Growing Gardens

with Julia Hancock

Unusual climbers

I'm wary of using climbing plants in the garden because they can so easily get out of hand, escaping up trees and power poles to become a real nuisance. Bougainvillea, jasmine and pyrostegia are three notable offenders, surpassed only by cat's claw creeper, morning glory and Madeira vine as the arch villains of the plant world.

However, recent prize-winning entries to a couple of local flower shows have inspired me to look again at climbing plants and have reminded me that they are not all bad. Species that mature at under three metres are perfect for growing up verandah posts or along fences.

At first glance akebia looks like clematis, with delicate leaves and brownish purple flowers. There are two kinds, the five-leaf akebia (A. quinata), which is evergreen, and the three-leaf (A. trifoliata), which is semi-deciduous. Both require heat and sun but are surprisingly frost and drought hardy.

While Ipomoea indica (the aforementioned morning glory) is lamentably common in these parts, its harmless cousin I. horsfalliae is rarely seen. Its common name cardinal creeper describes the colour of the flowers, which form large trumpets of deep rose red. It is something of a botanical curiosity as it is one of the few plants that produce shiny flowers. Again it needs sun and good drainage, but protection from frost is mandatory.

The lovely lady's slipper vine (Thunbergia mysoriensis) is worth hunting out for its unusual yellow and brown funnel-shaped blooms, which form pendulous clusters up to 30cm long. It grows well in a pot and flowers in deep shade. Don't confuse it with T. alata (black-eyed Susan) and T. grandiflora (Bengal clock vine), which are both problems and should be avoided.

The delightful Quisqualis indica (Rangoon creeper) is another well-behaved climber that rewards its gardener with ridiculously pretty rosy-pink star shaped flowers in summer and autumn. It appreciates a moist root zone and protection from strong winds.

Lismore Garden Club News

Not much to report on the Garden Club front this week, but watch this space next week for a report on our Christmas breakfast, which is sure to go off with a bang. Also next week we should be able to give you details of an exciting outing, which is being planned for January.

As I sit here writing, I am looking into my back garden and am amazed and delighted by the profusion of lovely insects that abound. The wonderful rain and then the warm sunshine has triggered an explosion of ants of all sizes and colours from the minute brown ants of a mere two millimetres to the big meat ants of around 15mm. We could sure learn to improve our work ethics by observation of ants.

I'm sure there are more bees, butterflies, cicadas, beetles, grasshoppers, moths and miscellaneous bugs here in the Lismore area than any place I've ever lived. I believe we can put that down to the fact that most people have become conscious of preserving the environment. There is a definite shift away from the use of harmful chemical pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, and a big move toward the planting of native shrubs, trees and vines that provide sustenance to our native fauna, including our beautiful insects.

A healthy abundance of insects in the garden is a sure sign of a healthy environment.

Happy gardening
Ron Burns