Pittwater Life February 2018 Issue

Garden Life
Garden Life
Delight Passionate in the pomegranates amazing
colours great for of growing, hydrangeas eating
Pomegranates Always a favourite for
ger and sweeter with
Christmas are native to colour, hydrangeas
Iran, but are early flowering their
Pomegranates don’t
some extra attention.
heads travellers off! took They the look wonderful
seed in the corners garden, brightening
the of the semi-shaded earth. Now areas and
glowing the pomegranate in the full, is protected
sunlight. grown all Once over the
older
varieties world. It has were been either pink or
blue found depending ancient on the soil,
additional carvings in lime China, will it deepen
the is mentioned pinks and in blueing the tonic
(sulphate Bible, it was of named aluminium) will
heighten in ancient the Rome blues, by but the
new Pliny named as the ‘Apple varieties will
maintain of Carthage’, their and colour. it’s White
never said that changes. Venus There gave a are pomegranate
to Paris! of every size from
hydrangeas
the History tiny dwarf also tells Piamina us that to the juice
tall of the traditional pomegranate Mop was Heads. used by the
With prophet so many Mohammed to choose to purge from the
it sin is of almost envy. Pomegranates too difficult to grow like of the traditional mop heads,
decide. scarlet Christmas There are baubles, the delicate hanging the cone-shaped flowers of
lace from caps, a very the beautiful, huge blooms small, compact hydrangea paniculata bushes
tree and with bright, glossy green
like frost, but cooler
winters produce better
fruit. To fruit well
the flowers need bees
for pollination. Two
trees will fruit better
than one. (Plant plenty
of flowering plants to
attract the bees to the
garden.)
There are several
commonly
grown varieties,
but I think
the best is
‘Wonderful’; its
fruit is softer
and the seeds
that can be two not metres so hard. tall.
The recently introduced Also, there is
smaller growing a dwarf Picotee pomegranate
varieties that with grows two-tone to just flower one
leaves. It is perfect for a small urban garden.
Pomegranates need hot weather to produce
metre – it is a great heads pot are plant hard or very to leave special be-ihind
flowers and if you still have produce a semi-
fruit
a rockery. The single
fruit; in cooler areas they are often grown as to eat.
shaded wall, the climbing
an ornamental shrub or tree. Late-winter pruning
will increase the density of the shrub. The amazing double flowers; beautiful. it won’t give you any
The dwarf ornamental hydrangea pomegranate petiolaris is has just
crumpled petals of the bright scarlet flowers fruit but is a stunning Hydrangeas container are plant. forgiving
are a joy to see, standing out against the dense The huge leathery plants fruits that are are full easy of sweet to grow.
foliage. Pruned annually this delightful fruiting scarlet beads. They They can like be regular eaten raw, water used and for
tree is a spectacular sight in any garden. juice or mixed into
any
salads.
good
The
garden
unripe
soil.
skins
Mulch
To do well, pomegranates (punica granatum) produce a bright
the
red
roots
juice that
with
is
compost
used for
to
dye
require full sun and long hot summers, welldrained
garden soil (mulched with cow manure the fruit – the juice
on Moroccan leather.
keep
Look
them
out
cool
when
and
you
feed
cut
them
stains!
in early spring to get
or compost) and regular watering. Before
them going. Grow them in
A pomegranate plant may be hard to find
pots, or in the garden; bring
planting, add a small amount of garden lime. but well worth the trouble. It can usually
them inside when in flower
Although they handle drought and extreme be found online from Daley’s fruit trees in
or cut the blooms – they last
weather conditions well, the fruit will be big-
Queensland.
well in water.
with Gabrielle Bryant
Cherry Guava a
sweet surprise
IBe n full flower quick in my veggie
garden is my Cherry Guava,
to sometimes snap known up as a Strawberry
Guava. This delightful
Spring bulbs
evergreen shrub never fails to
Iproduce t’s so tempting a heavy right crop now of cherry – the
guavas bulb stands in early are autumn. full of tulips,
daffodils, It is a small, jonquils, pretty hyacinths tree with
and rounded, snow glossy drops. green If you leaves want
to that grow only these grows cold-climate
to about
bulbs three metres you should in height. treat Keep them it
as trimmed annuals. into Give shape them after the fruiting.
old
The delicate – place fluffy them flowers in the
treatment
crisper are creamy drawer white, of the growing refrigerator
close
the branches. for six weeks They before are fol-
planting, lowed by the and tangy they will flavoured, flower
beautifully sweet, berry-sized, in spring. cherry However, red
without fruit that a are frosty high winter vitamin they C.
won’t Unlike be the good taller-growing the following deciduous
yellow These guava bulbs that are needs better
year.
grown cooking, the containers. fruit can be eaten
raw Why straight not grow from the warmerclimate
tree or
used in cooking, spring bulbs jellies, that drinks, will
come sauces back or jams. year after year?
Nothing You should can beat protect the the scent fruit
of from freesias, fruit fly or with the a display fruit fly of bait.
brightly coloured sparaxis,
ranunculus and anemones.
Get Cheerful into orange the lachenalias,
standing straight like orange
soldiers, ‘swing’ make of a pretty Xmas border
Iin t partly is time shaded to relax areas. and enjoy The
sun-loving your garden. pale Look blue at Spring your
Stars outdoor (tritelia) seating will requirements
soon multiply
come – the back shops year are after full year. of
and
The amazing upright chairs spikes and of tables. the pale
pink, Hanging lilac, cane white egg and chairs magenta have
flowers been trendy of the for babiana the past Baboon few
Flowers years and complement now the ‘Swing blue, yellow,
Seat’ mauve is back. or Nothing white Dutch is more iris.
peaceful Buy your than bulbs swinging as soon in as a
you seat see for them two, sheltered to avoid disappointment,
from
the weather as with they a sell roof out to
quickly shade from (then the plant sun late – makes March). a
great Christmas present too!
72 70 DECEMBER FEBRUARY 2018 2017
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