Native Plants that grow in our Bungendore Gardens. 

This is a list of plants in two Bungendore CWA Member’s gardens, Joan and Marilynne.

TREES

(Joan) I have planted 3 wattles...Acacia Cardiophillya.(West Wyalong Wattle).a small fast growing wattle with ferny foliage...not always easy to get but Cool Country Natives would be able to advise alternatives. This is to provide a canopy to protect the plants from the harsh summer sun and our winter frosts, also fixes nitrogen in the soil.

(Marilynne) I have planted a few acacia species. 

Acacia Floribunda – graceful, easy to grow 

Acacia Pravissima – Oven’s Wattle – which I have used as a garden sculpture. It encircles the Floribunda and I keep it hedged to just over a metre. Very dense. Easily pruned. There is a small shrub (that’s what I should have got) and a prostrate form of this. Hardy and really interesting leaves. 

Acacia Cognata is a lovely bright green small tree with a weeping habit. I lost the first one I tried to grow, but have had success since planting in a more sheltered spot and protecting from frost for the first two winters. Still get nervous about it in winter. There is the small form of it used for borders in Canberra but not here. 

Banksia Serrata ‘Old Man Banksia – grown from a seedling from my son’s place in Sydney. Has grown easily. 

EUCALYPTS 

(Marilynne) I have a dozen eucalypts, mostly dwarf varieties, which grow between 5 to 7 or so metres, so not very dwarf! I did try the gorgeous grafted Summer Red and Summer pink – gifts from family in Sydney – but these failed, despite protection. 

Eucalyptus pauciflora Snow Gum Have grown easily and are a lovely ta;; habitat for a family of Rosellas who nest there. There are dwarf varieties of this. Eucalyptus pauciflora 'Little Snowman' - 

Eucalyptus leucoxylon 'Euky Dwarf'. If you want to have one eucalyptus In your garden, this could be it. Flowers prolifically., lovely pink flowers. 

Eucalyptus pauciflora Little Snowman or Edna Walling – as good as Euky Dwarf but with white flowers. It looks as though it will be a metre or so taller. 

Eucalyptus cassia Silver Princess an interesting weeping form which I am trying but don’t know if it will thrive. It was a gift from someone who lives in a kinder climate.

LARGE SHRUBS 

(Joan) Callistemon Citrinus ‘Kings Park Special’...can grow up to 3 to 4 metres....I keep mine clipped as I don’t have a lot of space and I didn't realise how big it would get! 

Callistemon Baroondah...beautiful weeping bottlebrush...about 2metres might not be still available. 

Mauve Mist is a good alternative. 

I have some smaller growing bottlebrush ..names escape me...last visit to CCN…was amazed at the selection of bottlebrushes, ground cover ..small, medium, large , all sorts ....I prefer weeping varieties.... Something for all sites. Very tough plants. It is a cultivar of LEPTOSPERMUM

(Marilynne) I have had success with Callistemon too. So I would add to the list 

Other Callistemons growing happily in my garden are 

Callistemon ‘Pink Champagne’ and 

Callistemon ‘Injune’ and 

Callistemon ‘Purple Splendens’ 

Banksia Marginata ‘Silver Banksia’ which is a large shrub/small tree is growing will. Joan has a dwarf version of this. 

Grevillea ‘Canberra Gem’ grows to about 2.5m is hardy but quite prickly, so you need to pick the right spot. It is a cultivar of G. Juniperis x G Rosmarinfloria 

Grevillea Victoriae Dense, fast growing and very hardy.

MEDIUM SHRUBS 1.5 to 2m 

(Joan) GREVILLEA 

Grevillea ‘Lady O’ is a favourite ..once established rewards with lots of flowers...give it some room as it can get to 2m....I also have some spiky grevilleas lots to choose from and very hardy , provide protection for small birds. 

Grevillea Wilkinsonnii.....has been slow to take off , growing well now after all the rain is yet to flower. 

Grevillea iaspicula....endangered species…does well but short lived...drops seed so goes on in my garden.

(Marilynne) I must try Lady O again – tried it right at the start and it didn’t make it. 

I have Grevillea Rosmarinfloria

(Joan) LEPTOSPERMUM 

Fabulous screening plant Peter Ollerenshaw has a huge selection...all colours and sizes…web site www.bywonnursery.com.au to see the range. Note that this is a wholesale nursery which sells to Canberra nurseries. 

I have 2 Leptospermum Rudolph planted in the wrong spot as I'm always experimenting...wish I had planted as a screen...still might. 

Philotheca 

Very tough ..white flowers in spring....tip prune.. 

Prostanthera 

..mint bush....beautiful perfume and looks wonderful in spring...had a whole row but another casualty of the wet weather...short lived but worth planting for their beauty.

(Marilynne) Philotheca is one of my real favourites and there are quite a few varieties from medium to small. They have a lovely scent and are spectacular when in full flower. I couldn’t find them for a while as I was looking for Eriostemon, which is what I had known them as, 

Westringia Fruticosa ‘Coastal Rosemary’ has been a good performer in my garden. Grows to abut 2m. There are white and blue flowering varieties.

SMALL SHRUBS 

(Joan) Baeckea virgata ‘la Petite.’...lovely lime green soft foliage small rounded 

Banksia marginata dwarf. Also larger form ..one of the few banksia ..that I can grow 

CORREAS 

I have several and all doing well...survive in the shade, under trees where nothing else will grow...very tough plant...love them. 

Favourites....Little Cate Annabell ...Adorabell..Jezabell...Canberra bells 

Peter Ollerenshaw has done a lot of work on the correa...breeding for more flowers etc....Big range’

Micromytus ciliata prostrate form....my new favorited survives the frost and has lovely soft foliage and attractive white flowers in spring...and with age can spread over 3 m...this I’ve yet to experience. Pretty tough but lost several to wet feet...not something that I have had to worry about before this year. 

Westringia 

I grow the smaller varieties and also a dwarf v. Tough plants that can be pruned into mounds.

GRASSES and FERNS 

(Joan) Lomandra tanika .... lime green adds interest and habitat for small animals 

Can be divided easily. 

Have grown the larger Lomandra but found it invasive in my small garden. 

Xanthorrhoea…the grass tree....I have one that is doing very well...it was grown from seed by my son-in-law...hasn't flowered as yet but maybe this year! I just love it. Maybe 8yrs.old?

(Marilynne) Lomandra Longifolia – the large Lomandra. Need to be divided to keep at a reasonable size in a town garden, not the easiest thing to do. 

Dianella caerulea ‘Blue Flax Lily” is growing quite well. There are some smaller varieties that I might try. I cut it back in winter. 

Dicksonia Antrarctica ‘soft tree fern’ – I have growing in a special place in the garden. I do need to provide some shelter for it but it has thrived.

GROUND COVERS/PROSTRATE 

(Joan) Brachyscombe flowering purple daisy plant....can be divided and spread around the garden 

Grevillia lanigera ’Mount Tamboritha;...one of my best performing plants…it is the most popular form of Grevillia Lanigera in cultivation ... survives our harsh climate...frost, dry summers and even wet feet! 

A keeper!.. I have several variants of this great little plant. 

Myoporum... 

great for covering large areas, can also be a substitute for lawn...I prefer fine leaf variety. 

Scleranthus...lime green mounding groundcover ..can grow over rocks...beautiful....needs water...has done really well this year.

(Marilynne) Myoporum Parvifolium is my favourite groundcover and I am growing it in lots of places in my garden where it will eventually replace the need to mulch. Very tough and drought tolerant. Thee is a broadleaf version of this that is even tougher. I had it as a lawn replacement in our last place. 

Acacia baileyana ‘Prostrate’ Cootamundra Wattle is the most spectacle one I have and now covers an area of about 3m x These wattles are short-living – from 10-15 years and mine is 10 years old. The species has been listed as a weed in ACT in 2015. I will have to think about replacing it.

I have several different prostrate grevilleas which are establishing well and a prostrate Banksia – not sure of the variety – which has been very slow growing. 

Now that I have a canopy and some more sheltered spots, I am going to try Hardenbergia again. It grew beautifully, hugely, one summer which was followed by the coldest winter we have had since we got here and it didn’t survive.

Joan says ‘This is my list of tried and true plants that survive our harsh climate. Of course I am always experimenting and trying new plants. I also have a list in my head that I would love to be able to grow! Who knows my next garden!’. 

Nurseries mentioned: Bywong Nursery is a wholesale only nursery which sells to Canberra nurseries. It’s website gives you an idea of the range of different cultivars. www.bywongnursery.com.au 

Cool Country Natives is our ‘go to’ nursery for native plants. https://www.coolcountrynatives.com.au/ 

Propagation 

You can propagate plants from cuttings or by division. When propagating, be sure that you 

• Divide the plants under hygienic conditions with clean tools and hands. 

• Choose healthy and vigorous plant material for propagation. 

• Knock the plant out of its pot, and free the roots of surplus soil. 

• Pull the plants gently apart, and single out each with separate stem, leaf or crown. 

• Plot each division as a different plant in a suitably sized pot using a good potting soil 

How to Propagate Plants from Cuttings 

There are 2 main methods of propagating – taking cuttings and dividing plants. This guide refers to taking cuttings. 

Here’s how to take a softwood stem cutting: 

• Cut a 4- to 5-inch-long (10 to 12 cm) stem (or side shoot) just below a leaf, and remove all but two or three leaves at the top. 

• Make sure you use a sharp knife to minimise damage. 

• Dip the cut end into rooting hormone. 

• Rooting hormone is a powder or liquid containing growth hormones that stimulate root growth on cuttings. Some also contain a fungicide to control root rot. Local nurseries or garden centres carry the product. 

• Insert the cutting into a box or container, filled with about 3 inches (8 cm) of moistened pure builder’s sand, vermiculite, or perlite. 

• The ideal container should have drainage holes. 

• Slip the container into a self-sealing plastic bag. 

• Prop up the bag with something like toothpicks or short twigs so that the plastic doesn’t touch the leaves. Seal the bag to minimise water loss, but open it occasionally to let in fresh air. 

• Place the covered container in indirect light. 

• Easy-to root perennials include begonia, candytuft, chrysanthemum, carnations or pinks (Dianthus), geraniums (Pelargonium), penstemon, phlox, sage, sedum. Woody plants that you can root include bougainvillea, fuchsia, gardenia, heather, honeysuckle, ivy, pyracantha, star jasmine, and willow. 

• When the cuttings are well rooted (4 to 8 weeks, for most plants) and are putting on new growth, transplant them into individual containers of potting soil. 

• As they continue to grow, gradually expose them to more light. When the plants are well established in the pots and continue to put on top growth, harden them off (acclimate them to your weather conditions) and plant them in their permanent garden location. 

Geraniums, succulents, cacti. can be propagated easily by simply sticking them in a pot. 

Hardwood cuttings can be taken in the winter when the plants have lost their leaves ie...roses , deciduous shrubs. 

There are no guarantees, so always take more cuttings than you need ,and you might be surprised. 

Hardwood cuttings can be taken in the winter when the plants have lost their leaves ie...roses , deciduous shrubs. 

Propagation of plants by division: What can you divide, examples and what to do.

CLUMPS

Plants which grow in clumps and produce masses of stems at ground level.

Most of the herbaceous perennials, aster, chrysanthemum, russelia,catmint, brachysome, agapanthus, blue fescue grass, mondo grass, liriope, daylilies, rudbeckia, clumping bamboo, hostas and bromeliads.

Separate clumps into individual plants.

RHIZOMES

Rhizomes, are stems that grow horizontally underground and form buds on the stem which grow roots.

Grasses: lomandra, dianella (flax lily) bamboo.

Flowering: I rises, cannas, lily of the valley, and sympodial orchids. 

Edible : asparagus, hops, rhubarb, ginger, turmeric, and lotus.

The thick root stem s can be divided into sections that contain a bud or root.

STOLONS(Runners)

Stolons, or runners, can occur at soil level or underground. They have thin stems with roots at intervals.

Strawberries, Mint, Spider plant, Lilacs and forsythia.

Cut underground runners between the main plant and the new plants .For surface runners, cut stems about 2cm each side of the roots plant in in ground or pots.

BULBS, CORMS AND TUBERS

These all store nutrients that feed the flowers and foliage. When flowering has finished, the bulb, corm or tuber builds up nutrients for the following season from the leaves, which is why it is important to leave the leaves to die. So don’t do anything until this happens. 

They do not have to be lifted each year; they can stay in the ground and multiply until you want to thin and or divide them.

Bulbs are layered and have a flat base there roots and offsets (daughter bulbs) grow.

Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, along with onions, shallots, chives and leeks.

Bulbs can be lifted and separated once leaves have died.

Corms have a solid stem tissue and like bulbs have a flat base where the roots grow and new corms grow for next season.

Crocuses, gladioli and freesias.

A corm only grows for one season but produces new corms at its base and these can be divided flowering and then dies.

Tubers are modified stems with growing points that thicken each year.

Crocuses, gladioli and freesias.

Tubers can be lifted and the tuberous stems divided.

Seed Saving the Basics 

Use the healthiest plants, vegetables, to save seeds from 

Fruit and vegetables used for seed saving should be healthy and really ripe. 

Once seeds have been extracted, no matter which method is used they should be spread on e.g. a plate or tray for a couple of weeks to ensure they are completely dry 

Once completely dry, store them in a jar, envelope, or plastic zip lock bag 

Label with name of fruit, flower or vegetable and date 

Store in a cool dark place for use the following season 

Store in a cold place – cool store or refrigerator – if you want to keep them longer 

Types of Seed sand How to Save 

The easiest – Seeds in pods 

The easiest vegetables to save seed from are those that grow in a pod . 

• Peas 

• Beans, 

• Broad beans 

• sweet peas. 

Simply leave pods on the plant until they are completely dry – the colour of a paper bag. Then you harvest t hem, simply open the pos and remove the seeds. Peas and beans can be used for sowing for next season or next season, or as a pulse like lentils and chickpeas, a source of vegetable protein. 

How to save ‘pulpy’ seeds – Using Fermentation 

Seeds of pulpy vegetables and fruits, such as tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) and cucumbers (Cucumis sativus), require a fermentation process that mimics the natural rotting that occurs in nature. As the seeds ferment, the pulp separates, leaving behind clean seeds that are suitable for saving. 

• Tomatoes 

• Cucumber 

• Zucchini 

• Pumpkin 

• Melons 

Guide to saving seeds using fermentation 

1. Cut open a fruit or vegetable and scoop out its seeds and attached pulp with a spoon. Place the seeds in a tall glass or jar. 

2. Fill the glass or jar with water so the seeds and pulp are submerged to a depth of 2 or more inches. Set the glass or jar in a room-temperature location to ferment. 

3. Skim the mold and pulp from the top of the water in the glass or jar every one to three days. Add water to the container to replace the amount skimmed. Repeat the skimming process each time mold forms during a seven- to 10-day period, or until most of the pulp and non-viable seeds have floated to the surface and only viable seeds remain at the container's bottom. 

4. Pour the container's contents through a mesh strainer. Rinse all remaining pulp from the seeds with clear water. 

5 .Spread the seeds in a single layer on a sheet of wax paper. Allow the seeds to dry completely in a warm, well-ventilated location, which may take about one week. Stir the seeds daily so all their sides dry evenly. 

Plants that Flower and ‘Go to Seen’ 

Saving seeds from vegetables that have ‘gone to seed’ – i.e. flowered and produced seed. There can be quite a time between the flowering and the production of seed. When the plant flowers, it is then pollinated and then a seed produced 

This includes 

• Parsley 

• Carrot , parsnip and beetroot 

• Rocket 

• Celery 

• Onions 

Let the plant ‘die off; so the sterns and flowers are brown and dry. Then separate the seeds from the plant, spread them on a plate to dry out for a couple of weeks 

Guide to making your own seed envelope 

1. Begin with a square piece of paper. Fold it diagonally into a triangle and position so the longest side is facing you. 

2. Fold the bottom right corner up to meet the centre of the opposite side so there is a straight edge along the top. 

3. Repeat with the bottom left corner, again meeting the opposite side. Both corners should line up across the top edge. 

4. Tuck the first of the two triangles at the top into the triangular pocket created by making the previous fold in step 3. 

5. You will see that you now have an envelope that you can fill with seeds. Once filled, close by tucking the remaining top triangle into the same fold as in step 

A 

Acacia buxifolia 

Acacia dealbata 

Acacia decurrens 

Acacia genistifolia 

Acacia gunnii 

Acacia mearnsii 

Acacia melanoxylon 

Acacia parramattensis 

Acacia rubida 

Acaena novae-zelandiae 

Acaena ovina 

Ajuga australis 

Allocasuarina littoralis 

Alternanthera denticulata 

Alternanthera sp 

Amphibromus nervosus 

Amyema miquelii 

Amyema pendula 

Anthosachne scaber 

Aphanes ? australiana 

Aristida ramosa 

Arthropodium sp. 

Asperula conferta 

Astroloma humifusum 

Astrotricha ledifolia 

Austrodanthonia carphoides 

Austrodanthonia laevis 

Austrodanthonia sp. 

Austrodanthonia sp.1 

Austrodanthonia sp2 

Austrostipa bigeniculata 

Austrostipa densiflora 

Austrostipa scabra ssp falcata 

B 

Billardiera scandens 

Bossiaea buxifolia 

Bossiaea prostrata 

Bothriochloa macra 

Brachyloma daphnoides 

Brachyscome rigidula 

Bulbine bulbosa 

C 

Calocephalus citreus 

Calotis anthemoides 

Calotis scabiosifolia var integrifolia 

Carex appressa

Carex breviculmis 

Carex inversa 

Cassia longifolia 

Cassinia aculeata 

Cassinia arcuata 

Cassinia longifolia 

Cassinia quinquefaria 

Cassytha sp. 

Centipeda cunninghamii 

Chamaesyce drummondii 

Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia 

Cheilanthes sp. 

Chloris truncata 

Chrysocephalum apiculatum 

Chrysocephalum apiculatum 

Chrysocephalum apiculatum (silver & green forms) 

Chrysocephalum apiculatum (silver) 

Chrysocephalum semipapposum 

Clematis leptophylla 

Comesperma ericinum 

Convolvulus angustissimus 

Convolvulus erubescens 

Craspedia variabilis 

Cryptandra amara 

Cryptandra amara var. longiflora 

Cymbonotus lawsonianus 

Cynoglossum australe 

Cynoglossum suaveolens 

D 

Damasonium minus 

Daucus glochidiatus 

Daviesia genistifolia 

Daviesia mimosoides 

Desmodium gunnii 

Desmodium varians 

Dianella longifolia 

Dianella revoluta 

Dichelachne crinita 

Dichelachne sp. 

Dichelachne sp. 

Dichelachne sp.1 

Dichelachne sp.2 

Dichondra repens 

Dillwynia sericea 

Diuris sp.

Diuris sulphurea 

Dodonaea viscosa ssp. angustissima 

Drosera peltata 

Drosera sp. 

E 

Echinopogon sp. 

Einadia nutans 

Eleocharis acuta 

Elymus scaber 

Enneapogon nigricans 

Epilobium sp. 

Eragrostis benthamii 

Eragrostis trachycarpa 

Eriochilus cucullatus 

Eryngium ovinum 

Eryngium rostratum 

Eucalyptus bridgesiana 

Eucalyptus dives 

Eucalyptus dives x pauciflora 

Eucalyptus macrorhyncha (juvenile) 

Eucalyptus mannifera 

Eucalyptus melliodora 

Eucalyptus pauciflora 

Eucalyptus polyanthemos 

Eucalyptus rossii 

Eucalyptus rubida 

Eucalyptus viminalis 

Euchiton involucratus 

Exocarpos cupressiformis 

F 

Fimbristylis ? dichotoma 

G 

Galium gaudichaudii 

Geranium solanderi 

Geranium sp. 

Glycine clandestina 

Glycine tabacina 

Gompholobium huegelii 

Gonocarpus tetragynus 

Goodenia hederacea 

Goodenia hederaceae 

Goodenia pinnatifida 

Gratiola peruviana 

Greenhood rosettes

H 

Haloragis heterophylla 

Hardenbergia violacea 

Helichrysum rutidolepis 

Helichrysum scorpioides 

Helichrysum semipapposum 

Hemarthria uncinata 

Hibbertia obtusifolia 

Hovea heterophylla 

Hydrocotyle laxiflora 

Hydrocotyle tripartita 

Hymenochilus muticus 

Hypericum gramineum 

Hypoxis hygrometrica 

I 

Indigofera australis 

Isotoma fluviatilis 

J 

Joycea pallida 

Juncus fockei 

Juncus sp. 

Juncus sp. (3) 

K 

Kunzea ericoides 

Kunzea parvifolia 

L 

Lachnagrostis filiformis 

Laxmannia gracilis 

Lepidosperma laterale 

Leptorhynchos squamatus 

Leptospermum multicaule 

Leptospermum myrtifolium 

Leptospermum myrtifolium 

Leucochrysum albicans ssp albicans var tricolor 

Leucochrysum albicans ssp albicans var tricolor 

Leucochrysum albicans var. tricolor 

Linum marginale 

Lissanthe strigosa 

Lomandra ? longifolia 

Lomandra bracteata 

Lomandra filiformis ssp coriacea 

Lomandra filiformis ssp. filiformis 

Lomandra filiformis var. coriacea 

Lomandra longifolia

L 

Lomandra multiflora 

Luzula densiflora 

Luzula sp. (? flaccida) 

Lythrum hyssopifolia 

M 

Melichrus urceolatus 

Microlaena stipoides 

Microtis ? unifolia 

Microtis sp. 

Myriophyllum sp. 

O 

Olearia sp. (low, suckering) 

Opercularia hispida 

Oreomyrrhis eriopoda 

Ottelia ovalifolia 

P 

Panicum effusum 

Persicaria prostrata 

Persoonia sp. 

Pimelea curviflora 

Pimelea glauca 

Pimelea sp. 

Pimelia ?linifolia 

Plantago sp. 

Plantago varia 

Poa labillardieri 

Poa meionectes 

Poa sieberiana 

Podolepis jaceoides 

Pomaderris eriocephala 

Poranthera microphylla 

Potamogeton sp. 

Potamogeton tricarinatus 

Pteridium esculentum 

Pultenaea microphylla 

Pultenaea subspicata 

R 

Ranunculus lappaceus 

Rubus parvifolius 

Rumex brownii 

Rytidosperma laeve 

Rytidosperma pallidum 

Rytidosperma sp.

S 

Schoenus apogon 

Scleranthus biflorus 

Senecio quadridentatus 

Senecio sp. 

Solanum linearifolium 

Solenogyne dominii 

Stackhousia monogyna 

Stylidium graminifolium 

T 

Thelymitra peniculata 

Thelymitra sp 

Themeda australis 

Themeda australis 

Themeda triandra 

Thysanotus patersonii 

Tricoryne elatior 

Triptilodiscus pigmaeus 

V 

Velleia paradoxa 

Veronica calycina 

Veronica perfoliata 

Vittadinia cuneata 

Vittadinia gracilis 

Vittadinia muelleri 

W 

Wahlenbergia ? multicaulis 

Wahlenbergia communis 

Wahlenbergia gracilis 

Wahlenbergia luteola 

Wahlenbergia sp (small flower) 

Wahlenbergia stricta 

Wurmbea dioica 

X 

Xerochrysum viscosum

The Gundaroo Tiller website is well worth a sign up for for Joyce’s Monthly Guides at the bottom of each page. This is focussed on our region.

The no-dig garden consists of 8 10cm (4”) layers – apart from compost and manure which should be 5cm (2”). 

Remember to water each layer thoroughly as you go.

Ingredients

Non Fertilizer

• Cardboard/newspaper

• Green weeds or grass clippings with no seeds or runners

• Straw

• Lucerne

• Compost

Fertilier

• Blood and bone 

• Lime

The Layers

1. First layer is cardboard and/or newspaper, followed by a dressing of blood and bone. Next, a layer of green weeds or grass clippings with no seeds or runners and apply lime. Number three is dry deciduous leaves or straw, followed by more blood and bone. The fourth layer is sheep manure, but you could use cow manure. Lay it on 5cm (2”) thick followed by some lime.

2. Layer five is lucerne and blood and bone. Layer six is more sheep or cow manure – laid 5cm (2”) thick and lime. Layer seven – more lucerne and blood and bone. And layer number eight is compost -just like icing on the cake.

This link will take you to the ABC Gardening Australia website to learn more about Bulb Lasagne.

Plant a Bulb Lasagne

‘PlantNet‘ is an application that allows you to identify plants simply by photographing them with your smartphone. It is also a great citizen science project: Find out more.. Get the app for IOS and Android

‘Seek‘ by Naturalist is an app that uses the image recognition to identify pants, animals, birds, amphibians and fungi . It is particularly useful for encouraging students to learn more about what is around them as users can earn badges for identifying different types of species. Find out more. Get the app for IOS and Android .

Thank you to Dennis Dempsey for allowing us to use this information.

Roses – Pruning and Care 

Based on the presentation by Dennis Dempsey to the Bi-Annual International Rose Congress Albany West Australia November 2018 

The great Impressionist Painter C laud Monet once said his greatest triumphs were in his garden not on his canvas! Certainly something to think about. 

The equally great Jazz Musician Louis Armstrong was once asked “Mr Armstrong What is Jazz”. His answer stunned the audience when he said, “If you’ve got to ask you ain't got it and never will”. 

People who have “it” whatever it is are you in this room as you have travelled far and wide for the love of roses. 

I do hope I can make your journey a little bit more worthwhile. 

In 1992 the Australian Film Industry launched a new film amongst rave reviews called “Strictly Ballroom”. The film plot was based around the Pan Pacific Ballroom Championships but rumours were abounding that some members or contestants were about to introduce “NEW STEPS”? 

Never before was there a hint of the horror of new steps in Ballroom Dancing - Strictly Ballroom – 

We are now in 2018 and talking about roses, however we still are very afraid to introduce “New Steps”. We follow pretty much methods we are taught at technical Colleges or at Garden Centres or we learn from each other never questioning if these methods are correct in terms of what is best for the health of the rose we are working on. 

In our garden we teach all staff to work on the “Four D'S” Dead Wood, Diseased Wood, Damaged Wood and Diagonal or crossing woo 

I am about to take you all this morning on a journey through my now six years at the Old Parliament House and National Rose Gardens in Canberra. 

In our gardens we have in excess of 8,000 roses to maintain and manage, almost 800 named varieties, and in excess of 50 different types or styles of roses 

In some cases the job is relatively easy with the 'Ladies Garden' having primarily Hybrid Tea roses, others such as Hybrid Musk, Wichurinna Hybrids, Rosa Floribunda, Rosa Noisette, Rosa Shrub, Rosa David Austin (Shrub), Rosa Polyantha, Rosa Large Flowering Climbers (Alistair Clarke), and Rosa Rugosa. 

Primarily the care in this garden is carried out by our wonderful double team of Volunteers with full back-up from our own team of Rosarians 

'Macarthur Garden' has extensive Trellised roses which are expertly pruned in winter by our own team. However again, most of the other work in the garden, including pruning of the China Roses (summer pruned), Rosa Tea, Rosa Noisette, are carried out by our dedicated Volunteers. 

We also have a small bed of old remnant roses located behind the Clubhouse which holds many old unknown roses from days past. We welcome visitors comments and suggestions as to type. 

The 'Senate Garden' varies in complexity from Rosa Floribunda to Rosa David Austin (Shrub Type) and a variety of climbing roses on three poled totems. This garden is also expertly maintained by a most dedicated team of Volunteers backed up by our Rosarians.

The 'Rex Hazlewood Garden' is the largest of the four gardens worked in by the Volunteers as it has over 1,200 individual plants. These are planted in three main groupings being East (China Roses), West (European Roses), and Centre (Australian bred Alistair Clarke roses). 

Within the three broad groupings we have in excess of 50 different rose classifications or types from Rosa Polyantha to Rosa Wild Ramble 

While this garden is expertly maintained by a wonderful team of Volunteers, it has taken nothing short of a huge effort to sort out the order of this garden over the past five plus years. 

The Colour Code (traffic light) system was introduced to aid immediate knowledge of what to do for individual treatment of each rose. 

Red - leave rose hips on (do not dead head) Blue - prune in autumn Yellow - prune in winter Green - prune in spring/summer Black - DO NOT PRUNE (only three roses in gardens with black labels).

Hygiene In The Rose Garden 

All tools are disinfected with 50% methylated Spirits and 50% water between plants. 

The Importance of Correct Cuts in The Rose Garden. 

Top cut preserves 5millimetres above a live bud thus aiding healing of a wound preventing the entry of disease. 

Lower cut is at a steep angle, bi-secting healing cells thus slowing or preventing the healing of tissue in turn allowing die back and again allowing canker to develop. When we think about the way we cut roses, I know that last Millennium, Last Century and four decades ago I was taught to cut "on a 45 degree angle away from most suitable outward pointing bud". The reason for the angled cut was always explained as "so the water can run off the cut and it will not rot 

Forward Forty years and our staff are still being taught the same method to prune roses 

In the 1960's when I started work in Canberra cuts to trees were done for convenience straight down the trunk of a tree when removing a limb. The wound left behind was oval shaped. It was in the 1980's the Arborists woke up to the fact that cells that healed cuts were located in the ridge or slight bulge located in the crotch of a limb. Since that time methods have changed in tree work with the result that trees have healed rapidly through callousing in latter years while I can easily find cuts from the 1950's and 1960's that remain unhealed and indeed diseased. 

Think about tree removal. We never approach a tree at stump level and perform a cut at a 45 degree angle. We always use flat cuts! If we are to destroy the tree the question arises "how soon after the flat bottom cut do we apply Glyphosate or Tree and Blackberry killer? An hour a day a week? Of course not, we do it within thirty seconds. Why? Well we apply the tree killer because the living tree begins to heal within 30 seconds of a cut or wound. 

It is no different in soft wooded plants. Cuts begin to heal from wounds within thirty seconds of a wound. The twist though is that for healing to take place we must leave the cells on the plant to enable the plant to self repair 

All roses have buds, if buds are not present there are dormant buds at all leaf scales. To enable cuts near these buds to heal say from pruning, dead heading we must preserve the 5 millimetres above the bud where the healing cells are located. Cut too high eg. 10mm to 50mm and the rose will die back to the nearest live bud causing "Die Back", which in time can turn into Canker. Cut too close to the bud less than 5mm the healing cells will be depleted thus causing "Die Back and Canker. 

– 

Spraying fertiliser on roses in OPH and Nationals Rose Gardens. Roses are foliarfed from both sides every 6 weeks 

Old Roses Pruning Requirements

Rose species: Rosa Alba

Prune in: Autumn

Important: Rosa Albas should be left unpruned for the first several years to allow the rose to establish.

Information: Prune to shoulder height, thin out only dead and crowding canes, remove all dead wood. If height is not reduced these large roses will droop and fall to the ground causing management problems in managed gardens. In private gardens leave to spread to a more natural shape tying weaker canes back to stronger as necessary. 

Important: Alba roses flower on three year and older wood so keep a range of wood from young canes for replacement to old canes for flowering.`

Rose species: Rosa shrub type

Prune in: Winter

Important: All these roses require thought when pruning. . Shrub roses are pruned “up in the heads” rather than near the ground. Shrub roses are time consuming and must not be rushed.

Information: Shrub roses come in sizes from small tidy roses, to David Austin type English Roses through the old Tea roses, to the giant shrub roses encountered in an old style garden. 

In general remove all dead and diseased wood, prune to shoulder height for taller plants, waist height for mid height plants such as David Austins and knee height for smallest plants, leaving each plant intact and well shaped.

Rose species: Rosa Hybrid Gallica

Prune in: Autumn

Important: Caution: Gallica and Hybrid Gallica roses require special treatment regarding pruning. Poor pruning can ruin flowering on these roses for several year.

Information: Species Gallica roses are substantially similar to Hybrid Gallica roses to prune. The main aim is to promote lateral growth for the next seasons flowers. Clean out old burned out canes, dead and diseased wood, cut back to waist high leaving a range of canes from old to young.

Why don't you try a straw bale garden.

Minimal Preparation

Straw bale gardens are a way of growing vegetables which requires minimal preparation. You simply get your straw bales and put them in place and follow the simple instructions below.

Seasonal

The straw bales last one growing season. By the time you are harvesting the produce, they are breaking down to form good compost or the basis of a permanent garden if that is what you are planning. 

Great for renters

They are a great option for renters, as they are not permanent, seasonal and easily removed,

A good way to start a permanent garden

A good way to start a permanent vegetable garden is to get some raised garden beds. Put them in place and put the straw baled inside them. A 2 metre x 1 metre bed takes 6. It is a lot easier than carting soil to fill them!

 At harvesting time, the bales have broken down and will fill just under half the raised garden bed. So if you do it a second time, the nearly fills the bed,

Other Advantages

• Minimum weeds – which is why straw is used and not hay.

• Insulation of plant roots which can extend the growing season

• Few materials required.

• At the end of the season there will be lots of worms, one of the gardener’s best friends.

What you can grow

Leafy greens including lettuce, kale, chard and silver beet as well as 

squash, cucumbers, peppers, chard, tomatoes, eggplant, peas, annual herbs, and strawberries. Root veggies, like carrots and beets, struggle to grow in this dense environment.

Simple to set up

Step 1 – Place your bales

Bales can be set up anywhere, even on concrete! If you are setting them up on a grassy or weedy area, put cardboard down first. Make sure the spot you choose gets at least 5 hour of sun a day.

Step 2 – Condition your bales – the key to success

This Is what causes the decomposition of the bale from the inside which creates the environment for your plants to grow.

Soak the bales uniformly and thoroughly once a day for three days. If you happen to set them yp in a rainy period, that is a great advantage.

Apply pelletized, high nitrogen fertilizer – the chook pellet variety are ideal and readily available. Water th e bales with each application. Advice 

When to plant

Advice about that varies from 10 days to 3 weeks. If you have fertilized and watered ant the weather has been warm, then 10 days would work. If you have bee busy and a but erratic in the preparation, leave it for a bit longer,

How to plant

Method 1

Dig out a small pocket, and put in a seedling with the soil from the pot it was in. You can put in a handful of extra soil (potting mix) especially if you are going to plant seeds rather than seedlings. Water in.

Method 2

Spread a layer of soil and or compost on top of the straw bales and plant into that. Water in.

Watering and fertilizing are the key to success.

Watering.

Use a soaker hose or drip irrigation for efficient watering of your straw garden. Putting these on a timer make it even easier.

Fertilizing

You need to add fertilizer at regular intervals. As soon as you see any yellowing add your pelleted or other plant fertilizer. This could be about every two weeks. You can also use liquid seaweed as an additional soil conditioner. 

Canberra Organic Garden Society(COGS) planting guide for this region.

Gardenate has a good planting guide with links to plant information which is helpful.

The Seed Collection