BushNo 58 Winter 2003 Telegraph Welcome What’s on at Zanthorrea? Congratulations to our What’s on at Zanthorrea Sloggers competition winners! Nature’s Work by Sally Smeeton I’m sitting in my bedroom My ankle’s in a cast The plaster keeps me rigid What more can a girl ask? A girl can ask for sunny days To watch her garden grow Glimpses through her window Greetings! Of what she’s come to know Join us in the gazebo for our The environment has been shown For though I can’t walk round it monthly garden talks. We are always to be a number one concern of Perth I realise in time happy to help solve your gardening residents: the health of our rivers; My garden isn’t out there queries over a cuppa. the vexing problem of plastic bags; My garden’s in my mind the conservation of rare species of I walk there along pathways Please RSVP to ensure we have wildflowers. I consider all the plants enough seats and cups. At Zanthorrea, we care for our The robust and the delicate environment, and endeavour to The beetles and the ants Australian plants in pots For while I’ve got my leg up encourage responsible garden Saturday July 12th, 10am I can not interfere practices. Growing Australian Watch Claire combine beautiful native plants is a great start as we I can’t fret about the seedlings Or fertilise in fear Australian native plants in pots to are helping to preserve our floral create a stunning effect. heritage. An added bonus is that As nature takes her course with me We will supply potting mix and there is no need to use phosphorous Forging back my bones encouragement if you would like to laden fertilisers. Flora which is native She works around the garden purchase pots and plants, and pot to our region will encourage birds Silent and all know’n them up on the day. and other animals to our garden. By the time I get back out there New clogs upon my feet! RSVP 9454 6260 This issue of Bush Telegraph She will have worked two wonders features Sue’s magnificent garden I look forward to this treat. created from a patch of poor sand Animals in your backyard. - to the delight of the local birds! Saturday August 16th, 10am Recycled by Bruce Thorpe Enjoy finding out more about Join Eric McCrum for an entertaining banksias and how to grow them in Old Bill has just worn out his boots look at the animals who live in our your garden for the birds. Claire is Along with the last of his suits gardens. mad about plants in pots - her article He’s stuffed ‘em with straw RSVP essential on 9454 6260 and talk will inspire you to use our unique flora on your patio. So he can be sure See you in the nursery very soon. That the birds won’t consume Welcome spring bushwalk all his shoots. – Alec, Jackie and the team Saturday September 13th, 10am It’s time for a spring bushwalk to view the spectacular wildflowers of the Darling Scarp. Meet at the gazebo at 9.50am. RSVP 9454 6260 Zanthorrea Nursery 1 Bush Telegraph No 58 Winter 2003 Fabulous Flora Growing Banksia We all admire the floral show 5. Summer watering should not be Banksia attenuata - another local of a blooming banksia and most essential, but fortnightly good soaks available in shrub or tree form. With people would like the fauna that will make a more vigorous plant. yellow spikes in spring and summer. they attract, so why not put more 6. Pruning is not necessary except Use this one with B. menzesii and B. in your garden, or at least start with to shape to your convenience or prionotes to have bird food available one! There are no excuses - banksias when you get enough flowers to cut all year. can fit in small pockets like Banksia some for inside as they last for ages. repens, or make big shade trees like They also last for ages on the bush Banksia littoralis. Some can grow in - the ‘Birthday Candle’ blooms in clay such as Banksia robur and some the photo have been on the bush for like Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ grow over 3 months. well in pots. A few of my favourites to grow: Banksia prionotes - a local tree to 5m with large orange acorn flowers autumn and winter. Banksia ashbyi - from the Shark Bay area, requires good drainage and low water to produce large orange flowers through winter on a 2.5m Banksia blechnifolia is my favourite bush. prostrate banksia. Growing to 30cm high by 1m plus wide, it has creeping horizontal stems with red Most banksias are reliable if you spike flowers popping out of the keep a few things in mind. ground in spring. We have a 25 1. Select a site with more than four year old one on the north side of the hours of sun per day. Banksias can plant area, with B. repens mixed in! grow in shadier spots but may have – Alec fewer flowers. 2. Make sure there is good drainage - our coastal plain is perfect. The Kanyana Plant Of The Month Banksia robur mentioned before is Banksia media - a good reliable 2m Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ - a one of a few banksias which can shrub from the south coast with big cutting grown low form of Banksia tolerate ‘wet feet’. spikes of yellow flowers autumn and spinulosa that can flower in the first 3. Mix some soil improver into the winter. year for you. It has a fine foliage top layer before planting. Banksias Banksia menzesii - in either dwarf and grows knee high by two steps have a fine network of ‘proteoid’ form to 2m or tree form to 5m this across. Flowers are golden spikes roots that search for phosphorous local plant, although slow, is well that age rusty, starting in winter and in the top soil. A teaspoon of native worth growing. Red acorn flowers lasting through summer. plant Osmocote will help at planting from summer Check them out at the information time, and a mulch layer around the to winter. drip line will keep the soil flora and hut. 140mm pots at $10.95 each. the banksia happy. For every Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ 4. There is rarely a need to add sold, $1 will go to the Kanyana fertiliser again - in fact the proteoid Wildlife Centre in Gooseberry roots and plant can be killed with Hill to help our injured birds and phosphorous based fertilisers. animals. 2 Zanthorrea Nursery Bush Telegraph No 58 Winter 2003 Winter Wildflower Wonders Sue’s Sandpit Transformed Pretty Plants in Pots small trees will add shade as they grow - Eucalyptus microtheca, E. erythrycorys and E. woodwardii. Several banksias have done well and flowered at a young age, especially the Banksia ashbyi. My garden is now two years old, I am always delighted at people’s apart from a gorgeous ‘King’s Park surprise when they discover the Special’ bottlebrush. The garden attractive possibilities of Australian was previously an oversized sandpit plants in pots and hanging baskets. - so a combination of plenty of soil In fact, there are lots of bright little improver in the planting hole and native plants who will thrive in very deep mulch (obtained cheaply dappled shade and restricted root from a tree lopper) was essential. The standout colour is from the ‘Big space! I’m a water miser, so the garden Red’ and ‘Yellow Gem’ kangaroo Here are some plants to try: has to survive with a touch of hand paws and the ground cover Scaevola watering when I remember. It got a ‘Purple Fanfare’. The paws are • Anigozanthos ‘Bush Pearl’ * lot to get it started, but once those amazing, I give many of them away • Boronia megastigma roots were down, they were on their as cut flowers. • Brachyscombe multifida own! • Correa ‘Dusky Bells’ A gravel path leads to a small pond, • Dianella revoluta which is the central feature of the • Grevillea ‘Gilt Dragon’ * garden - the edges are softened • Scaevola ‘Purple Fanfare’ by grassy lomandras, isolepsis • Syzygium ‘Bush Christmas’ and conostylis species. Three • Viola hederacea • Xanthorrhoea johnsonii * * prefers a sunny spot Other plants used include: A basket of Olearia axillaris for its grey foliage, brachyscombe Helichrysum ramossisimum ‘Yellow grows Buttons’, Westringia ‘Wynyabbie beautifully on Gem’, Acacia lasiocarpa, Hibbertia a bright patio. racemosa, Calothamnus quadrifidus, Melaleuca ‘Little Nessie’. All very adaptable plants for coastal or hills planting. – Sue A stylish pot and a simple Sue is one of several Zanthorrea plant - so hot horticulturists available for garden right now! consultation and design. Call the nursery for a Landscaper contact sheet. – Claire Zanthorrea Nursery 3 Bush Telegraph No 58 Winter 2003 What’s New? Scully’s Green Tea Body Products Earth Products Bath Mitt Fertilising Native Plants Lots of people are already hooked There are some plants that respond on New Zealand company Scully’s well to a bit more fertiliser than just luxurious lavender range! the 10g of slow release at planting – e.g most layering or suckering ground covers, Kangaroo Paws and, to a lesser extent, callistemons and melaleucas. So what to give them? Richgro have developed Native Plant Grower, similar to Blood & Bone but with modifications for Australian plants. It is a pelleted organic fertiliser that is pH balanced, contains trace These refillable soap mitts are elements, low phosphorus, boosted gorgeous – filled with hand milled nitrogen and potassium. soap, essential oils, herbs and Their new temptation is ‘Green botanicals. And because they’re Tea’: Lime Green Tea His & Hers refillable, no need to throw out Body Cream $19.95, Green Tea Bath those little bits of leftover soap, just Soap $8.45 and Green Tea Bath Fizz tuck them into the mitt! $17.95.