Summer: Fantastic Flowers
A garden full of beautiful summer flowers is everyone’s ideal. Their vibrant colours lift the spirits after the long cold winter and cool spring. Warm summer breezes waft the delightful fragrance of roses and other scented annuals or perennials across the garden and through the open windows into the house.
Or maybe your ideal garden is not a riot of rich colours but one of more delicate and subtle beauty. You may prefer white or pale coloured flowers and silver foliage. Perhaps you’ve searched the stores for just the right type of flowers to grow in your garden. But once you find them, are you sure they will grow in your garden?
It is unfortunate, but many stores bring in plants that are not really suited to the cold climate of southern Victoria. They have been grown in a hothouse to force them into flowering and you think how wonderful they will look edging your pathway or along the front fence. But in a few days they start to look sick, then they wilt and die. And what is worse, you think it is something you have done - or not done - in caring for them. Or perhaps you blame something in the soil. It is so disappointing when this happens. You’ve wasted money and lost your flowers as well.
One of the many good things about having a professional gardener take care of your gardening needs is that you won’t have this kind of disappointment. He has specialised knowledge about what grows best in the area. No more spending all your precious leisure time searching the nursery for that special flower or shrub. Just tell him what you want and he will produce it.
From Bendigo and Benalla in the north right down to the coast of Victoria is classed as a cold growing region. North of those towns to the border is classified as a temperate growing region. But there may be microclimates scattered throughout the cold region that could be classed as almost temperate. These can be even created by the gardener using a brick wall to shelter from prevailing winds and absorb daytime warmth, giving it out in the cooler night hours.
In general, you will be setting yourself up for disappointment if you try to grow temperate, frost-tender plants in a cold area. Certainly, you can have a summer garden full of glorious flowers, but choosing the right kinds for your climate will ensure that you are not disappointed. And getting help from your local professional will ensure that your garden is the envy of all your friends.
