HOME GARDENS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 15, 22 July 1949, Page 6

HOME GARDENS

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

lege.)

MID-WINTER COLOUR

When strolling down any suburban street during the winter months, one seldom sees anything of particular merit in flower in the average garden. The usual standbys which provide a little colour are about all one sees. Mention should be made of three lesser-known subjects which flower in mid-winter. One of these is Thryptomene Mitcheliiana, a heath-like, bushy plant from Australia, and growing to about four feet in height. This is now smothered in small white flowers. It was popular overseas many years ago, but is now less common. Being an “Aussie,” it needs a sunny position in a welldrained soil, but it will stand partial shade. Reinwardtia trigyna, an evergreen shrub, growing from two to three feet in height is another. It bears bright yellow salver-shaped flowers an inch or more across, which, although not lasting for long individually, are borne in quick succession, thus ensuring a constant display. This plant comes from India and is frost tender, so that a sheltered position is necessary. In summer young tips should be nipped out to keep the plant bushy.

The third subject is Petasites fragrans, the winter heliotrope. Because of its undeniable fragrance it is worth a place in the garden—a place where it cannot spread, as every piece of root will grow and it is difficult to eradicate. It grows up to a foot high, generally more,

and bears in winter fragrant, palelilac daisy-like flowers, which would be good for decoration purposes. For a dry bank where. little else will thrive, this would be ideal. It is impossible to pass the winter flowering material without mentioning Hamamelis mollis, the Chinese witchhazel, a true winter flowering srub which received the Award of Garden Merit in England, and is worthy of a place in any gardep. It grows from six to 12 feet high, is deciduous and bears fragrant, spidery yellow flowers,, made up of strap-like petals with hooked ends, and borne all along the bare stems. In some mild districts the leaves tend to hang on into the winter. It will stand a good deal of frost. Small sprays, cut when the blossoms are just expanding, will last up to a fortnight in water. Hamamelis Japonica (Japanese witchhazel), with yellow twisted petals, and Hamamelis Virginia, which flowers in the autumn are two others of merit.

Worthy Australian Plants

Several spring and summer flowering Australian shrubs will often come into bloom from mid-winter onwards in milder localities, and a few, such as the Grevillias. will bloom intermittently throughout the year. All will do weir in dry sunny situations. Grevillia Banksii, is a tall shrub growing to 15 feet, or more. Leaves are much divided and fern-like in appearance. The flowers ’’are red, borne in dense heads up to six inches long. It flowers practically the whole year. Grevellias punica (red spider flower), growing four to five feet, is common on the coastal areas. Flowers are bright red and densely crowded on the head.

' From Australia we go to South Africa for Barosma crenulata, the name Barosma meaning “heavy smell,” in reference to the aromatic leaves. It bears small white flowers and grows two feet high or more. The leaves of some species are used in medicine for their tonic properties. Lonicera Standishii, one of the bush honeysuckles from China, is a deciduous or partly-evergreen shrub, with bristles on the young shoots and bearing small, pale creamywhite bell-like flowers through winter and early spring, which e very fragrant. This will make a nice neat bush, or if used as a climber on a wall, will grow five to six feet in height. After flowering, cut away old wood and encourage young shoots. Ideal for a dry sunny bank is Euryops tenuissimus (Othcnnta tenuissima), a member of the daisy family, growing about .three feet high. It has very dark-green, feathery foliage, and produces masses of large, yellow daisy-like flowers.