HIGH COUNTRY GARDENER

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 449, 18 August 1992, Page 13

HIGH COUNTRY GARDENER

by

Bea

Barnes

Despite the smattering of snow and ice we experienced last week have you noticed the hint of spring in the air? The buds on trees are swelling, some almost ready to burst, and the rose bushes are showing abundant new growth. Birds are busy rehearsing their spring song and no doubt will soon be seeking material to line their nests, and my artistic daughter tells me there is a marked difference in the quality of light Now we can tum our attention to all the lovely flowering trees and shrubs and look for that odd space in which to squeeze just one more. My love of the spring flowering trees far outstrips the capacity of our small g arden to hold them all and there are some really beautiful varieties to be had now. How I envy one of our local gardeners who has planted 21 trees of the beautiful variety Prunus yedoensis in her garden. These are a form of the famous yoshino flowering cherry of Japan, tall imposing trees with a large spreading head, some with masses of large pink blossom and some with white. Imagine what a gorgeous sight these will be in the spring. However, even if we can't all attain such magnificence there are some lovely smaller varieties of the flowering cherry which need far less space. Among these is Prunus serrula, a small vigorous tree with a glistening mahogany shade of bark and narrow willow-like leaves. The small white d flowers appear in October. A Japanese cherry with a spreading head of double pink blossom is Prunus shimidsu sakara. This one has very richlycoloured autumn foliage. j If you haven't the room for even the smallest tree perhaps you could cope with one of the little

flowering almonds such as Prunus glandulosa roseaplena which covers itself with a mass qf double pink blooms in the spring or albopina which is the white version. Both of these are shrub-size growing to only about a metre with a similar spread. Both are quite arresting when in full bloom. Another small bush type is the flowering crab apple malus snowbright which has dainty white flowers opening froin pink streaked buds in the spring and bright orange red fruit in the autumn. This one will grow to two metres. For perfume in a spring garden you can't beat the

lilacs. Two quite outstanding varieties are syringa "Madame Lemoine" with richly scented double white blossom and Syringa Souv. de Louis Spaeth with long trusses of highly fragrant rich purple flowers in late spring. Both these varieties grow to about 2.5 metres with a 1.5 metre spread. Should you prefer your cherry trees to produce edible fruit then choose the semi-dwarf called compact stella which matures later, around Christmas and produces large dark red fruit with firm flesh and a mildly acid flavour. It is quite a good home garden variety.