Gardening writer JACKIE WARBURTON says the Australian National Botanic Gardens demonstrate how native plants can be grown successfully in our region, how large they become and provide ideas that can be adapted for your own garden.
In the next two months or so, Canberra’s soils may be cold, but there are still plenty of plants in flower.
The Australian National Botanic Gardens is a great place for a winter walk, with abundant blooms and birdlife to enjoy.
The gardens demonstrate how native plants can be grown successfully in our region, how large they become, and provide ideas that can be adapted for your own garden.
While native bushland largely looks after itself, both native and exotic plants in urban gardens require regular care once removed from their natural environment.
All plants need clipping, pruning or eventual replacement over time. Clipping is carried out throughout the year to maintain shape, while major pruning of natives and exotics is best done in spring or autumn.
IF you are replacing plants, consider some of the newer varieties. Dwarf forms of shrubs can significantly reduce maintenance. When selecting hedging plants, choose varieties that reach no more than two to three metres in height. This helps maintain winter sunlight in the garden while still providing privacy.
ONE native coming into flower now is the fringed myrtle (Micromyrtus ciliata). This small shrub or groundcover produces masses of white, red or pink flowers that can completely cover the plant when in bloom. Fringed myrtle prefers dry soils, good drainage and afternoon shade. Once established, it is drought tolerant, withstands wind and requires little watering. It will tolerate only light frosts.
THE hot summer just passed caused many plants to dry out and become stressed.
One technique worth trying next season is the use of an olla watering pot. Olla pots are made by gluing together two terracotta pots at the rims, sealing the drainage hole with a bung, then burying the pot to soil level. The vessel is filled with water, which slowly seeps into the surrounding soil, delivering moisture directly to the root zone.
How often an olla needs refilling depends on its size. They are particularly useful if you’re away for a few weeks during summer.
Adding a dash of peppermint oil to the water can help keep mosquitoes at bay. Olla pots are highly effective in vegetable gardens and also work well with shallow-rooted plants such as camellias, grevilleas and other small plants.
WINTER is one of the busiest times in the orchard. Now is the time to prune pome fruits and berries. Apples, pears and quinces can be pruned during winter, while stone fruits such as cherries, peaches and nectarines should be pruned in summer after harvest.
Apple pruning can be a little tricky. Knowing whether you have a heritage or tip-bearing variety will determine the approach. Thin the spurs on heritage apples and reduce branches by one-third on tip-bearing trees. In all cases, remove dead, diseased and damaged wood.
Winter is also the ideal time to plant fruit trees. Dig a hole twice the size of the pot, fill it with water, plant the tree and water it in well.
Jottings
- Prune hydrangeas down to a double bud.
- Keep on top of winter weeds before they flower.
- Plant more broad beans for winter flowers.
News all day, every day at CityNewsQBN.com.au.
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