Living Soil is the subject of the October talk at the Galston District Garden Club, where guest speaker Bronwyn Holm will present “Living Soil and the lazy gardener”. Visitors are welcome to come along and listen.
The club meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at the Galston Community Hall, 34 Arcadia Road, Galston, starting at 7.30pm. When the speaker finishes, everyone stays on for a cup of tea and supper, which is usually where the gardening swaps and advice really start.
The club also shares what its members are growing at home. One member’s favourite is the heliotrope called “Cherry Pie” (Heliotropium arborescens), and the reason is simple: it never stops flowering. She has planted it in raised garden beds at two different homes, and the photo shows it growing in one of them.
The plant is an old heirloom perennial, loved for a scent that many people say is like freshly baked cherry pie, with touches of vanilla and almond. It comes from Peru and grows as a compact shrub with deeply wrinkled, dark green leaves. Above the leaves sit dense, domed clusters of tiny flowers, most often deep purple, lavender and violet blue, although white varieties exist too. The flower heads gradually turn to face the sun as the day goes on.
Heliotrope grows in full sun to partial shade, in moist, well-draining soil. It flowers from spring through autumn, and most heavily in the warmer months. It suits summer bedding, the front of borders and patio containers, where the perfume is easy to enjoy up close. Butterflies and bees are drawn to it all summer. Gardeners should water it regularly through dry summer spells and prune it back hard in late winter or early spring, which encourages bushy, vigorous new growth.
For more about the club, visit www.galstongardenclub.com.au or email [email protected].
