Viburnum burkwoodii… a messy looking shrub grown for the fragrance of its flowers. Photo: Jackie Warburton
So many of types of viburnums grow well in our climate. Some are flowering now and others through the summer, writes gardening columnist JACKIE WARBURTON.
There are run-of-the-mill viburnums, some unusual ones, some with or without fragrance and even deciduous or evergreen ones – the choice is endless!
Jackie Warburton.
The fragrance of Viburnum burkwoodii is sensational and while a messy looking large shrub most of the year, the autumnal colour is lovely, but it is the fragrance of the flowers that is grown for.
It’s a must-have for any Canberra garden.
WITH the soil warming and the frost mostly gone, planting seedlings can begin.
Seedlings for the garden and vegetable patch can be annuals or biennials.
Annual flowers that attract bees and pollinators to the garden are essential. Plant as many blue-flowering plants to attract more native blue-banded bees.
When planting in the vegetable patch, ensure that crop rotation is in play and don’t plant the same plant in the same spot as last year.
Where tomatoes grew, plant zucchini, root vegetables or greens and where underground produce was grown (such as carrots, potatoes and onions), plant above-ground produce, such as tomatoes, eggplants and zucchinis.
The most important factor for growing vegetables is moisture in the soil by continually adding compost to keep shallow roots from drying out.
I use sugar cane mulch as a final layer in my vegetable patch as the snails don’t like it. Once seedlings are watered, sprinkle a little diatomaceous earth and protect them until they double in size.
Planting seedlings when they are small is a cost-effective way to get a lot of colour through summer for minimal cost. For instance, punnets of begonias, dianthus and lobelias will last all summer and can be biannual if planted in a protected area.
There is even less cost if raising your own seed. Some seeds to sow for novice gardeners are zinnia, cosmos or calendulas. All are easy to grow. Sprinkle some light sandy propagation mix and water on top and keep in the shade until there is germination and growth, increase light to the seedlings and once there are at least six sets of leaves, plant in the garden and sow some more seed to extend colour through to the end of summer and into autumn.
The swamp cypress… a deciduous conifer that’s too big for the backyard. Photo: Jackie Warburton
THE swamp cypress (taxodium distichum) is a deciduous conifer that’s unsuitable for the backyard, but a wonderful parkland tree.
For anyone with acreage and space with a dam, this plant is terrific for soil erosion in flooded ground.
It is one of the few conifers that have brilliant autumnal colour and lime-green spring growth. I’ve seen it as a bonsai tree under a metre tall but it takes work to keep it at that.
The most unusual characteristics for the swamp cypress is when the root system is established and planted in boggy areas or on the fringe of a lake. It will produce protrusions that rise to form “knees” or buttresses at the base of the tree.
Another deciduous conifer that grows well in our region is Dawn Redwood (metasequoia glyptostrobides), which grows as high as its cousin. It almost became extinct in ’40s, but thanks to a successful propagation program, this beautiful, large tree is available commercially.
Both of these conifers can be seen as mature trees in Commonwealth Park.
Jottings
Pick thick asparagus spears when small with a fruit knife.
Stake dahlias and sprinkle with a little lime.
Keep weeds from self-seeding.
Spray roses for fungal disease before it appears.
jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au
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