Clippings: glorious blooms to plant in your spring garden
Spring is blooming magic, and to prove it, Jackie French picks out the most glorious flowers that can be grown in your garden.
AZALEAS
Most stunning spring-flowering small shrub: Azaleas have so many flowers you can hardly see the leaves.
Where to grow: Cold to temperate climates, in dappled shade.
The secret: Choose a trouble-free variety like Red Wing.
CULTIVARS
Most prolific springflowering large shrub: Rhododendron Hybrid flowers are incredible, in an array of vibrant colours.
Where to grow: Cold to temperate climates, in acidic soils high in organic matter that is well drained.
The secret: Choose a variety suitable for your climate. Some are burnt by frost, others will flower even in warmer climates. Plant behind smaller flowers to distract the eye from the dull green leaves when they aren’t blooming.
CRAB APPLES
Most reliable, stunning flowering fruit tree: Crabs range from pure white through pinks, red or mauve pink. Many give small to plum-sized red, green, yellow or purple fruit.
Where to grow: Cold to subtropical climates. The secret: Grow an avenue of the same variety, or fill your garden with early, medium and late blooming varieties to have constant gloriousness for three months or more.
THE WEEPING CHERRY
World’s most incredible cherry blossom tree: Suitable as a centrepiece in the front lawn. Try Snow Fountains ( Prunus
‘ Snofozam’). Single white flowers cover the tree and it has gorgeous autumn leaves, too. After a cherry tree for hot climates? Taiwanese or bell cherry ( Prunus campanulata) are early flowering, with deep rose blooms that dangle from the bare branches and brighten up late winter dreariness. Plus, birds love the tiny fruit. Where to grow: Almost anywhere – it’s frost hardy but doesn’t need cold nights for stunning flowers.
The secret: Keep well pruned so that it’s neat and the flowers aren’t too high to appreciate – unless you happen to be a bird.
FLOWERING CHERRY
Most stunning flowering fruit tree: There is a reason why so many places around the world have cherry blossom festivals, their streets dressed in stunning white and pink blossoms.
Where to grow: Cold to temperate climates, but the warmer the spring weather, the shorter time the blossom will last.
The secret: Grow only in areas with reliably cool but not frosty springs. Choose early or late varieties for longer blooming. You might also try ‘ Autumnalis’ that bloom in autumn.
WATTLES
Most stunning spring-flowering native tree: There’s a wattle species that will bloom every day of the year, but spring is the glory season. My favourite spring bloomer is Acacia longifolia, a neat tree with rod-shaped flowers that don’t turn into brown clumps. Where to grow: Cold to subtropical climates. The secret: Remember, you have more than 300 species to choose from. AWW