Growing Gardens

with Julia Hancock

Making Scents

Cold air has a way of distilling the perfume of winter flowering plants so that it floats on the crisp breezes that we've had recently. If you love walking around your garden and catching a whiff of something special, there are several good scented plants that are easy to grow at this time of the year.

Unlike other members of the honeysuckle family that can become rampant and make a nuisance of themselves, winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) is a well-behaved bush to 1.5m which is covered in tiny, cream-coloured flowers throughout autumn and winter. They don't look much on the bush, but they pack a punch with their delicious, slightly lemony perfume. It can tolerate semi-shade as well as full sun.

In sunny spots Rhondeletia amoena is beginning to make an appearance, its froth of salmon pink flowers opening to release their intoxicating scent. Rhondeletia is a good medium-sized shrub whose glossy dark green leaves look attractive throughout the year. From now until September when it finishes flowering it looks fantastic and smells even better.

I can't resist jonquils, even though they don't grow particularly well here (the 'Erlicheer' variety is the only one to perform well), but it's worth cultivating a small clump just for the sheer joy of seeing the first shoots poke up through the autumn mulch, and then their pristine white flowers as they open to full glory. Growing them in a pot is a good idea because you can move them out of sight when they've died down.

Magnolias are a must for a winter garden, the most widely grown being M. x soulangeana with its purple-pink flowers. But it's M. denudata that has the strongest scent and at 13m is a delightful small tree for the domestic garden.

Scented plants entice us outside on even the coldest days to enjoy their aromatic appeal.

Lismore Garden Club News

The next meeting of the Lismore Garden Club is next Thursday, July 1, at the Lismore Workers Club at 1.30pm. Everyone welcome. Bring a friend and come along and meet a group of friendly people with a common interest in gardening. For further information phone Mary on 6621 5293.

Camellias are everyone's favourite. Like roses, it's a must to have at last two or three in the garden. Camellias bloom right through the cooler months and up to spring. The best location is part shade in acid soil, however, they can often be seen around our area growing in full sun. Japonica Camellias are dense and slower growing, with exquisite (almost perfect shaped) flowers. Reticulata camellias are open shrubs with a sparse foliage and large, dramatic blooms. Sasanqua camellias are faster growing and make excellent hedges. Standard and prostrate plants are now procurable from some of the larger nurseries. There are a few scented varieties now available, but you may have to search to find them. Ask for them by the names "Scentious" and "Scented Gem".

Gardening Tip: I do not recommend growing trees and shrubs in the lawn with the grass growing right up to the truck. They perform much better planted into a small 80 to 90cm square garden and well mulched.

Happy gardening
Ron Burns