Growing for Success | Anzac Day plants

It seems that a lot of people have also taken the three days off between the Easter break and Anzac Day and taking an extra-long break.

This has made the Garden Centre and Golf Gardens extremely busy with people out enjoying being in the garden.

If you are looking for a way to pay tribute to our Anzacs in your garden, there are several plants with special meaning attached to the Anzacs.

The Flanders poppy is probably the first that most would think of.

This is the red poppy that was among the first plants to bloom on the devastated battlefields of northern France and Belgium.

The Gallipoli Centenary Rose is also popular.

This stunning rose was carefully selected to commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign.

Another significant plant is the Gallipoli Rosemary, which can be traced back to original plants taken from Anzac Cove.

My favourite though is Grevillea Spirit of the Anzacs, which is starting to flower right on time for Anzac Day.

Its large nectar-laden flowers hang proudly from the fine green, grey foliage and will attract New Holland honeyeaters and other nectar-feeding birds.

Anzac Day is for most a significant day on our calendar and it is a nice idea to commemorate it with a plant of significance in your garden.

Obviously on such an important day, our Garden Centre and Golf Gardens are closed until 1pm out of respect for our Anzacs and in memory of the fallen.

With autumn now in full swing a lot of the grevilleas and correas are starting to come into their prime, as well as plants such as camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas, which are often overlooked in plant selection for our region.

Rhododendrons and azaleas are considered by many to be unsuitable to grow in our hot summer climate but, if given the right growing conditions and placement in the garden, they will perform well and reward you with a stunning winter display.

The main two types of azaleas that I would suggest growing in our area are Azalea Indica and Azalea Kurume, with Mollis Azaleas only recommended for established, protected gardens.

Azalea Indica is a larger variety, growing between 60cm and 150cm high with slightly larger leaves and larger flowers that appear spasmodically over the shrub for an extended period over winter.

Whereas the Azalea Kurume has smaller leaves and flowers that open en masse over the plant, covering the foliage below and giving a strong hit of colour over a shorter period.

Requiring a much cooler protected position, Mollis Azaleas are a medium upright shrub with bunches of trumpet-shaped flowers in late spring to summer.

They are a deciduous variety of azalea and have a soft ovate leaf that colours up nicely in autumn with red and orange colours.

You will find these mainly available in garden centres in late spring as they start to set their flower buds, while Azalea Indica and Azalea Kurume are both available now and will continue to be through most of the year.

If you select a cooler position with nice overhead foliage protection from larger trees you can grow rhododendrons in our region.

You will still need to take care on the variety that you choose and don’t just rely on the labels, as there are quite a few varieties of these as well as azaleas that are marketed as full-sun or sun-tolerant varieties but that refers to more cooler regions.

There are a few exceptions to this so be aware and ask the Garden Centre staff for their recommendations to meet your requirements.

Being shallow-rooted plants, azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons appreciate their root area being mulched and cool.

They will grow in most soil types as long as the area is reasonably well drained.

They do, however, require a slightly acid soil and do best in a pH of around five to six.

If you are unsure, bring a small sample of soil in and we will test it for you.

All these plants like a light trim after flower and if given a feed at the same time with an appropriate fertiliser will see your plants bush up and harden off before the real heat of summer.

There are just a few ideas to fill in your long weekend out in the garden but remember to take a bit of time out to remember our Anzacs.