By Beatrice Hawkins
2018 is under way and I hope it will hold good weather and flourishing gardens for us all.
I trust your gardens have all survived the hot weather and lack of rain and that your water bills will not be too high when they arrive in April. Oh, that we had a reliable water supply for this wonderful “Rose City” that we live in and could be free from water restrictions and able to grow spectacular gardens. Even the roses down Palmerin street are showing the effects of the hot, dry weather but the dead heading the council staff undertook last week has helped. The petunias in the roundabouts are looking very seedy.
However January is supposed to bring us good rain so I guess there is hope yet. I am reminded that we should be grateful for the climate we have as in other areas the heat has been extreme, with temperatures of 43 plus degrees common, making it very difficult to have anything survive.
As I have been driving around town I have noticed once again the spectacular blooms on the Cape Chestnut trees in gardens. They are beautiful, covered in large sprays of pink flowers offset by dark green foliage.
The Crepe Myrtles around town are starting to flower nicely. What a decorative and practical street tree they are. There is something to be admired about them in every season. The fresh green foliage in spring, the beautiful blossoms in summer, glorious coloured leaves in autumn and the decorative bare trunks and branches in winter.
I have recently seen some for sale that I believe are a new addition to the range. It has deep plum red leaves offsetting the flowers. The specimen that caught my eye had white flowers and the contrast was really eye catching.
I now have my garden feature in place. I had decided on the position and had some help from a friend to get it in place this weekend. So now an old wooden farm gate supported by weathered Gidgee posts and stays, with some old metal cart wheels leaning against them, is in place in my front garden. There are still a few screws to be put in and some rusty wire to be twitched around the posts. The final touch will require a trip to Tamworth to retrieve an old wheelbarrow that was my mother’s and to which I have a sentimental attachment. This will be filled with flowering annuals and sit as though being wheeled through the half open gate. Perhaps I will be able to time this trip to coincide with country music week and take in some of the sights, sounds and fun.
All that will remain then will be the native garden to lay out, but that can wait until the weather cools a little as it will require an amount of digging. As long as I can get the plants in in early autumn they should be flourishing by spring and attracting native birds to my garden.
Don’t forget the Horticultural Society’s bus trip to the Garden Expo at Doomben on Friday, March 16th. I know its early days yet but there is nothing like planning ahead. Tickets, as usual, are available from Danny Lyons Sports Store in Palmerin Street and will include the trip in one of Crisps comfortable coaches, morning tea en route and entry to the Expo. I know one lucky lady that got her ticket for Christmas!
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Something Special
Some years ago I was friends with a very lovely elderly lady who was very good at propagating things. I purchased a tiny snail plant that she had started from seed at a stall during a friendship day in Manilla.
After many years and many transplants it has come into its own this year and has for some weeks now been absolutely covered in hundreds of blooms. Unfortunately “Aunty Bette” is no longer with us but I have a lovely fragrant reminder of a wonderful lady that I am sure would be delighted to know that, after about 7 years and many kilometres, the seed she sowed is flourishing.
The botanical name for this perfumed treasure is “Vigna caracalla”. The Vigna genus was named for a 17th century professor of botany from Pisa in Italy, Dominico Vigna. This variety is from South America and the caracalla is actually from Caracas in Venezuela.
As yet my plant has never set seed even though there are many bees about and now I have discovered why. It seems it requires ants as pollinators and this is one area of my garden that seems to be relatively free them. It is not fussy with regard to soil, likes full sun and something to climb on. In this area it is deciduous and shoots each spring from the base. It can grow as much as 30cm a day given the right conditions so is ideal for covering fences etc. quickly. The only maintenance required is a light trim of the tendrils in November/December to ensure a mass of flowers from January through to March. It is one of the hardiest fragrant vines that can be grown in a Mediterranean climate.
*This is an old article that has been digitised so our readers have access to our full catalogue.
