Berri Native Plants

Eremophila

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +1030

I have written about Eremophila before and I probably will continue to, as I am constantly inspired to garden in harsh conditions with them. As a group they would have to be among the toughest when it comes to frost tolerance, drought tolerance and for the most part, they are not fussy about soil type including the heaviest of clays.

They are characterised by a tubular flower with a pouting bottom lip followed by a hard woody seed capsule called a drupe. These, if they are lucky enough to be eaten by an emu (hence their common name) are deposited along with a nice bundle of fertiliser many kilometres away, ready to colonise a new area.

Emu bush flowers quite literally come in all colours and with a bit of planning, a garden could have them in flower right through the year. This also means they are providing a reliable source of nectar over long periods for nectar eating birds which in turn will keep insect numbers down for you.

Emu bushes come in all sizes except large trees. Many are quite flat ground covers, lots of small shrubs to 1m, many around 2m and still more 2-3m and a few small large shrubs / small trees including our own local Eremophila bignoniflora (3-4m) and E. longifolia (3-5m).

I have noticed over the past two years, an increased interest in emu bush as garden plants which in turn has meant that nurseries have been stocking more and of course Berri Native Plants has got the shelves busting with emu bush. A few varieties that are relatively new to cultivation include Eremophila ‘Augusta Storm’ – up to 0.5m with stormy purple flowers, E. Fairy Floss – 2m with orange/red flowers, E. veneta – 1m with metallic bluish green flowers, E. pinnatifida – 1m with fragrant leaves and pale purple flowers, just to name a few!

So with (slightly) cooler days and warm soils now is the time to get in the garden and get busy planting emu bushes!

This article first published in the Riverland Weekly © February 4, 2013.

Just When You Thought It Was Safe...

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +1030

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the garden… Extreme heat seems to test all things. Like tempers (or patience as the case may be!), watering systems and methods, choice of mulch and choice of plants we use in our gardens.

On top of our little heat wave, is below average rainfall for most of us in the Riverland and Mallee combined with rising water costs, either the water itself and or the cost of electricity to get it where you want it. So little wonder we wander into the garden and are dismayed to find damaged plants through lack of moisture.

Let’s just pretend we have the mythical perfect watering system, I am sure we would still have damaged plants as a result of lush soft growth getting a dose of summer heat. Throw in a few hot nights and there is simply no relief. (Or should that be re-leaf?) So rather than throw your hands up in horror at green leaves that look like they have been in the vegetable crisper for a week too long or even brown and wrinkled leaves let’s use the opportunity to greatest effect. “What opportunity” I hear you ask, “Is this man crazy? The plant is dead!”

The opportunity is simply assessing if the plant was worth having in the first place. Let’s face it. If you have done everything right like watering and fertilising according the plants requirements, mulched and or maintained good weed control and the plant still drops dead at the first sign of a heat wave is it a plant that deserves a place in your garden?

Turn instead to plants that look good now (that is during or after a heat wave) and make a quick list. This list then becomes your guide to planning and replanting. For example if Eremophila subteretifolia looks brilliant and in full bloom it should tell you that this is a plant to use again and there will also be other Eremophila that should perform equally well under similar conditions. If you are not sure what the plants are called that have performed well, bring in samples for identification. Then turn a heat wave to your advantage.

This article first published in the Riverland Weekly © January 10, 2013.

Native Hibiscus

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +1030

Alyogyne or native Hibiscus is well worth looking at for free flowering plants to suit most gardens in the Riverland and Mallee. Most gardeners would be familiar with tropical Hibiscus and many are quite successful locally until the frost hits. The native Hibiscus is pretty much the same except that they are tolerant of poor soils and very dry conditions once established.

The original species A. huegelii and A. hakeifolia are widespread over southern Australia and one glorious sight would have to be native hibiscus generously dotted over rocky hillsides in full bloom.

Many new hybrids have a wide colour range from the pale yellow, pink and purple tones. They also have a very long flowering period for most of the year, although individual flowers only last a day. The new hybrids tend to be denser than the original species they have been derived from and the occasional light prune will keep them even denser. They grow very quick, so for new gardens they can be used as quick screen and fillers. I like to use some of the darker purple forms with smaller Acacia or wattles for a really strong colour contrast of purple and bright yellow.

Most forms grow to 2 to 3 m and some claim to stay smaller – around 1.5m to 2m. While native hibiscus tolerates dry conditions it would be a mistake to leave them to their own devises in a garden. Regular watering (say fortnightly) and feeding (spring and autumn) will mean that you will get the most out of these tough shrubs.

The best way to buy Alyogyne is in bloom so you know what colour they will be as the picture labels don’t always give an accurate idea of the flower colour.

So for quick growing colourful shrubs, consider native Hibiscus.

This article first published in the Riverland Weekly © December 6, 2012.

Back to Basics

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +1030

I have long advised customers to use drought tolerant, frost hardy and long living plants to form the framework of a garden. This is especially applicable to gardeners working with ‘blank canvases’ or even for older gardens having a major makeover.

Part of a frame work could include screens for privacy or hiding utility areas. Most men like an area somewhere to deposit treasures for later possible use. These usually look better not seen! Other parts of a frame work would include shelter from our sometimes savage south west winds bringing a change in weather. Also shade is an important element of any garden in the Riverland and Mallee. It is these parts of a garden that truly makes a garden a pleasant place to be.

The following are some good basic tough plants that require virtually no maintenance while still providing a vital role in the garden.

For screening plants Acacia iteaphylla Flinders Range wattle is hard to beat. Growing to 3-4m it has grey green leaves and wattle yellow flowers during autumn and winter. Atriplex nummularia old man salt bush is another bullet proof plant to 2-3m and grows almost anywhere. Many of the Callistemon or bottlebrushes do very well at screening provided they receive at least some watering. Grevillea olivacea olive leaved Grevillea grows to 2-3m and has red, orange and yellow flowering forms but does need reasonable drainage.

Acacia salicina, Eucalyptus leucoxylon megalocarpa and Eucalyptus salubris are all great shade and shelter trees that grow to around 10m. There are of course plenty of others to choose from, but the message is simple; plant large trees and shrubs for the long term, that won’t break your budget keeping them healthy.

This article first published in the Riverland Weekly © November 8, 2012.

Deep Watering

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +1030

Many people have noticed the brilliant yellow flowers on roadsides over the past few weeks. While it is not surprising that many have noticed, but it is surprising how brilliant the display was and is throughout the Riverland and Mallee. Most are in fact Cassias otherwise known as Senna artemisioides subsp filifolia (syn. Cassia nemophila) “desert Cassia” and Senna artemisioides nothosubsp. sturtii (syn. Cassia sturtii) “Sturt’s desert cassia”. Wow, what a mouthful; I didn’t make up the names!

They are both shrubs form 1m to 3m and will survive in extremely dry conditions such as ours without watering and still have a regular display of bright yellow buttercup like flowers mostly in spring but will flower at other times. The Sturt’s desert cassia has broader leaves and a somewhat more golden yellow flower. Both can be breathtaking in early morning light and thanks to daylight saving, we will all see more of that! A light prune after flowering will also improve their performance in the garden.

The last two quite wet summers and a heavy rainfall event last July has meant for many deep rooted plants such as our local Cassias, there has been a moisture reserve. I am sure that this has meant that Cassias and many others are putting on an unusually good show for spring.

The message to consider for your garden is for deep rooted trees and shrubs, particularly dryland plants, deep infrequent watering is going to be far better than short shallow frequent watering.

As it warms up, we have bottlebrush to look forward to and my bet is that it will be an exceptional flowering.

So water deeply, less often and enjoy the results of better flowering plants and a cheaper water bill.

This article first published in the Riverland Weekly © October 11, 2012.

Wild Violet

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0930

Some plant communities we see in the wild are just so striking in their simplicity but are impossible to replicate in a garden. On a family holiday in the Northern Flinders Ranges I came upon a simple mix of Swainsona adenophylla wild violet and Ptilotus obovatus silver mulla mulla. While the vivid purple of the wild violet and the creamy heads of the mulla mulla made a nice contrast, the bare rocks and mountains roundabout made the scene altogether more dramatic.

To use these plants in the garden would be fine (if and when you can find them in nurseries) but recreating the same feeling would be impossible. So why try?

To attempt this, it is important to take advantage of any given site. By this I mean it is important to know what makes any space ‘work’. It might be a particularly good view. It could be its secluded nature. Maybe it has a very steep area. Almost any feature can be seen as bonus to be exploited. Then when you come to plant material, use plant types that extenuate the feature you have. For example; weeping trees and rushes just seem to lend themselves to water features. Cacti lend themselves to bare earth and exposed rock. I put it to you that this is so because we know it ‘looks right’ or we try to emulate our idea of what those plant communities actually look like without human intervention. In other words; it is natural.

So when you are plant shopping this spring, instead of looking at individual plants or flowers, try to imagine what you what the finished scene to be. Simple is often the best and natural will always look pleasing. Sort of gardening nirvana. Impossible to achieve, but fun trying.

This article first published in the Riverland Weekly © September 6, 2012.

Expect the Unexpected

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0930

While it is an oxymoron, nothing could be so close to the truth to Australian plants than this. We have become accustomed to expect the different or unusual almost to the point of indifference. The striking contrast of the green and gold (wattles in flower against green leaves) we instantly recognise as ‘our’ sporting colours with pride during the Olympics. The strangeness of Kangaroo Paws in full bloom is like nothing else on the planet.

Two plants I’d like to draw your attention to are both easy to grow and are quite starling in their own way.

Lomandra effusa or cockies bootlace is such an innocuous little plant that you could trip over it in a patch of our local vegetation and not give it a second look. Fine, tough leaves to make up a small tussock less than 30cm high. The unexpected part is now. The tiny cream flowers during late winter and spring appear to arise straight from the ground or the centre of the plant and the sweet pleasant fragrance can be detected many metres away. Often you will smell a plant well before you will see them. They grow on a range of soils and will grow well on natural rainfall. As a garden plant they are well behaved and dotted here and there will give an added dimension to your garden while they are in flower. They will require no maintenance once established after the first year.

Hardenbergia violacea Happy Wanderer is a purple flowering climber known well to many gardeners for its masses of miniature purple pea flowers in clusters late winter and early spring. It will easily cover a fence, water tank or whatever else is in the way.

The unexpected and less well known is its ‘parent plant’ Hardenbergia violacea alba (white), H. violacea Rosea (pink) and H. violacea (purple). These still have the gum tree like leaves (albeit softer) and the same shaped flowers of the ‘Happy Wanderer’ , and still flower just as profusely but without the strong climbing trait. While they do need a little more water than natural rainfall offers – they are looking for about double our rainfall or a good soak monthly, they are very hardy plants in all other respects. The white form planted in shaded areas in groups will brighten it up considerably. Upon closer inspection, they have a splash of lime green in the centre of the flower making them look even fresher. The pink form is probably the prettiest, again with the lime green, while the purple has the same flower as the ‘Happy Wanderer’. These ‘non-climbing’ Hardenbergia violacea forms look great in large groups of the same colour or even randomly mixed. They rarely grow to more than 1m in height. A light prune after flowering is about all they will need to keep them tidy.

So for some unexpected late winter / spring fragrance and colour consider Lomandra effusa and Hardenbergia violacea in while, pink and purple.

This article first published in the Riverland Weekly © August 9, 2012.

Fruit

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0930

A friend recently asked me the question, is it really worth growing fruit trees considering the rising cost of water and all the associated bother with pruning, fertiliser, pest control and then keeping off birds and the like from eating your harvest?

My answer in hindsight was probably a little flippant; Why wouldn’t you?

Let me explain. If you are in the habit of buying all your food needs in one place and don’t necessarily have the time to consider how far it has come, how it is grown or even how it is treated between the grower and you, you may not be interested. If you are interested in what you feed yourself, your family and friends you probably are already (or are about to) grow at least some of your food.

My “Why wouldn’t you?” is more an incredulous “why wouldn’t you want to experience the sheer joy of picking fruit and vegetables and eating them when they are so fresh they are still growing instead of in the process of decay?”

The taste should be enough to convince anybody. Moving around the garden and eating whatever is in season and ripe is just simply the best. The passing of another year is marked by what’s to eat in the garden. For me right now it’s the apples (Lady William in my case), mandarins and oranges with a child or two in tow looking for pre peeled delights. With pruning not long finished, my mind wanders to a summer day and that first taste of apricots and all my other favourite stone fruits.

The thought of eating stuff that has travelled the world and seen the inside of however many warehouses and trucks just does nothing for me.

Now is the time to plant bare rooted (without pot or potting soil) deciduous fruit trees, so get digging in preparation.

You may wonder why it is an Australian plant enthusiast like me is passionate about fruit. Well, it is quite simple really; with a low maintenance garden dominated by Australian plants I have plenty of time to put into productive fruit trees to provide the most delicious food that my children also enjoy eating. My catchcry to “what can I eat” is “go outside and pick something!”

Grow Your Own Firewood

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 +0930

As the nights are longer and colder, we all naturally want to stay warm. What better way than a slow combustion stove or an open fire?

Those with a bit more space might even have a permanent ‘camp fire’ site for outdoor cooking and socialising. One of the advantages is the beautiful heat from a real fire that electricity or gas just can’t beat. The peace and tranquillity that you gain from staring into the coals after a satisfying meal that has been cooked in them is also very hard to beat. Call it bush television if you wish, whether it be for cooking on, or just for heating, or both, a fire outside or in has a charm and ambiance that almost nothing can beat after a long day.

The one advantage is that it is cheap. That is, if you are not paying for the fuel. Possibly the easiest way is to grow your own. Growing wood is like growing vegetables, but much easier. Instead of low ‘food miles’, it is ‘low fuel miles’.

While we all know wood grows on trees the trick is to knowing what trees to grow in a given situation. For example, if you only have a few square metres in which to grow fuel, it would be possible to plant Acacia pycnantha, golden wattle. It grows very fast and is a small tree to about 6m and will happily grow with minimal water locally. It would be feasible to cut it up by hand with a bow saw.

On the other hand, if you have more space and waste water, Eucalyptus camaldulensis river red gum will yield quite extraordinary quantities of wood of the highest burning quality there is. Some will say arid and semi arid zone wattles have better burning qualities, but it is a case of personal preference and availability. The river red gum is a plant that will grow quickly after it has been harvested so you would plant it once and have wood for the rest of your life.

Many other Eucalypts will grow quickly and re grow after harvesting. The final choice of tree will come down to parameters such as space, soil type and if any irrigation will be available.

Another novel way to grow wood is to plant quite a mixture and thin over time so that the largest and best are retained long term as the basis for woodland or shady garden. Mini forests that are close spaced can be exciting places for children to play, but be prepared for tears if you harvest a favourite!

So what could be better? Grow your own trees for your own fire to keep the family warm and fed andhave the fun of cutting them down for the cost of a few litres of fuel for the chain saw?

Street Trees (Part 2)

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0930

Nearly two years ago I wrote in this column about street trees and I was extolling their virtues. I also listed a few that would be and in some cases are, very useful and long lived shady street trees. Maybe they should be planted widely as street trees before our streets are reduced to barren rows of memories of trees.

The trees I suggested then still stand (excuse the pun!). The criteria I’ve used includes such attributes as the ability to survive only on natural rainfall in the Riverland and Mallee once established; will happily grow on a range of soils; must be frost tolerant; not overly ‘messy’, particularly with regard to asthmatics; must have a sufficiently dense crown to provide useful shade; and must not have an overly aggressive root system to cause problems with drains and pipes. To follow is part of my list of favourites and I’m sure many of you will have their own favourites, but will your choices stack up against the odds?

The weeping myall, Acacia pendula, is a graceful weeping grey green wattle that will be quite erect in growth, gradually spreading as they age. They have inconspicuous flowers in spring. There are good examples on Bookpurnong Terrace, South of the Roundabout in Loxton.

Broughton willow wattle, A. salicina, is an exceptional tree from the point of view that it will survive almost anything, and be fresh, green and cool looking. It is another weeping tree and has pale wattle flowers in spring. There is a good example just west of the Berri Post Office. Just look for the tree with four or five cars parked under it on most week days.

Brachychiton populneus kurrajong is a multipurpose tree, in that the seeds can be eaten once roasted and is valuable stock fodder. Its fresh green leaves can make the hottest street appear cool and inviting. It has cream bell flowers followed by boat shaped pods. Wilson Street in Berri used to be full of them, however many were cut down in 1998 because they ‘dropped leaves’. Fortunately some on the West end of Wilson Street still remain and can give an idea what a wonderful shady street this used to be. Here we are, fourteen years later, and the shade has still not been replaced.

Casuarina pauper, black oak, can be slow growing to start with, but becomes a very permanent tree with highly valuable timber, has leaves that are actually modified stems (the true leaves are reduced to minute ‘teeth’). The fine foliage makes the most restful sound with any sort of breeze. An old original can be seen between Berri and Glossop on a bend at the junction of Old Sturt Highway and Hardwick Road.

Eucalyptus brockwayii, Dundas mahogany, is a western Australian upright tree with a clean bronze trunk and shinning leaves. A good example can be seen in the medium strip just over the Paringa Bridge, on the Paringa side.

E. leucoxylon megalocarpa, large fruited SA blue gum, is a particularly densely crowned tree with masses of red flowers in autumn and winter. It usually has a clean white trunk. A good example can be seen on Tanko Street, Loxton. You will know it when you see it as it has such a dense crown, which is unmistakable.

Geijera parviflora, wilga, is quite a common tree to the north and east of the Riverland and Mallee but is almost unknown here. It is widely planted as a street tree in California and is called the Australian Willow. I was delighted to see it used as a street tree in Wilmington, SA. Its fine drooping leaves and cool appearance would make a street well worth living in. A good example can be seen in a property on the South West corner of the junction of Old Sturt Highway and Jellett Road in Berri.

Santalum acuminatum, quandong, could also be used a fruiting street tree. It has a weeping habit and is quite a sturdy little tree. It has almost become a plant of mystery as it can be difficult to establish but very hardy once it is. The tree itself is beautiful; particularly with fruit which are quite clean and dry. I can imagine the wonder of a street in full, bright, red, ripe fruit.

We, as a community, have no excuse not to have leafy, green, inviting and cool streets. With our climate of more sunshine than the sunshine coast, we probably have greater need for a high degree of street amenity. So you now have part of my list, add to it and start planting. As the Chinese say, the best time to plant a tree was fifty years ago, the second best time is now!