HOME GARDENS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 46, 14 May 1948, Page 3

HOME GARDENS

(By J. W. Goodwin, N.D.H. (N.Z.), F.R.H.S., Massey Agricultural College.)

' CHEERFUL WINTER BERRIES As the autumn draws to a close, autumn foliage and brilliantly-col-oured fruits come into their own. The leaves soon fall and the “berries” remain to brighten the garden during the winter months. The soil should not be too rich for fruiting subjects; in fact, many of the showiest produce their finest effects on light poor soil. There are, however, plants suited to almost every position in the garden. Of the plants which stand shady conditions the evergreen Aucuba is well known. There are quite a number of varieties with only minor differences in leaf form. The commonest is A. Japonica picta (variegata), which has a wide golden margin to' the leaf giving a good contrast with surrounding greenery. The male and female flowers are found on separate plants and it is necessary to plant one male plant to every 3 or 4 female plants. Incidentally, many of our finest subjects, which are considered self-fertile, will set finer and more regular crops of fruit if cross-pollinated. This is particularly noticeable with viburnums and is the reason why many gardeners group two, three or even five plants together and create massed effects.

Ruscus aculeatus, the “Butcher’s Broom,” is a curious evergreen growing about three feet high and as much through. It belongs to the lily family, and the small flower followed by the round scarlet fruit is borne in the. centre of the leaf or, more correctly, cladode. A cladode is a flattened green piece of branch resembling and doing the work of a leaf. Good fruiting specimens are uncommon because, although some plants have male and female flowers, a large proportion of seedlings are unisexual. Buy plants in fruit and be sure. *

Skimmia Japonica is another of those unisexual or dioecious plants, requiring one male to be planted to several females. It is quite distinct in form and habit, as are all those mentioned in this group. The ultimate height is approximately four to five feet and the fruits are scarlet, nearly half ah inch in diameter. It prefers a moisture-reten-tive soil and some shade to do really well. There’s a wealth of material to chose from for ordinary garden soils. Pernettya mucronata, a dwarf spreading shrub, grows from two to five feet high, and the colour range of berries is from white through pink and mauve to red or black in the different varieties. It prefers a position which retains moisture during dry spells and is often planted on larger rock gardens. If the soil is stiff it should be opened up, with leaf mould or peat, for this plant. Just a little taller are the deciduous Callicarpas, which prefer a good loamy soil. C. giraldiana ‘ (six feet) has small bluish lilac fruits. C. Japonica (five feet) has small pink flowers followed by small violet fruits. C. purpurea (of similar height) has fruits coloured deep lilac. They are not root-robbers and are suitable to the mixed border. They may be pruned back if necessary before growth starts .in the spring.

Holly and Virburnums

The evergreen holly is well known in both red and yellow fruited forms. There are many varieties, and some with golden or silver variegated leaves help to brighten the garden with both foliage and fruit.

Viburnums provide sufficient noteworthy species to merit an article to themselves. The following are a few of many: V. Japonica, a glossyleaved evergreen with large clusters of bright scarlet fruits, makes a sturdy bush about six feet high. V. rytidaphyllum is the most distinctive of them all, with its large, wrinkled, evergreen leaves, and characteristic habit. There is a variety called aldenhamensis with a golden, somewhat metallic, mark in the centre- of each leaf. Both produce large clusters of scarlet fruits and may grow ten feet high and almost as much through. Less Hardy Subjects

Less hardy subjects include Rhaphithamnus cyancarpus, a dense evergreen shrub or small tree which bears bright blue fruits. In warmer districts, it may be recommended as a hedge plant of considerable merit. Eugenia myrtifolia, the “Australian Rose Apple,” will make a fine evergreen specimen some 15 feet high. Large crops of purplish rose fruits follow the mass of attractive white flowers. Schinus molle, the well-known Californian pepper tree, makes a large graceful evergreen tree. It prefers a well drained soil and, with the others in this paragraph, requires, shelter from medium frosts when young.