Flowers, foliage celebrate seasonal change
Spectacular autumn leaves and winter blooms dazzle our region
THERE wouldn’t be many observant gardeners who haven’t noticed the sudden and quite intense display of seasonal colour produced by many of our region’s deciduous trees and shrubs over the last week or two.
The hot and dryish end to summer, combined with a wet March, and mild autumn and winter temperatures, may have contributed to this unusual but very welcome heralding of our winter months.
These drier conditions may have also sparked a showier-than-average parade of blooms on many winter flowering plants as well.
This week let’s highlight a few of the more dramatic examples of floral and foliar pageantry on display in our local area right now.
1. Many Japanese maples (Acer palmatum species and cultivars) are also “colouring up” beautifully around now. This species tree, in my driveway garden, was quite drab only a week ago.
2. Known in the northern hemisphere as the Christmas cactus, the zygocactus (or Schlumbergera) is flowering well around this time in our neck of the woods. An epiphytic plant from Brazil, they prefer a semi-shaded aspect, and will perform at their best growing in a free-draining mix in a pot or hanging basket. They’ll happily bloom for you (pinks, whites, purples, oranges, reds) if not overwatered or over-fertilised.
3. Whilst the vast majority of deciduous trees exhibit a wide palette of foliage tints and shades as autumn progresses, the beautiful maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba), demonstrates its unique horticultural status with a dazzlingly quick change of leaf colour from green to a single golden-yellow, followed by an equally rapid period of leaf drop (from 1 to 14 days). These beautiful specimens can be found in Toowoomba’s Laurel Bank Park.
4. Not only are deciduous trees currently looking great with their leaves still attached, the beauty of this carpet of maple leaves in Laurel Bank Park can’t be ignored either.
5. An outstanding winter-flowering shrub, Luculia gratissima has a reputation for being as difficult to grow as the oft-maligned Daphne, a close relative.
Given the right conditions (a free-draining slightly alkaline soil, cool root run, protection from hot afternoon sun) this beauty will delight with beautifully perfumed pink blooms in cooler regions.
6. Known mainly for their gorgeous spring flower displays, many varieties of Azalea are winter bloomers too. This is Azalea ‘Dogwood’, flowering profusely right now, despite being heavily affected by azalea lacebug through the warmer months.
7. Downtown Toowoomba is awash with strong autumn colours this week. These ornamental pears (Pyrus cultivars), in Ruthven St, are dazzling city visitors with their gold, orange and red patchwork canopies.
8. Maybe flowering a little earlier than usual, this Daphne odora is growing well in a large pot protected from hot afternoon sun. Consistent moisture is also a requirement of this plant, one of the world’s best fragrant flowering shrubs.
9. Most Australians will know that winter is a time when our national flower, the wattle (Acacia species), blooms all around this vast country.
This is Acacia podalyriifolia, the silver wattle, doing its best to encourage national pride this week.