It won’t be long until the shortest day of the year, not allowing for many sunny, warm days in the garden, yet this can be an ideal time to plant deciduous trees and other hardy ornamentals that the cold won’t damage.
I’ve had enquiries about a particular tree covered in pink flowers, which have been noticeable driving up City Road, Merewether.
The trees are Koelreutaria paniculata, commonly known as the Golden Rain Tree, and the pink flowers are actually seed pods which remain for many months after the mid-summer flowers of golden yellow make way for the pink pods.
The Koelreutaria is a very strong tree which handles a wide range of climates from hot and dry through to cold and wet – it does prefer acid soil.
There are many flowering ornamentals that can be planted now which also fruit belonging to the Prunus family, some of which have purple foliage.
Although flowering cherries are loved by gardeners, I find that not many blooms are produced in coastal areas, but those planted in cooler climates, such as the Hunter Valley, will be more rewarding.
One of my favourite trees to plant during winter are those of the Malus family, commonly known as Crab Apples – I have planted these virtually on the coast but with protection from the house.
They are available in various sizes and flower colours – if you would like to plant one, I had great success with Malus ionensis plena.
Generally, deciduous trees don’t achieve the brilliant autumn shades as those grown south or in the colder regions, but, surprisingly, there are three beautifully-coloured trees,planted by the council in Morgan Street, Merewether – they are Fraxinus oxycarpa ‘Raywood’.
Magnolias, deciduous and evergreens can be planted out now – I find evergreens such as ‘Teddy Bear’ like to be settled in before the heat of summer.
The secret to planting out any trees in suburban smaller gardens is to check the height they grow, keeping in mind fruiting trees need full sun.
This week:
* Be careful not to overwater cactus and succulents during the cold weather.
* Give annuals such as pansies a boost with a foliant fertiliser such as Flourish.
* Disbud Japonica camellias before the flowers begin to open – taking one or two from each group will encourage better blooms.
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