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Pittwater Life September 2017 Issue

Michael Robothan, When Crime Does Pay. Fair Trial. Greens With Envy. Keep Calm, Vote Wisely.

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Chinese<br />

Jasmine is<br />

something<br />

to bee-hold!<br />

If you have a wall, a bank,<br />

a septic tank or water<br />

tank that you want to hide,<br />

the bright yellow Primrose<br />

Jasmine (sometimes known<br />

as Chinese Jasmine or<br />

jasminium mesnyi) is the<br />

perfect answer.<br />

Unlike the heavily<br />

scented white jasmine that<br />

twists and turns delighting<br />

us in spring with its heady<br />

scent, this jasmine is completely<br />

controllable and<br />

grows with long arching<br />

canes that can be trimmed<br />

or trained into shape. It<br />

can be hedged as a privacy<br />

screen, clipped or just be<br />

left alone to ramble.<br />

The bright, cheerful<br />

flowers develop along<br />

the stems of the previous<br />

year’s growth and flower<br />

from spring until summer.<br />

And bees love it!<br />

Primrose Jasmine is<br />

fast-growing and will grow<br />

in any average garden<br />

soil with little attention; it<br />

loves the morning sun or<br />

part shade. Hot wind and<br />

afternoon sun can burn<br />

the flowers but will not<br />

affect the foliage.<br />

It is an old favourite that<br />

can be seen growing in established<br />

gardens around<br />

the peninsula. This is a<br />

plant well worth growing<br />

in difficult situations.<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

Stunning giant alcantarea the<br />

landscaper’s tropical delight<br />

If you are looking for<br />

a stunning plant that<br />

will take your breath<br />

away, consider planting<br />

a giant alcantarea – one<br />

of the largest and most<br />

majestic bromeliads.<br />

Alcantareas have in<br />

recent years become<br />

the landscaper’s delight<br />

for planting in tropical<br />

gardens as an accent<br />

plant. They grow in full<br />

sunlight or part shade<br />

and look brilliant mixed in with palms, gingers,<br />

cordylines, aloes and agaves.<br />

It will be just a small plant about 30-40cm<br />

wide when you buy it, but give it space. This<br />

Jerusalem the<br />

pick of the<br />

artichokes<br />

Jerusalem artichokes are an<br />

amazing vegetable that produces<br />

flowers you can pick in<br />

summer and tubers that you<br />

can eat in winter.<br />

Also known as Sunchokes<br />

they are members of the<br />

sunflower family. They grow<br />

tall, with huge yellow ‘daisy’<br />

flowers. They love the sun,<br />

growing to a height of 1.5m.<br />

Plant the tubers now about<br />

5cm deep and 20cm apart in<br />

good soil that has compost<br />

and fertiliser added; once<br />

planted they are easy to grow.<br />

They are quite droughttolerant<br />

but regular water will<br />

ensure good-sized tubers.<br />

Buy your first crop from the<br />

garden centres, then once you<br />

get them going, leave a few<br />

behind in the soil and they will<br />

pop up again next spring.<br />

They make delicious soups<br />

– or you can use them just as<br />

you would use potatoes.<br />

huge swirl of colour<br />

will grow to a height<br />

of 1.5m and 1.5m<br />

wide! There are many<br />

colours and cultivars<br />

available but the<br />

easiest to find is the<br />

alcantarea imperialis<br />

rubra. The soft, grey/<br />

purple leaves turn to<br />

deeper purple in the<br />

colder months.<br />

Alcantarea Silver<br />

Plum has silver foliage<br />

on top, with soft purple backs. Alcantareas need<br />

little water. Usually natural rainfall is enough.<br />

Plant them in free-draining soil and feed with a<br />

slow-release fertiliser in spring.<br />

Magnificent magnolias<br />

add vibrant spring colour<br />

Every garden should have<br />

a spring blossom tree that<br />

bursts into flower as the days<br />

warm up and grow longer.<br />

While our gardens on the<br />

peninsula are too warm for the<br />

traditional peaches and plums,<br />

magnolias will thrive in sheltered<br />

gardens out of the wind.<br />

The huge chalices of pure<br />

white, pink or purple magnolia<br />

soulangeana explode into<br />

colour as winter fades away.<br />

Magnolias are slow-growing<br />

and may take a couple of<br />

years to settle in but once established<br />

they are unbeatable<br />

for spring colour. Plant one as<br />

a shade tree for summer in a<br />

spot where you will enjoy the<br />

sunlight in winter after the<br />

leaves fall.<br />

If you only have a small<br />

space, plant the star magnolia<br />

– magnolia stellate – that<br />

is a beautiful small tree or<br />

large shrub.<br />

SEPTEMBER <strong>2017</strong> 69<br />

Garden <strong>Life</strong>

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