Growing Gardens

with Julia Hancock

White's alright

It doesn't matter what colour scheme you opt for in your garden, there's always room for plants with white blooms. In summer they cool down tropical borders, while in winter they brighten up dull days.

In modern prairie-style gardens white gaura is an easy-care plant that propagates itself to form a cloud of flowers that dance like butterflies on the ends of long stalks. It's a romantic plant that looks equally at home in cottage gardens.

Another cottage favourite is the white dianthus, a surprisingly hardy individual given its dainty appearance. It shines for most months of the year, bringing a touch of frosting to the edges of borders and beds.

Roses are still the world's favourite flower, but some varieties can be rather difficult to grow in our climate. The ever-reliable 'Iceberg' not only performs superbly, but also produces flushes of flowers from spring until autumn.

Many flowering plants look out of place in a formal garden design, but the gardenia is an exception to this rule. It's versatile enough to be grown as a groundcover (G. radicans), a hedging shrub (G. 'Florida') or a topiaried specimen (G. 'Magnifica', G. 'Professor Pucci' or G. 'Aimee Yoshiba'). All of them have gorgeous, heavily perfumed creamy white flowers, which can also be used in indoor flower arrangements.

The most popular climbing plant with white flowers is also the most troublesome - Jasminum polyanthum can become rampant and uncontrollable. A smaller and more easily managed variety for sunny spots is Chinese star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides). You'll have little trouble if you plant stephanotis on the shady side of your house, or white mandevilla in a spot that receives morning sun, as these are two climbers that remain relatively compact.

Bauhinia, calliandra, gordonia, lillypilly, magnolia and melaleuca are just some of the wonderful trees that produce spectacular white flowers, so check them out and plant something special for Christmas.

Lismore Garden Club News

Thank God for the wonderful rain. Have you stopped to think about the manifold benefits of good general rain. It not only benefits gardeners and most farmers but it's also a huge boost to all nature. Lets hope there's more rain on the way.

The Christmas holidays are almost upon us. Be sure not to put any new plants into the garden if you intend going away for a break, as most new plants need extra care and we can get very warm weather from December to February. It's a good time to top up the mulch on gardens and around shrubs and trees, and lets not slacken off recycling water on to the garden just because it has rained.

Established ornamental and fruit trees can always do with extra recycled water to penetrate deep down.

Happy Gardening
Ron Burns