2019 | ISSUE 89
Your local gardening advice for Australian gardens
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+ frost hardy plants
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The Serenity Prayer
TM
Issue 89
in winter 19... Frost bite - frost hardy plants Winter broccoli Winter celery On the table - recipe - Asian beef & broccoli stir-fry
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3, 5-6
Let nothing disturb thee. Let nothing affright thee Who has God. Wants for nothing. All things pass God alone suffices. God never changes. (St Teresa of Jesus) Patience gains all.
4 8 9
Con Searle
Front cover image: Helleborus ‘Penny’s Pink’. 10
At your local - Flowering plants 12 - White flowering plants 15 Winter flowering natives
16
About Winter - Winter pest watch - Citrus planting - Garden Events - Climatic zones
18 19 20 20
Frost hardy plants p4
For more information, visit www.pma.com.au Managing Director: Conway Searle Contributors: Ashley Searle, Magazine Manager: Alana Searle Design & Layout: Alana Searle ATG Group Co-ordinator & Advertising: Jason Searle About the Garden is published seasonally by About the Garden Pty. Ltd. ABN 21 076 919 992 • 4914 D’Aguilar Highway, Kilcoy or P.O. Box 70, Kilcoy Qld. 4515 Ph: (07) 5422 3090 atg@aboutthegarden.com.au
Winter natives p15
The material appearing in About the Garden is subject to copyright. Other than as permitted by the Copyright Act, no part of this magazine may be reproduced without the permission of the publishers. No responsibility is accepted by About the Garden Pty. Ltd. for the accuracy of information contained in the text, illustrations or advertisements. Although believed to be accurately and correctly sourced, thereof disclaims any liability against itself, editor/s or employees arising from any person acting on the material herein. The opinions expressed in the magazine, or by contributors, do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. ©Copyright 2019 About the Garden Pty. Ltd.
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Western Australian native, kangaroo paw (anigozanthus) powers through the cold.
Nutrition is everything
You can boost your plants’ natural resistance to frost by applying a diluted solution of SeaMax Fish & Kelp Liquid Fertiliser every 2 weeks, starting at least 3 weeks before the onset of severe cold. You can also help ‘toughen up’ plant tissue in preparation for frost by resisting overwatering or overfeeding from late autumn onward.
Get things covered
Young plants can be more susceptible to frost damage, so providing shelter by erecting shade cloth or wrapping hessian over the growing tips (until frosty conditions have passed) can get them through the most vulnerable stage. Even subtropical trees such as avocado, sapote and macadamia can be grown in areas with quite severe frosts if they are protected through the first two or three years of life.
How low can you go?
Frost tends to settle in lower-lying areas, which is a good thing to bear in mind when assessing which types of plants to put in different parts of the garden. Take note of which parts of the garden are most severely affected by frost, especially in undulating gardens. You don’t necessarily have to get outside on a cold morning and see the frost for yourself — just taking note of areas that have been frost damaged can be a good indication.
Mulching matters
Applying a thick blanket of mulch will help to insulate plant roots from temperature extremes and reduce the plant’s overall vulnerability to cold.
Once frost has bitten...
It may look unsightly, but it’s a good idea to leave any frost damaged plant tissue on the plant until spring has arrived. Dead foliage can shield the remaining plant from further frost damage.
A solution in a pot
Growing plants in pots is an excellent way to protect them from frost. In fact, doing this can allow gardeners, even in cold climates, to grow plants that require subtropical, or even tropical conditions. Allow your plants to reside happily in the garden through the warmer times of year but as soon as frosty temperatures threaten, move plants into a greenhouse or sunny indoor patio until the threat of frost has passed. Bring containergrown plants under cover at night during cold periods. If containers are too large to move, drape them with bubble-wrap or shadecloth at night. ‘Frosty Red’ & ‘Frosty Yellow’ Anigozanthos are relatively new to the market and can tolerate frost and dry conditions in a sunny position in most soils.
page 04 | About the garden magazine
Many camellia varieties tolerate the cool frosty mornings but the most notable are the winter-spring flowering japonicas. Their glossy dark thick leaves make them suitable for frosty positions and are a gardener’s favourite for their big showy blooms and compact thick growing habit. Rhododendrons grow best in cool and mountainous areas where frosts are typical. Their trusses of delicate flowers bloom in spring. There are over 800 different varieties including hybrids suitable for more warmer climates near the coast. Rhododendrons and azaleas are often grouped together and for very good reason. All flowering azaleas are classed under the genus of Rhododendrons umbrella. One common way to tell them apart is that Rhododendron flowers generally form on trusses. Hydrangeas grow well in full sun in cooler climates, tolerating frosts well and semi-shade in warmer areas. Pink, blue or white flowers appear in summer (in alkaline soils flowers will be pink; in acid soils flowers will be blue; white flowers are always white). Hydrangeas hate drying out so keep them moist at all times. Trim off spent flower heads as they wither. Prune back to two plump buds in autumn and cut out dead wood at the base. Suited to mixed beds and borders around the house; in containers on verandahs and patios or as an informal, low hedge. Hydrangeas make excellent, long-lasting cut flowers.
Camellia Japonicas add winter colour to gardens
Grevilleas and callistemons are cold-hardy.
did you
know? Most frost damage occurs when sunlight hits the still-frozen plant tissue the following morning. It is the sudden change in temperature, and not the cold itself, which causes the damage, so plants shaded from early morning sunlight will be far less vulnerable. Another effective, albeit more labour-intensive method, is to go outside on frosty mornings with a watering can and use the water to melt the ice before the sunlight hits. A more insidious hidden frost known as Black frost occurs when the air is generally dry and the temperatures drop below freezing point, internally freezing the plant from the inside and blackening the leaves over a few days. Hoar frost is far more common in cooler zones in Australia and is recognizable by the appearance of thick white ice crystals developing on top of the plants surface. These crystals form when surface temperature on an object drops below zero and the surrounding water vapour in the air freezes on contact.
Hydrangea grow well in cold climates Hoar frosts About the garden magazine | page 05
Veronica (hebe spp.)
Rhaphiolepis indica are a fuss free and compact pretty shrub that tolerates, frost, drought and coastal conditions in sandy or clay soils.
Correa reflexa ‘Bellissimo’ featuring large pink and yellow bells in winter to early spring
• The deciduous mulberry tree is cold hardy and produces delicious fruit in spring.
• Bacon and eggs (Pultenaea villosa) - This evergreen shrub grows to 1.5m. Needs full sun and a light, welldrained soil. Red and yellow pea-shaped flowers appear in spring. Lightly prune after flowering. Drought tolerant. Well suited to native gardens. • Veronica (Hebe spp.) - This evergreen, summer flowering shrub needs full sun and a light, well-drained soil. Grows to 2.5m Cultivars produce white, blue, lavender, purple, violet and pink flowers. Prune lightly in autumn to prevent plants from becoming leggy. Mulch lightly in early summer to keep roots cool. Great in shrub borders and mixed plantings. Veronicas are tolerant of moderately windy and dry conditions. Spiraea cantoniensis ‘Lanceata’
• Conifers are renowned for their stamina in frosty conditions. • Hellebores - the winter rose flowers heavily in winter. Loves the winter sun, protect from humidity. • Deciduous trees and shrubs - acers, oaks, flowering cherries and dogwood. • Many grevilleas and callistemons are frost tolerant. Try G. Deua Gold, G. Gold Cluster, G. Lady O and for heavily frosted areas try G. Fireworks, G.victoriae and G. rosemarinifolia. • Rhaphiolepis indica.
Bacon & Eggs (Pultenaea villosa)
Hellebore ‘Penny’s Pink’
Image courtesy of Plants Management Australia www.pma.com.au
• Grow deciduous plants or perennia ls that die down completely in winter. • Protect small plan ts grown outside w ith a shelter made of shadecloth , bracken or fern fr onds. • Taller plants prev ent cold, frosty air from falling on lower plants, so grow a canopy or hedge near susceptible specie s. • Grow vegetables in raised beds to lif t them above cold, frosty air; if yo u are not on water restrictions, set th e timer on the sprin kler system to come on before dawn to prevent fr ost damage. • Select plants from cooler climates su ch as China, Japan, northern Eu rope and the northe rn regions of North Am erica.
Many varieties of Liriopes are frost hardy and compliment gardens as border plants and mass planting situations. They are evergreen, compact and display dense clumps of strappy foliage and spikes of purple-pink bubbly flowers, depending on the variety, in summer and purple-blue berries in winter. Plant in a full sun to shaded locations in free draining soil.
Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
This small, evergreen shrub needs full sun and grows to 1.5m. Great in containers and can tolerate some wind in a preferably light, sandy, well-drained, slightly alkaline soil (pH 7.5). Flowers in spring, summer and intermittently throughout the year. Flowers in white and various shades of pinkish-mauve, purple and blue. Trim back lightly after the main flush of flowers has finished to prevent the bush from becoming straggly. Mulch around the roots in summer. Looks great in herb and cottage gardens. Attractive, pale grey foliage. Lavender flowers and foliage are superbly fragrant. The flowers are perfect for potpourri and dried arrangements. Lavender is easy to propagate from cuttings.
Lomandra longifolia
Dianella ‘Utopia’
Liriope ‘Evergreen Giant’
Dianella ‘Utopia’ distinctive foliage
Lomandra longifolia is very hardy with almost no maintenance. Suited to dry soils and dry climates, but will grow in almost any climate, soil, location or situation. Excellent plant choice to manage erosion control and weed suppression. Grows to about 1.2m. ‘Utopia’ Dianella features stunning contrasting purple and green strappy foliage which will add thrilling colours to any landscape or garden. Suitable for most soils and climates except for hottest parts in Australia. An elegant clumping, ornamental Australian flax growing 50cm wide, with graceful flower stems reaching over 1m in height.
About the garden magazine | page 07
Broccoli is an essential ingredient in just about any savoury meal — be it an Asian stir-fry, pasta or a traditional roast dinner. What’s more, broccoli is packed with essential nutrients, especially vitamin C. Soil preparation
Broccoli needs a sunny, well-drained position and a slightly alkaline soil. If soil is more acidic than pH 6.5, sweeten it by digging in Searles Garden Lime. Wait at least 2 weeks and then dig in 5 IN 1® Organic Fertiliser or Searles Premium Organic Compost to a depth of at least 30cm.
Planting
Plant broccoli seedlings 45cm apart to allow them the space they need to grow into large bushes. After planting, water well. The harvesting period of broccoli can be extended by planting a few different varieties which mature at different times
Maintenance
Apply SeaMax Fish & Kelp Organic Fertiliser over the foliage every week. This will promote healthy growth as well as boost the plant’s natural defenses against disease. Water the soil regularly to encourage their fast growth. (The faster the crop grows, the more sweet and tender the result.) page 08 | About the garden magazine
Harvest
Harvest broccoli when the head is still tight and compact. After harvesting the main head, a smaller pair of heads will sprout, so keep watering and fertilising. The crop is finished when the plant starts to flower.
Pest control
If the cabbage white caterpillar makes an appearance, remove it by hand. If aphids appear on the growing tips, simply spray with Searles Ecofend Vegetable & Garden. Damp warm weather conditions can encourage downy and powdery mildew and control with Mancozeb Plus. Over watering, feeding and cramped conditions can all lead to mildew and moulds.
How to buy
Celery (Apium graveolens) is a versatile vegetable, because it is delicious and health-giving both raw and cooked. Its crunchy texture and nutty flavour compliment salads and dips, and it imparts a crisp freshness to casseroles and soup. Celery is an annual which can be purchased either as seed which takes between two to three weeks to germinate, or seedlings which mature after approximately five to six months after planting, depending on the climate and position. Many stringless varieties are available.
Where to plant
Celery is a juicy vegetable which demands plenty of fertiliser and moisture to develop well. Ensure that your soil is deep, rich and moist enough to support the plants during their relatively long development time. Heavy soils should be dug over well to a depth of 25cm and if they are very clayey, gypsum should be added at the recommended rate to break up the clods. The addition of a generous quantity of animal manure (such as 5 in 1® Organic Fertiliser) will help retain the moisture as well as provide essential fertiliser to the young plants. Similarly, sandy soils should be laced with compost and manure to bulk up their porous structure. Despite being a moisture lover, celery insists on good drainage but being shallow-rooted it should never be allowed to dry out. As it is a cold season crop, plant it in a site where it will receive plenty of winter sun.
How to plant
Seeds can be sown directly into the soil in which they are to grow but better results are gained if they are sown into individual cell-pack punnets and transplanted when they are approximately 10cm high. This may take up to ten weeks as they are slow developers. The average family will require about 15 plants to see them through the season, and unlike some vegetable varieties which can be planted a few weeks apart to stagger production, celery should be planted in one go.
How to maintain
Ensure the soil around the plants is free of weeds which will compete with the celery for food and water. To grow well, celery requires plenty of food, and a fortnightly application of a soluble fertiliser such as Searles Flourish® Vegetable & Tomato is essential if they are to continue producing healthy new growth. The maturing stalks of all types except the self-blanching varieties will naturally become dark green through the process of photosynthesis and if they are allowed to do so, they will become tough and bitter. To prevent this from happening, blanch your plants by wrapping their stems in newspaper or cardboard, or cut the bottom out of a waxed milk carton and gently slip it over the plant. For extra protection, mound the soil gently up around the individual plants until they are ready for harvesting. After approximately three months of growth, the outer stems can be picked as required, and the paper sleeve replaced until more stems are needed. Once the plants have reached their full maturity they should be harvested within six weeks, as plants left in the ground become woody and inedible, even when cooked.
Pests and diseases
Celery requires plenty of moisture and because of this, humidity can build up around the plants, providing a perfect breeding ground for a fungal disease called septoria leaf spot. If this becomes a problem in your garden, use a seaweed-based soluble fertiliser such as SeaMax Fish & Kelp, applied to the foliage and the soil, on a fortnightly basis. Bonus point: Celery was used medicinally by the ancient Greeks. Celery juice is reputed to act as a diuretic and helps ease fluid retention, while an infusion of celery leaves may aid rheumatism. Celery should not be consumed excessively.
Seed should be sown in punnets to a depth of 6mm and lightly dusted with seed raising mix or sand and vermiculite. Keep moist until the seeds have germinated. If you are sowing seed directly into the ground, excavate a shallow drill and allow approximately 30cm between each plant. Cover the row of seeds – either by gently replacing the soil from either side of the drill or using a sand/ vermiculite mix – and water well.
About the garden magazine | page 09
simple recipes made from garden kitchen produce
For more tasty recipes from the garden, visit www.aboutthegarden.com.au
page 10 | About the garden magazine
Marinate the beef - Mix together soy sauce, Chinese rice wine, cornflour and pepper in a bowl. Add beef slices and massage marinade into the beef. Stand for 10 minutes. Prepare finishing sauce - Stir together oyster sauce, Chinese rice wine, soy sauce and chicken stock and set aside for later. In a high heated frying pan or wok, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to coat pan. Add garlic, capsicum and mushroom and cook until softened. Add beef and cook until just browned. Don’t over cook beef. Once beef is cooked, add finishing sauce and cornflour slurry, cook for a further minute to thickened sauce. Add broccoli.
Serve immediately on brown or white rice.
About the garden magazine | page 11
see what’s new and in store at your local gardening outlet
LOVES POTS
Flowering: Continuous bloomer and rebloomer featuring pink star pattern on large crisp white petals. Habit: Slightly mounded habit perfect for fillers and spillers. Trails up to 80cm. Position: Plant in full sun to part shade for excellent landscape situations, hanging baskets and potted colour. Care: Self cleaning. Fertilise with Searles Flourish Soluble Plant Food for better flower performance.
‘Penny’s Pink’
‘Molly’s White’ Hellebores, known variously as Winter Roses, Lenten Roses and Christmas Roses (if you’re looking at northern hemisphere gardening books), deserve a spot in any garden where trees lose their leaves. They are surprisingly tough and well-suited to Australian conditions with most of their growth and all their flower display in the cool and moist conditions of winter. Hellebores will often self seed in the garden, so it’s quite common to see old gardens with masses of Hellebores growing under deciduous trees, a very pleasing site indeed. But if you take a close look at each of these individual plants, the flowers are often droopy, and the foliage is fairly plain – you would struggle to put one of these in a pot on the patio and be impressed. New breeds available are more compact and their stems upright making them better suited to pots and smaller gardens such as ‘Charmer’, ‘Molly’s White’ and ‘Penny’s Pink’. These marble-leaved Hellebores produce masses of flowers that sit tall on the plant making them quite the show-piece, perfect for a living flower display that can last for a couple of weeks indoors. The stout stems also hold the flowers well in vases and flower arrangements winning favour with florists looking for authentic garden flowers for their craft. For more information and stockists go to www.pma.com.au
LOVES POTS
The Indiaka four vibrant varieties, ‘Bright Purple’, ‘Magenta’, ‘Rose’, ‘Salmon’ bloom generously from Autumn to early Spring making them ideal for living gifts, indoor, outdoors, courtyards for many months of the year. Re-plant in Searles Cyclamen & African Violet Mix which will feed cyclamens for up to nine months. For extra flowering fertilise with Searles Flourish Flowers and Foliage Soluble Plant Food at the rate of 1 heaped teaspoon to 4.5 litres of water. Position cyclamens in part shade or indirect sunlight. Remove damaged flowers & leaves. Water in moderation, but keep the soil slightly moist.
Limonium ‘Pink’ FULL SUN PART SHADE
Treat your winter garden to splashes of bright colour with this range of lowgrowing, mounding shrubs. They feature large glossy leaves, and are very easy to grow. Tall clusters of flowers bloom for most of the year, held well above the leaves. Available in a deep indigo blue, SIZE 60cmH vibrant candy pink, or white blushing to 60cmW lilac. Cut the flowers back if you wish, and enjoy their beauty indoors. Pop in a full sun to partly shaded position, in most soil types. Tolerant of frost and drought, with very low maintenance required to look fantastic! DRY TOLERANT
Limonium ‘Blue’
find these beauties at your local gardening outlet
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Many Australian women suffer from Endometriosis in silence, Treloar www.endometriosisaustralia.org Roses wants to start a conversation to break the silence and raise awareness for this debilitating disease. By purchasing a ‘Lady Endo’ rose $2 from the sale of each rose will go to Endometriosis Australia to fund research, education and raise awareness. This deep magenta coloured Hybrid Tea rose has fully petalled blooms that sit on long stems, covered with lush healthy foliage. Approx. 1.3m tall. Strong old world fragrance. Available throughout winter as bare root plant. Ask for your Lady Endo at your local gardening outlet.
bring a sea of white to your winter garden
FULL SUN PART SHADE
Perfect shade tree bearing large white flowers during autumn to spring and glossy, dark leaves that develop red tips in winter. Slow growing. Plant in Azalea & Camellia Specialty Mix
SIZE
up to 5 metres
‘Winter White’ comes into full blush with large heads of pure white buds and flowers in winter through to spring. This compact Aussie native is easy to grow in a sheltered, sunny position in most well drained soils. For use in floral arrangements cut the stems when the plant is in full bud before the flowers open. To dry the flower heads, keep in a cool dark place until dried. Do not place in water. Rice flowers are perfect for use in floral arrangements. Look out for the pink form ‘Just Blush’.
This close relative of the poinsettia, flowers all year round and is excellent for creating highlights against other garden flowers or foliage with its profuse, white blooms. Like the poinsettia, the blooms are actually not flowers, but bracts. Growing into a mound-shaped bush about 1m x 1m, it can be pruned if desired, during the warm months. Plant it in full sun for best flowering. It requires little water once established. About the garden magazine | page 15
Grevillea ‘Deua Gold’
After a little digging we found so many natives putting their ‘shine on’ during winter. So rub your frosty fingers together and drool over these vibrant coloured winter bloomers Lechenaultia formosa
The red form of Aussie native Lechenaultia formosa is a prostrate growing shrub with fine, greygreen foliage and masses of red flowers in late winter and spring. An excellent rockery plant, it tolerates exposed, hot and sunny positions and is easily propagated from cuttings. Plant in well-drained soil in full sun or part shade.
Wattles
SIZE
1.2mH 1.5mW
Croweas are generally small shrubs growing well in cooler climates and can be easily found in rocky areas especially around Sydney. They tolerate a fair degree of frosts. Crowea saligna is a smaller less bushy form with larger leaves and the same vivid pink flowers. Another popular Crowea about town is the Crowea exalata and crowea saligna hybrid, Crowea ‘Pink Star’ with paler pink flowers. Not as frost hardy though. Plant croweas in full sun to part shade in well drained soil. Correas are low growing compact shrubs with pendulous bell shaped flowers. Expect a flurry of bird life to your garden to feast on their nectar when they flower from autumn to early winter. They are seriously under valued for a hardy frost and drought gardens. Correa ‘Bellissimo’ is a compact dense form with bigger pink and yellow flowers than other varieties. Correa ‘Coastal Pink’ is a larger shrub with pink flowers and as the name implies is suitable for coastal conditions. Correa ‘Canberra Bells’ displays two-tone red and cream bell flower on a compact small shrub and was developed to celebrate the Centenary of Canberra in 2013. ‘Autumn Blaze’ flowers through winter.
Planting winter natives
Wattle is quick to grow and most varieties grow easily from seed. For a tree or shrub, wattles are short-lived (around 7–12 years) which makes them good pioneer plants in new gardens, providing shelter for slower growing plants while they establish. Some varieties can be weed-like, so try to grow only varieties that are indigenous to your region.
Natives don’t like to be overly fussed with but to provide the specific nutrient low phosphorus soil they are accustomed to plant in a specially designed Searles Native Plant Specialty Mix. This mix is suitable for both garden applications and potted natives. This mix provides six month fertiliser and water efficiency technology.
Banksias
Banksia spinulosa ‘Birthday Candles’ the most compact of the dwarf ‘hairpin banksias’ displays rich golden orange flowers and are loved by native wildlife. Prefers sandy or clay soils, happy in tropical or temperate climates. Can tolerate the wind and salt that coastal conditions throw at it. Banksia spinulosa ‘Cherry Candles’ are compact also with red tips to the flowers,
Croweas and Correas
Correa ‘Coastal Pink’ Im
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Crowea exalata (Waxflower) is the most popular in the clan, prized for their abundance of waxy, pink star shaped flowers predominantly flowering during autumn and winter. page 16 | About the garden magazine
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Croweas
Grevillea ‘Gold Cluster’
Grevillea ‘Fire Cracker’ is a low growing ground cover.
Grevillea ‘Ember Glow’
SIZE
SIZE
30cmH 1mW
SIZE
1mH 2mW
50cmH 80cmW
Image supplied by ‘Ozbreed’
Grevillea ‘Deua Gold’ has stunning rich golden yellow flowers on arching glossy green foliage appearing at their heaviest from March to October. Loves full sun and extremely hardy, frost and heat tolerant. Great addition to native gardens, coastal plantings and dry areas. Grevillea ‘Fire Cracker’ explodes fiery coloured flowers from April to October. Compact, rounded habit. Small evergreen foliage soft to touch. They do best in full sun. This winter flowering native is ideal for small gardens and is a show stopper if planted around patios and verandahs. Grevillea ‘Gold Cluster’ has masses of spider like gold flowers in Winter and Spring, a great contrast to the green foliage. A lower growing and denser form, Grevillea ‘Gold Cluster’ is
Image supplied by ‘PMA’
great at out competing weeds and grows to half the height of other popular forms. Full sun to part shade in free draining soils. Tolerates frost and drought. Grevillea ‘Fanfair’ is a prolific-flowering native groundcover with a 4 or 5 metre spread. ‘Toothbrush’ shaped flowers appear from late winter into summer. Give it full sun or part shade and a well-drained soil. Mulch well to suppress weeds and conserve moisture and water by deep soaking in dry weather. Grevillea ‘Ember Glow’ is an easy-care shrub that flowers almost all year, attracts birds and always looks great. Give it full sun or part shade and build up garden beds if drainage is poor.
‘Desert Flame’ Chrysocephalum apiculatum
‘Desert Flame’ produces a mass of long lived golden flowers above silver-grey foliage. If planted above retaining walls or in garden planters it will spill down the sides for a stunning cascading effect. Flowers all year long in S.E. Qld. In Central Australia flowering in spring and summer is the norm. Plant in full sun in well drained soil. Ideal for ground cover, in pots, among trees and shrubs or as a border in open garden beds. Prune when the plant looks a little tired.
SIZE
25cmH 50cmW
DRY TOLERANT
Leptospermum ‘Cardwell’
(L. flavescens) The Leptospermum ‘Cardwell’ is a small native shrub (approx. 2m tall). From late winter into spring, it will ‘wow’ you with a profuse show of flowers from its cascading branches. Give it a sunny position and a moist, well-drained soil. Drought and frost tolerant once established. About the garden magazine | page 17
allzones winter planting and care guide
Bindii starts growing in winter and if you kill the weed before it sets seed then you will have less bindiis for next year to contend with. Spray your lawn now, with Searles Lawn Perfect, to avoid the painful prickle seeds in spring. Lilly-pilly trees are a very popular hedging plant, but can be vulnerable to psyllids (tiny, native, sap-sucking insects) which cause unsightly, but harmless lesions on new growth. To avoid this problem ask your local garden expert for lilly-pilly strains that are resistant to psyllid attack. Control infestations with Searles Conguard. Look out for psyllid activity from late winter and early spring through to end of autumn. Sooty mould grows on the honey-dew secretions made by sap-sucking insects like scale, aphids and mealybug. Sooty mould is unsightly but does not directly harm the plant, other than to inhibit photosynthesis. Of more concern are the sap-sucking insects which encourage the mould. Control these pests with Searles Pest Gun.
> Craving lemons during Winter, plant a lemon tree.
Sooty mould
Check for caterpillars on leafy greens such as lettuce, cabbage and broccoli. Control with Bug Beater. Snail and slugs love cold and moist conditions. Control with Searles Snail & Slug Pellets. These pellets contains a child and pet taste deterrent. Winter lawn growth slows down, time to remove larger flat spreading weeds like chickweed by hand or for larger areas control with a herbicide suitable for your lawn type. page 18 | About the garden magazine
> Keep healthy during the Winter months by planting Winter salad vegetables. Cabbage can be shredded raw with other vegetables in a tangy dressing. Grate carrots for salads or dice them to add to hearty casseroles. Celery is surprising delicious in casseroles. They keep crisp and add another taste dimension. Fresh, raw beetroot can be grated in much the same way as carrot. Don’t forget lettuce, kale and Winter herbs such as, rosemary, chives, rocket, sorrel are in abundance now. Liquid feed with Searles Flourish Vegetable & Tomato Soluble Plant Food every fortnight to keep leafy growth strong.
> Brussels sprouts need the cold weather, particularly frosty areas to keep their spout buds tight. Warm days will loosens their leaves affecting their quality. > Plant easy growing Winter broccoli and cauliflower. Enrich the garden bed with 5 IN 1 Organic Fertiliser. Harvest heads young and protect by treating any visual pests and diseases early. Net crops to reduce the risk of cabbage white butterfly and caterpillars. > Prune gall wasp off citrus trees and burn or bin them to stop the breeding cycle. > Fig trees fruit in Autumn and Spring, so Winter is the ideal time to prune branches to restrict their size for better handling and netting. Keep watch for any pests and diseases and treat promptly.
> Add some sweet smelling fragrance to the Winter gardens by planting sweet peas, boronias, magnolias, rondeletia and jasmine. For cooler climates winter sweet, Hamamelis mollis, hyacinth, jonquil and daphne. > Many grevilleas are in bloom during Winter. > Plant hippeastrum bulbs for Spring flowering. > Winter sunlight is reduced so move indoor plants to a brighter warmer position in the house. Let the potting mix dry out before watering to reduce fungal and root diseases. Keep plants away from heaters. > Add a Moth orchid (phalaenopsis) to your indoor sanctuary during this Winter. Their distinctively arching single stem is littered with large blooms lasting for many months with minimal care. Place them in a warm bright spot away from direct sunlight and cold Winter nights. Let the soil mix dry out before watering and liquid feed during flowering with Searles Flourish Orchid Booster every few weeks. > Plant Winter flowering annuals such as pansies, violas, cyclamens, primroses and kalanchoe.
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Position Citrus need a full sun position and plenty of room to grow in all directions. Ideally, they need about a 2m gap all around. If they are planted in a position where they will be shaded by other trees, or overcrowded, then they will not crop as well, so it is important to choose the right position from the start. These beautiful trees will last for many years to come and when planted in the right position, will reward you very well. Soil Preparation For citrus trees to grow well and produce delicious crops, they need a rich well drained soil. To give them an excellent start, dig a hole at least two to three times the size of the pot they are in and dig in Searles Fruit, Citrus & Rose Specialty Mix. Plant your citrus tree straight into the hole. As citrus like well drained soils, it can help to mound up the soil where planting. Citrus Care After planting, mulch them all around with Searles Premium Garden Mulch. Be sure to leave a space around the trunk where there is no mulch, approximately 10cm all around. Feed with Searles Organic Based Fruit & Citrus Food or a longer lasting feed use Searles Recharge Flower & Fruit. Watering Now another trick for citrus is to make sure you water them deeply and regularly. Give them a good deep watering about once a week.
Treloar roses have released their 2019 collection of beautiful new blooms for winter planting and spring colour. See the full range - www.treloarroses.com.au 1. ‘Ice Princess’ Floribunda Rose. A beautiful new bee friendly variety with large, open cupped blooms and a sunkissed pink edge. A well shaped, low growing rose. Approx 80cm tall. 2. ‘The Poet’s Wife’ English Rose - David Austin. Good size blooms of a rich yellow which pales as they age are produced in small clusters. A wonderful fruity fragrance with a hint of lemon. Approx 1.2 tall.
Harvesting tip Citrus fruits are ready to be picked if with a light twist of the wrist the fruit dislodges from its stem freely. If you can wait, a few frosts will make citrus fruit sweeter.
more info on citrus care for all year, visit www.aboutthegarden.com.au About the garden magazine | page 19
Emerald
Rockhampton Gladstone Hervey Bay
Toowoomba Warwick
Brisbane
Grafton Port Macquarie
> Look out for Winter flowering camellia japonicas in gardening outlets. > Plant hippeastrums bulbs now for spring blooms. Plant in a sunny spot with the head of the bulb sitting above the soil line to prevent rot.
by climatic zone
The Brisbane Plant Collectors Fair 1st - 2nd June 2019 Rocklea Showgrounds
Esk Garden & Lifestyle Fair
Saturday 15th June 2019 Esk-Hampton Road, Esk Old Esk Railway station - Pipeliner Park
Queensland Garden Expo
> Plant spinach, silver beet, lettuce and early-maturing cabbage. Fertilise fortnightly with SeaMax® Fish & Kelp and keep the water up to them to ensure an excellent crop. > Plant cool loving vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and zucchini. When planting allow plenty of room for the plant to grow to full size. > Some Winter flowering red hot pokers add splash of tall colour in gardens. Look out for Kniphofia ‘Winter Cheer’, K. sarmentosa and K. ensifolia. > Orange trumpet vine (pyrostegia venusta) flush with fiery orange flowers on its vigorous twining vine in Winter right through to Spring. > The colourful bracts of poinsettias and snowflake (Euphorbia leucocephala) are in full display throughout Winter. > Lift, divide and replant daylily and hippeastrums in readiness for Spring blooming.
12-14th July 2019 Nambour Show grounds www.qldgardenexpo.com.au
South Australia Camellia Show
10th August 2019 46 Carrick Hill Drive, Springfield SA Orange trumpet vine (Pyrostegia venusta)
For more information for what to grow in your climatic zone visit www.aboutthegarden.com.au page 20 | About the garden magazine
Darwin
Cairns Townsville Mt. Isa Longreach Carnarvon
Emerald
Rockhampton
Blackall
Brisbane
> Winter is a great time to prune due to the low humidity and relief from the harsh, hot conditions. > The wet season is over so keep up with your watering schedule to ensure your garden still gets the moisture it needs. > Heavily cut back gingers, cannas and heliconias as flowering finishes and they enter their dormancy period. They will reshoot when temperatures warm up in late winter to early spring. > Plant citrus trees (oranges, lemons & limes). Give them a deep soaking once a week. Prune dead and crowded inner branches on existing citrus trees to direct new spring growth for fruit producing branches. > Check indoor plants for aphids and mealybugs. Spray with Searles Conguard to control and protect plants for up to 3-4 weeks. > Feed herbs, leafy and Winter vegetables fortnightly with Searles Flourish Vegetable & Tomato Soluble Plant Food to aid production. > Plant Asian greens, beetroot, carrot, coriander, chives, mint, lemongrass artichokes, kale, lettuce, radish, rocket, silverbeet spring onion and tomatoes. > Aerate lawns with a spiked roller, garden fork or lawn aerator sandals. Follow up with an application of Searles Robust Slow Release Lawn Fertiliser for slow, thicker growth during Winter.
Pink trumpet tree (Tabebuia impetiginosa) display masses of trumpetlike blooms in Winter.
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Winter 2019
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> Gardening outlets will be full of cyclamen colour to decorate indoor and patio spaces. Choose young plants with many flower buds to maximise flowering display time. Position in bright indirect sunlight and keep away from heating appliances. They prefer cool, dry environs. Cyclamens enjoy spending the night outside occasionally to keep cool in Winter. > Plant pansies and violas for Winter garden and potted colour. > Many natives are flowering now for Winter colour, check on page 16 for plants that flower now. Plant in Searles Native Specialty Mix for the right nutrient ratio. > Citrus trees are full of ripening produce. Pick regularly and if you have an oversupply give them to your neighbour or juice for an early morning breakie hit. > The highly scented magnolia and the closely related Michelia bloom in Winter. Michelias generally stay evergreen while magnolias are more routinely deciduous. Plant both in an acidic soil mix, Searles Azalea & Camellia Specialty Mix in a sunny spot, protected from strong winds. Frost tolerant and hardy. > Peas are aplenty during winter. Keep picking to encourage more cropping so you don’t run out.
> Stunning waxy snow coloured berries adorn the snowberry deciduous shrub from Summer through to Winter followed by small clustered white to pink flowers covering the shrub in Spring. Snowberry shrubs can withstand a myriad of weather variances from the driest climates to areas of constant frost. > Witch hazels produce a canopy of sweetly scented, spidery, yellow orange or red flowers on their deciduous branches during Winter. Tolerates heavy frosts in acidic soils. Remove deadwood. > Spray for the disfiguring fungus peach leaf curl when buds are first forming on the stem. Control with Searles Copper Oxychloride. > Prune wisteria in Winter for a better Spring display. > Camellia sasanquas will finish flowering mid Winter, but fear not, Camellia japonicas will take its place in the flowering game and flower during Winter and into Spring. > Plant bare-rooted roses, deciduous trees, shrubs and fruit trees using Searles Fruit, Citrus & Rose Specialty Mix. > Beetroot are ready to harvest and compliment winter soups and stews, Also plant artichoke, asparagus, broad beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chives, curry, dill, endive, leek, lettuce, mint, onions, parsley, peas, snow peas, sage, silver beet, spinach and radish.
Magnolia (pictured) and michelias bloom in Winter.
TM
page 22 | About the garden magazine
For more information for what to grow in your climatic zone visit
Alice Springs Rockhampton Gladstone
Emerald
Moree
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Perth
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Adelaide
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> Many euphorbias will flower mid Winter until Spring. These tough, drought-tolerant plants range in size, colour and shape ideal for large garden displays or compact creations for pots.
Brisbane
Toowoomba Warwick
Geraldton
Hobart
> Attract the bees into your garden during Winter, plant lavender, alyssum and salvias.
> For elegant Winter blooms try planting hellebores. These vigorous growers tolerate poor soil types and shady conditions. They display beautifully in gardens and pots around the patio and shady nooks. For best results, feed with Searles Flourish Flowers & Foliage during flowering season.
> Protect frost sensitive plants by moving pot plants into warm sheltered position, cover garden plants overnight with a sheet and remove in the morning and resist pruning until the last frost is over.
> Fertilise bulbs with a high potassium fertiliser in readiness for spring growth. Searles Flourish Flowers & Foliage Soluble Plant Food.
> Native hardenbergia provide bright purple colour in winter.
> Tamarillos crop in Winter. Harvest when shiny, fully in colour and softens slightly when pressed with fingers.
> Asian greens, coriander and rocket love the cold. > Be mindful of leaf curl and other fungal diseases on stone fruit such as peaches and nectarines. Spray with Copper Oxychloride at the first sight of flower buds. > Plant chives, curry, dill, mint, parsley, sage and thyme. > Winter is a great time to plant leafy and root vegetables like artichoke, asparagus, members of the brassica family (including broccoli, cauliflower, brussel spouts, cabbages, english spinach, lettuce), broad bean, carrot, onion, pea and radish.
> Plant chrysanthemum, cosmos, dahlia, dianthus, everlasting daisy, gaillardia, gazania, geranium, gerbera, impatiens, kangaroo paw, marigolds, nasturtium, petunia, portulaca, rudbeckia, salvia, snapdragon, sunflower, torenia, verbena, wallflower and zinnia. > Sow artichoke, asparagus, broad bean, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, lettuce, onion, parsnip, pea, potato, pumpkin, radish, rhubarb, silver beet and spinach. > Now is the prefect time to plant deciduous trees and roses. This will set them up for a great start when spring arrives.
Hellebores are very tolerant of cooler conditions and bloom beautifully. Native hardenbergia flaunt purple flowers in Winter.
Helleborus ‘Molly’s White’ Image courtesy of Plants Management Australia www.pma.com.au
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