Tom Fagan gardening tips

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Botanical name: Pandorea jasminoides

Common name: Bower of Beauty

A great Australian woody climbing vine native to NSW and Queensland.

Flowers range from magenta to white. Lady Di is a cultivar which has white flowers with a yellow throat.

Leaves are pinnate glossy feel and look and flowers have a jasmine-like fragrance.

Petals can grow up to 55mm long.

Flowers over a long period, spring to late summer. Autumn in our area if in open position.

WHAT TO DO IN THE GARDEN THIS WEEK

• Planting trees and shrubs now will give them a chance to get established before the cold weather.
• Check cherry and pear trees for a black, slimy caterpillar called the pear and cherry slug. Dust this with pear and cherry slug pesticide.
• Prune hydrangeas this month or wait till mid-winter.
• Over-sow lawns to fill in bare patches.
• Plant aquilegias, cinerarias, cyclamen, polyanthus, primulas, pansies and violas in semi-shaded positions in well-prepared, friable soil.
• Vegetable seeds to sow: Peas, carrots, broccoli, beetroot, lettuce and turnips

– Horticulturist Tom Fagan runs award-winning Tara Landscaping in Red Cliffs. Contact: 0418 393 055