / Unloved, but lovely to grow
Fuchsias… despite growing well in Canberra, fuchsias are out of fashion with gardeners, which is a pity.UNLIKE today, fuchsias were all the rage in the late ‘60s and ‘70s and, like the large fuchsia...
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Gardening / The scary truth of passionfruit
Do not be taken in by this pretty passionfruit flower!IF your passionfruit vine is growing vigorously, has beautiful flowers yet produces no fruit, you are almost certainly growing an environmental...
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Gardening / Stars of the fleeting fragrance
Star Jasmine over pergolas, archways or as a screen plant.FOR a few short weeks some plants exude a wonderful fragrance and then it is gone until next year. Two plants, on either side of our drive,...
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Gardening / Christmas trees… better dead or alive?
Poinsettias, the perfect Christmas table decoration.THE festive season is upon us and cut Christmas trees are in abundance at the markets, but be warned: taking them into the home too early will mean...
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Gardening / The special gift of gardening for kids
A mini veggie garden… look for the sort of polyurethane boxes thrown out by supermarkets.KEEPING children busy during school holidays can be a challenge, but encouraging them into gardening will remain...
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Gardening / Summer’s not the time to slack off
Glorious crabapple spring blossoms in Canberra.The spectacular autumn colours of Chinese pistachio.WHILE January and February are the hottest months, this is not the time for completely slacking off in...
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Gardening / Blessed by changing seasons
Hardy chrysanthemums for a super autumn show.ONE of the great attractions of gardening in Canberra is the change of seasons. Spring bursts forth with a floral spectacular of blossoms and bulbs,...
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