You do have to admire volunteers who do so many good things in our country. One very special group of volunteers had the idea of setting up a Botanic Gardens in Mildura. With lots of planning and hard work the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens have come to fruition, in fact, they are celebrating their 21st year. Still run by volunteers who take guided tours and with help from the local council these gardens are well worth seeing fine displays including ornamental trees, shrubs and roses (a fine sight in autumn) and the fascinating eremophilas and other Mallee plants.
A beautiful avenue of Corymbia citriodora (Lemon Scented Gum) will greet you at the entrance on River Road, Buronga, just 10 kilometres on the New South Wales side of the Murray River. Why not take a visit sometime.
- We have had a little drop of rain so while the soils are moist fertilise your lawns. Grow some flat leaf and curly parsley it’s a long lasting display in a border. Easter daisies are in flower, good to cut and bring indoors.
- As leaves turn on and fall from deciduous trees make use of them in the compost. You can mulch or shred them – the smaller the leaves are the quicker they will break down. Most leaves apart from Plane trees provide a fine material for compost.
- Get your broad beans in now and you will get a head start prior to spring with warmth still in the soil. There are dwarf and larger varieties to over one metre tall, soak them overnight so the seed coat is soft for germination.
- There are such an array of bulbs to plants from the long lasting Dutch Iris to daffodils, fragrant jonquils to hyacinths. Each little bulb should be firm to squeeze and planted twice the depth that they are large. Get them in before too long as the soil is warm and will kick them along.
- Tuberous Begonias have finished flowering now and the leaves will start to fall off and they go into dormancy. Take the tuber out of the pot, shake off the soil, store in the dark and repot in spring.
- Some people, other people find it too tangy but the Yates seed of Mustard Red Leaf is a good one to use in stir fries and Asian soups. Easy to grow in autumn and just plant the seed in full sun wherever it is to grow.
- Some of the best tall shrubs for a shady spot would include Brugmansia, buddleia
depending on the amount of light and fuchsias. One fuchsia species is F. magellanica with tiny flowers but are particularly good in the shade. - The best Frangipani’s in Melbourne will grow in a warm protected spot and do especially well in lighter sandy soils that don’t get too cold over winter. If you Frangipani is in a pot don’t water it too much over winter, put it close to the house for protection and be mindful of frost that can damage the plant.
- Tell your florist that you want to buy a bunch of especially marked roses for Cystic Fibrosis. 65 Roses Day in on Friday 25 May and is a day of fund raising and National awareness to support young people with this disease. I am very happy to be the Paton and why not make this a great day to support those living with Cystic Fibrosis.
- This is a perennial sage plant with large spikes of felty purple and white flowers. It is a very long flowering plant from autumn, right into winter. It will grow 1 – 1.5 metres tall and just take care if you are in a frosty area.
- Crepe myrtles will have just finished flowering and they have a very long flowering time. Wait until their leaves have turned a brilliant autumn tone and prune back by at least one-third in round about July. Crepe myrtles flower on new wood and this will to promote flowering.
- A recommendation for a groundcover in a sunny spot would be Grevillea ‘Royal Mantel’ or Society Garlic (Tulbaghia).
- At this time of the year you might see seeds around the same size as a golf ball on your camellia bushes. The pods will start to split revealing a black seed and you can sow them immediately into a mix, like potting mix or peat mix. Keep them damp but not wet.
- People love growing strawberries in their own garden, they taste so much better. They like a good organic compost in the soil and blood and bone. Always buy certified free strawberry plants, you don’t want a disease to be spreading.
- Certain weeds in the cracks in paving can be eradicated using vinegar which burns them off or even boiling water. However some weeds have tenacious roots so keep at it and just be careful of plants growing on the edge of the pathway