By Beatrice Hawkins
Visiting friends recently I came across some lovely yellow flowering gum trees. I can’t seem to find the exact botanical name.
The blossom is very similar to the beautiful red capped gum, eucalyptus erythrocorys Illyarrie, I saw in WA that has spectacular bright red square gum nuts.
This one has the more commonly found “gum nut baby” type of caps and they are not quite as brilliant a red.
Regardless, they are really beautiful and a lovely tree, in full flower at present and about 10 metres tall at this stage. They are certainly not fully grown but are in a position where they will be able to reach their full potential with no hindrance, however many years that may take.
They were planted about 100 metres back from the Darling river bank on red country out the “back o’ Bourke” some years back and will be feature trees in the garden of a new home being built at present.
I have also been sent some photos of wattle in full flower in Warwick. Regardless of what variety of the many there are, this one is really beautiful and a foretaste of spring.
Wattle has always been a favourite of mine and I used to be brought a bunch of the first to flower in whichever area we were living at the time.
Some of my brothers suffered hay fever so as a child I had to be considerate and not have the blossoms in the house.
Wattle day was unofficially 1 August when I was a child but Hazel Hawke had this gazetted officially as September 1st when Mr Hawke was Prime Minister.
I regularly receive emails from assorted gardening magazines and plant specialists in America.
While I can’t buy from them they do make for interesting reading and browsing and wishing!!
Especially now as they are all full of the late spring and early summer flowers and shrubs while we languish in cold grey days where I’ve been recently and frosty mornings.
A recent email listed some perennials to grow to have cut flowers over summer. There is one I really would like to have and will ask Sue at the nursery about it when I get home.
It’s called “blazing star” (liatris spicata), has multiple spikes of flowers up to 4 feet tall and the plant covers about 2 feet.
It likes full sun, is drought tolerant, comes in white, pink or purple, is a good accent flower giving height, great long lasting cut flower and even dries well.
Sounds like something that would be a great addition to most gardens if it is available in Australia.
It is native to the north American prairies.
Coreopsis and tall perennial phlox were also among the choices. Salvias, Yarrow and Japanese windflower were recommendations and they are all familiar to us.
Others on the list were good, old fashioned and hardy Gallardias, the red and yellow “Indian blanket flower” of the American prairies and Cone flower..echinacea, in its now many available colours.
About the only one I haven’t grown in the various places I’ve lived is echinacea and maybe that is something that I will do this year.
Gallardias were one that my mum grew and so they must be very hardy.
I am my mother’s daughter in all respects and neither of us were or are great gardeners! Things had to be tough to survive in Mum’s garden but, boy, could she grow strawberries!
I have fond memories of picking and eating quantities of the largest, most luscious berries from a garden bed under a cotoneaster in the back yard.
Mum was a great scone and sponge cake maker and as we had our own jersey cow in the back paddock of our 5 acres, there was always plenty of scalded cream to go with the strawberries on both.
Bearded Iris, lilies, in all their many forms, and Asters, most particularly what I know as “Easter Daisies”, about completed the list.
One thing I learnt about lilies is that all parts of the plant and flower are highly toxic to cats.. so beware if you have a favourite moggy!
I am eager to get home and see the state of my garden as it has had no care for quite a few weeks now.
It will be good to see if it is as easy care as I believe but I am sure there will be plenty of weeding waiting for me!
Don’t forget to attend the Horticultural Society’s Gardening Extravaganza on the Wednesday and Thursday of “Jumpers and Jazz in July”.
This will be held in St Mary’s Hall on Wood Street. Covid permitting there will be many stalls showcasing things to do with gardening.
Good home made soups will be available for lunch and sweet treats to go with a cuppa! See you there!
*This is an old article that has been digitised so our readers have access to our full catalogue.
