An ‘instant’ garden — at a price

Press, 26 February 1981, Page 10

An ‘instant’ garden — at a price

LANDSCAPING YOUR HOME Gilbert Brakey

It seems to be a fact of life that everything : that we do must be achieved;, as quickly as possible. This even applies to'- gar-' dens. ’■ People today are often impatient, wanting 'a mature garden within a few . years. ' Under normal, circum-. stances, gardens ■ take many years tp mature. ■- They reach their peak of perfection slowly, changing in form and shape as they grow. An- established and mature atmosphere can cer- , tainly be achieved almost overnight by the extensive use of structural landscape materials such as walls, fences, paving and over-' head structures.

For'example, weathered, second-hand bricks can be used in walls and pavemeiits< to create an atmosphere of a longestablished garden. Plants, however, are a different story — or are they? It is possible now to literally create a mature garden overnight. For the ground, it is possible to, buy instant grass .to cover those bare areas.

'Fine grasses are grown in specialised nurseries, where they are then removed in slabs or rolls. The turf is then carefully transported to the new site and laid- out over a prepared surface. With careful maintenance an instant lawn is achieved without a great deal of extra expense, particularly for smaller teas. The alternative is, fit course, to sow seed but this takes months before it is well established. \. If grass lawns :’cari< be bought instantly,.? ban the impatient gardener have instantly mature shrubs and ’ trees?. The answer to that is yes. if he or she is prepared to pay. Obviously, the time spent by nurseries in producing semi-mature- trees and shrubs', cos'ts. money, This is reflected in the prices you will pay. ■ Shrubs .{•’ are.. Y, normally grown in of container, . often V a l plastic” bag. These plants can

be purchased when several years old and well advanced.

Buying semi-mature shrubs in this way can be a major advantage, particularly with slowergrowing shrubs such as .. Rhododendrons. . Plants Iwhich are; well advanced in‘years, .may . well be already flowering, or at a stage very close to flowering. -x ' , • . ...’ Not only can- an. instant ■framework- of shrubs be within a few tlveeks the garden may be coloured by their flowers.

Although slow, or semislow, maturing shrubs may be purchased in an advanced state from the nursery to advantage, this . is not always essential in order.to produce a mature garden <rapidly. •.'Many . - plants .are- extremely rapid in growdj; You' can establ-- . ish' in Qpdplant, ‘ for example,.../lie-.many, annual and perennial plants. •‘These should not ,be overlooked and can .act as excellent filler material. They can be • left in as permanent plant material, or removal ,at a later stage when other more slow-to-mature species have had time to establish..

This practice.’hot.-only applied t6ri\annda.ls-'> f ?and perennials, but shrubs and trees.. >

Certain wattles, for example, may be used to provde a rapid shrub frame work whil the slower growing and more permanent plants are establishing. This also raises another interesting point. Plants, like people who are over-active can literally burn themselves out, and . these specimens are short lived. This factor is of major importance because it is no use creating a garden overnight and then finding it will not last for very many years.

It is essential, therefore, to have a blend of rapid and slower maturing trees and shrubs. Wattles, for instance, may last around 10 to 15 vears, while a rhododendron will carry on living for more than 100 years. Trees are much the s.me, some being relatively short-lived, whilst others mre slow to mature will-be standing for our grandchildren to see. The poplars and wil-.. lows are trees well known "for their speed of growth, as are the gums. These rapid-growing trees can have their disadvantages. They n.ay be soft and brittle if grown in exposed situation, a point which should be remembered. Often trouble is encountered with gums because they are incorrectly grown. Ide illy, they are best planted when very small, 150 mm approximately. At this stage they should still be in a tube —nd will have, a strong main , tap root. It is this single, main tap root

which will anchor the tree in later life. Once they' pass this stage and are potted up, their tap roots have been seyered or encouraged to twist and twine .in '' the confines of a plastic bag. The Cum purchased in a plastic-, bag may .well be a disappointment within tert years because- it is prone, to being .wrenched out of the ground by our strong winds.

The best way it to plant from a tube. Australian tests have proven gums are more successful when grown in this way. Slower growing trees can be purchased already well grown, either direct from the open field -whereby they will have bare roots, or they riiay be grown in special containers. t-

• Such trees may range in height from two metres to 15 metres, the larger specimens require specialised machinery to move them into place. . Trees six metres ;o eight metres in. height can be purchased in special knock-down containers which make it easier, to successfully > .‘(.transplant ‘these large specimens. Although an instant garden is possible, the alternative inay bb the use of quick-maturing plants. Whichever method is

used, always plan for the inclusion of slower growing plants. This will ensure that the garden will carry on fc* - many, many years and not reach a peak then slowly decline. Rapid maturing plants and semi-mature specimens which can be trans-, planted into a garden, are becoming more sodghtafter as our way of life speeds up and we demand faster results in our finished landscapes.