The Galston District Garden Club meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month in the Galston Community Hall, 37 Arcadia Rd, Galston, at 7.30pm. Visitors and new members are welcome. The Club had its last meeting for the year in November and will resume meeting on the 2nd Wednesday, February 2023.
Our guest speaker for the November meeting was Sonja Cameron of Cameron’s Nursery, Arcadia. Sonja spoke briefly about how the nursery has been progressing and how the nursery progressed through the lockdowns. Sonja brought along a wonderful array of perennial plants which she grows in her nursery.
Perennial plants: perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widely used to distinguish plants with little or no woody growth from trees and shrubs, which are also technically perennials. If given proper growing conditions and good care, long-lived perennials often persist for 20 or more years. Short-lived perennials usually disappear within 10 years.
Growing perennials in containers is the perfect way to have a perennial garden if you don’t have the space or time for an in the ground garden. Perennials that are not hardy in your region can be grown in containers if you are willing and able to overwinter them properly.
The best times for planting perennial flowers are during autumn and spring. Planting during these seasons will ensure your plants grow healthy and strong. In the spring you have warmer soil, plenty of rainfall and longer days with more sunlight. Full sun perennial flowers require at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. While the flowers don’t need to be planted under a spotlight they do need bright light for most of the day. Full sun perennials require the minimum all year long… even during the shortened days of autumn and spring.
Low maintenance perennials are: Shasta Daisy which are very easy to grow. Coneflower is a mid-summer bloomer that’s a great cut flower. Hardy Hibiscus loves full sun and attracts both birds and butterflies.
While some perennials can be grown from seed saved from existing specimens, often the resulting plants are not true to the original. Either hybrid or strains of seed that are purchased and sown will give truer results. The list of perennials is mind boggling and each year breeders come out with additional cultivars.
Now would be a fantastic time to visit the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney.
The Galston District Garden club welcomes you to our next meeting on the 8th February, 2023. For more information regarding the Galston Garden Club please email: [email protected] or visit our web page, www.galstongardenclub.com.au
