Australians should be extremely proud of Wes Flemming (Flemmings Nursery Victoria), Phillip Johnson and their team for winning Best-In-Show at the famous Chelsea Flower Show in London.
The judges were unanimous in their decision. Whilst Wes Flemming has often won gold medals at Chelsea, this is the first time an overseas team has won the very top award!
Congratulations to all involved!
(Click here to read all about it.)
Our gardens are all in need of a good deep water so it would be a good idea to scatter a product called Saturaid over the garden beds and lawn before the rain starts.
This product stops water run off and pulls the water down deeply into the soil, conserving the precious moisture for the weeks to come. (It only needs to be applied annually.)
If the rain does not eventuate, still apply the Saturaid, and follow with a deep water by hand or using your watering system/sprinkler.
Whether big or small a garden can almost be created anywhere. Occasionally all that is needed is a simple pot! Most of us at least have the good fortune to have a small area that we can call 'a garden'.
If your area is an enclosed space prehaps a little more thought is warranted when designing the garden.
If you look at the attached photo you can see a certain pattern emerging in the layout of this courtyard garden. There is a central focal point (the frangipani) and in each corner there is a garden bed. Between each of these garden beds there is a pot. (Note the Bounainvillea pot on the left.) What is left is complete access from all sides, which means your path across this courtyard could take you in whatever direction is desired.
Visually the aspect is charming at whatever angle the courtyard is approached from. Finally note how the terracotta hues of the building are picked up in the colours of the flowers. A great finishing touch.
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For the more intrepid gardeners, you can quickly get some Lawn Food and a general purpose fertilizer such as Rapid Raiser and scatter it over your lawns and garden beds now.
(It may come as a surprise for some of you, but our best sales on rainy days are Lawn Foods!)
The best part of doing this in the rain, is that the fertilizers will be absorbed thoroughly into the soil and you can put the mulch on once it stops raining.
Certainly food for thought!
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(also known as Calodendron capense). It is in brilliant bloom at the moment and you can see examples of this tree not only in the beach suburbs (they like coastal conditions) but also further west. The photos on the left and below were taken out at Kellyville.
The tree hails from South Africa and will thrive unless the district is particularly cold.
The dotted flowers which come in shades of pink and lilac, have an orchid like shape to them. As you can see it is one of the most showy of trees with multiple bossoms forming on the end of the branches.
Young trees are susceptable to frosts so it would be a good idea to keep the young tree covered. Trees can also be pruned to a manageable shape at this stage.
The flowers are followed by large round woody seed pods (there is a green one in the picture on the right) that open into a star like structure.
They prefer a light, moist fertile soil and if it is particularly dry, remember to give them more water. They are generally an evergreen tree, but may become deciduous towards the end of winter.
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(or Lassiandras as they used to be called many moons ago) are coming into stunning flower!
It's a beautiful sight. Any gardener would appreciate the care with which these trees have been planted. There is a comfortable space between them and there is plenty of room for the mulch which will keep the roots moist and the weeds at bay.
Add to this combination a swathe of brilliant colour from the Zinnias (they are in the foreground) and we have a visual feast.
Like many trees we have grown up with, you often take for granted the rich purple flowers but when you see these trees mass planted together, it takes your breath away.
They are one of the best decorative trees for the home garden. They reach a modest height as trees go and are easily kept pruned.
Indeed selective pruning can help the tree achieve its natural rounded shape.
These days there are many variations of the Tibouchina available. For example there is the pink flowering Tibouchina ('Kathleen'), the white and lilac form ('Noelene') and the ever popular dwarf 'Tibouchina Jules'. The 'Jules' has bold purple flowers and grows to about a metre in height.
They adore full sun and respond energetically to regular feeding. Well drained soil is a must. If you have time, give them a liquid feed once a week, after they have been watered. It will really pay dividends.
The Tibouchina Jules works well in either pots or as part of the garden shrubbery. Occasional pruning after flowering may be required but generally speaking it retains a tidy neat form.
In the last twelve months, even more new varieties of the Tibouchinas have emerged. But more about them soon!
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We may not know the Latin name, but we are all familiar with this beautiful tree that flowers in late Summer.
Its common name - Crepe Myrtle - is a name that you are probably more familiar with!
The Crepe Myrtles have been around for many years but in the last five years or so, the growers have developed new varieties that are not only resistant to powdery mildew but do not grow as tall as some of the older varieties.
It is now possible to get dwarf varieties of this pretty tree and specimans that grow to only three or four metres as opposed to six or seven.
They make a very tidy street as can be seen by the white Crepe Myrtles planted by Kuringai Council aound Gordon.
These new Crepe Myrtles known as "Indian Summer" come in colours ranging from reds, deep and pale pinks, to lilac and white.
As well as having a sensational flower display, this tree also has the most sensuous smooth mottled bark that is a delight to stroke. Even in Winter, when all the leaves have fallen, the tree has a remarkably beautiful shape.
Some gardeners get terribly excited about pruning their Crepe Myrtles and cut them back hard in Winter. This produces large canes that flower profusely. With the newer varieties however, there is not the need to keep them pruned in this manner. The tree is not going to grow that tall and the height is easily contained.
Overall the Lagerstroemias are a hardy drought tolerant tree.
NURSERY NEWS
Time to plant your Spring flowering annuals!
A great range has come in of:
Pansies,
Primulas,
Poppies,
Stock,
Sweet Pea,
and
Polyanthus!
Make sure to put some Manure (Rapid Riser is great) into the soil before you plant and mulch well once planted.
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The beautiful bouquet pictured to the right, consists of all plants that are flowering in your garden now.
Hydrangeas
The Hydrangeas are the new Endless Summer Hydrangea which flower from November through to April. They are a relatively new release of Hydrangea and St Ives Village Nursery currently have them in stock.
Roses
The white roses are of course White Iceberg Roses. This rose is probably the most popular rose ever sold and continues to thrive in Sydney despite the humidity.
The rich plum rose is Moonstone - a 'relative' of the Blue Moon Rose.
Murraya
The 'filler' in this posy is the dark glossy green Murraya. Here is one shrub that loves the rain and rewards us with fragrant flowers after every rainfall.
All different sizes of this shrub are available at St Ives Village Nursery so ask us which size would be appropriate for your garden.
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Its a great time to do those 'Catch Up' jobs.
Indeed some customers are already asking for Spring flowering bulbs - but it is still is a little early for those!
Do not despair however as the tiny flowering Johnny Jump Ups have arrived as have some of the early flowering Violas and the ever cheerful Pansies.
All of our customers agree over one thing however - it is really lovely gardening weather! The rain is still very much appreciated and many of you are taking advantage of this steady supply of rain by feeding your gardens and then mulching with either Sugar Cane or Lucerne.
The lawns are looking like thick green carpets thanks to the applicaton of Lawn Food either before, during and after these rains.
We are taking advantage of the quiet times that the rainy days bring by replacing the roof over our walkways - one more hail storm and parts of the old roof would probably disappear up Mona Vale Road, never to be seen again! It is so satisfying to see the new roof allowing sunlight to flood the walkways yet giving our customers protection against the vagaries of the weather.
If you have not already done so, give your roses a gentle prune to encourage an Autumn flush. Follow this with a feed of Sudden Impact For Roses and a mulch of either the Sugar Cane or the Lucerne.
We are getting a lot of positive reports from customers who used the new Confidor tablets on their Azaleas to control the pests that beset the Azaleas every Summer. "My Azaleas have never look so good...." is the most common statement.