Use Of Shrubs Advocated

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30541, 9 September 1964, Page 13

Use Of Shrubs Advocated

Christchurch gardeners do not make nearly enough use of the very wide variety of shrubs available to them, according to local nurserymen. The perfect garden should contain shrubs for all seasons, giving colours or flower all the year round.

Some annuals should be planted in every garden, as should a proportion of perennials and evergreens. Nurserymen can supply hundreds of varieties of shrubs for the home gardener, and advice on where and when to plant them.

The home gardener has a huge scope for decoration if he choses to use shrubs. He can use plants that are tropical, sub-tropical, or temperate.

There is a whole range of plants suitable not only for the flat land in Christchurch, but also for the homes and gardens on the Cashmere Hills, where sub-tropical plants can be used. Shrubs do not need, as much care as a flower garden: to a large extent they will look after themselves. A summer pruning, and if needs be some winter care —and that is an.

They are very suitable for the new gardener who is just starting his garden, providing selected shrubs are used.

As the new gardener progresses he will. gain more knowledge, and then become more selective in his choice of plants. “Bread and butter” lines can be selected for a start. Then better quality plants can be used: rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and magnolias. These are all good basic plants. It pays to buy the best, in the long run. Many of the “bread and butter” shrubs have a life of perhaps five to seven and when this is expended the gardener, who by this time will have gained experience, can replace them with a selection of better plants. The better plants improve with age. Temporary plants can be used as cover, for a start.

Protection Moving into a new home, with the initial planting oh a bare section, it is usually wise to plant faster growing shrubs for a start to get the initial protection. To plant a rhododendron in a dry and arid new housing block is likely to be a waste of time. The Christchurch City Council reserves department is. using many shrubs for decorative work; for instance, at the Christchurch Airport If Christchurch gardeners would take a lead from this many private gardens would be greatly improved. However, shrubs are definitely becoming much more popular with the home gardener, and this is a good thing. At least one of the reasons for this increase in popularity is that many persons do not want to spend so much time on their gardens as in former years, and shrubs are more amen-

able than anything else to being planted and later on being left alone. At this time of the year one can carry out shrub planting with comparative safety, merely using the normal cautionary measures connected with transplanting from a container to the earth, chief among which is teasing the roots. As Christchurch has had some rain recently, planting at present is perfectly safe. It is good planting weather from now for about the next two weeks, but there is a deadline about the middle of September, particularly if the ground starts to dry.

Persons can buy most shrubs for planting at this time of the year because of the present technique of “pot” or “tub” planting of the seedlings. There are very few exceptions such as the flowering cherries, flowering plums, and peaches, which do not tub quite so readily.

Evergreens There is a little more risk with this type of plant, but when it comes to evergreens they can be put in tubs or cans and the root system is thus not disturbed. The thing to watch is watering because the roots are suddenly cut off from water. Watering must be done to pet the plant established in the soil. The “canned” plants, as they are called, can be used for porches, patios and decorative work, being put in gardens later on. One of the most popular shrubs is the conifer, particularly the golden conifers, which are in the greatest demand. For ground cover, decorative ornamentals are also very popular. Other particularly popular shrubs are all the evergreens, including many of our native shrubs.

Not Too Late It is not yet too late to plant any particular shrub: the rains have given good conditions for planting. Some of the spring plants, for instance, azaleas, are now coming into flower. Most of the spring plants are sold coming into flower, which is not strictly correct but it is the current method. This has been made practicable by the system of container, or tub planting of the seedlings. If plants have been properly processed and put in containers at the nursery they are safe to plant at Christmas, if need be. The new gardener’s best plan is to go to a nurseryman and ask his advice on what he should plant, where he should plant it, and when. If this is done, a great deal of disappointment and some expense will be saved.