As spring marches on and the soil gets warmer, buds are bursting, birds are singing and gardeners everywhere are working their little tails off. RBG Cranbourne is no exception – we have a slightly frantic schedule of planting and pruning for this month and just a couple of areas to apply a slow release fertilizer to. But let’s not forget about the weeding…it may seem like mission impossible, but it’s really important at this time of year to keep the weeds under control and prevent them spreading too much or setting seed.
So while all this weeding and feeding and pruning and planting is going on, we can also try to take a bit of time and just enjoy the garden because it really is beautiful. I know I say that a lot, but it’s true! All around are fragrant flowers of different shapes, sizes and colours. Adding to this riot of spring colour is the rich smell of damp, warm earth that is bursting with life and the lush green of spring foliage.
The spectacular white and pink whorls of the Albany Daisy flower.
While it’s almost impossible to pick favourites at the moment, these few examples of spring colour did stand out for me. Actinodium cunninghamii or Albany Daisy is quite a spindly little shrub to about 0.5 m that you barely notice until it flowers. It needs moist, well-drained soil and prefers a position in dappled shade. What amazes me about this plant is that although the pink and white flower heads look just like a daisy, the Albany Daisy is actually a part of the Myrtaceae family [the same as the Eucalypt] and not related to the daisy at all. Look out for Albany Daisies in the Ephemeral Garden.
A graceful weeping tussock of Velvet Tussock-grass.
Poa morrisii or Velvet Tussock-grass is a graceful, weeping grass which forms a mound to about 0.5 m. It does well in full sun or part-shade and while it prefers to be kept moist, it will tolerate periods of dryness once established. Every few years Velvet Tussock-grass can be rejuvenated by cutting it back in autumn to almost ground level. There are some great examples of Poa morrissi in the Home Garden.
The five petalled yellow sunburst flower of the Native Frangipani.
Hymenosporum flavum or Native Frangipani has masses of sweet-smelling white to yellow flowers at the moment. You can see them in the Water Saving Garden and the Diversity Garden. Native Frangipani respond well to pruning after flowering to produce a bushy habit and can be pruned hard to rejuvenate them or keep them at a more manageable height as they can reach up to 20m. They tolerate a wide range of conditions and are quite fast growing. Regular feeding will encourage dense, lush foliage and they appreciate a little extra water during a dry spell.
In your home garden
If you’re looking for jobs to do in the home garden this month, then here are a few ideas. Stay on top of the weeding! It is a pain in the neck but they grow and seed so quickly at this time of year that it’s worth the effort now to stop them getting out of hand in the future.
Make sure that you’ve given everything a feed with a slow release fertilizer [preferably organic] and if you have an irrigation system then check it to make sure it’s working properly before the hotter weather arrives.
Most plants respond well to a light prune after they’ve finished flowering and now is a good time to keep up to date with that before it gets too hot.
Most important of all…take some time to enjoy being in the garden in spring – whether it’s your own garden at home, in a local park, or here at the Australian Garden. This is a very exciting time of year to be outside among the flowers.
