Watsonia is a terrific long-lived, old-fashioned, herbaceous garden plant that grows easily in our climate, says gardening columnist JACKIE WARBURTON. 

THE Watsonia borbonica is a long-lived, upright, herbaceous plant that emerges in spring ready for flowering. 

It’s from the South African iris family and its reed-like foliage can be used as a background plant that puts on a magnificent display of tall, fragrant flowers that slowly open and last for several months. 

They’re available in many colours – pink, apricots, reds and lilacs – but my favourite is white, which gives a bright contrast in the garden. 

They grow from a corm underground and can multiply very easily. While they aren’t fussy about soil, the better the soil the better the flower display. 

Dividing should be done if the flowering display declines over the years. It should be tackled after flowering with a sharp spade and transplanted directly into a well-prepared garden bed. 

Watsonias are tough and don’t need a lot of water; they’re drought tolerant when established and, as a bonus, they attract birds and insects. 

However, there’s one weed species – Watsonia meriana – that should be removed from the garden. It has orange to reddish-purple flowers and grows more singularly but multiplies fast and, in no time, can be a nuisance. 

Manually pulling up the whole plant and corms before flowering will help in eradicating this pest plant, which is now on the weeds of national significance list and is affecting natural bushlands around Australia.

ONE of my favourite trees that is in flower now is the tulip tree (Lirodendron tulipifera). A hardwood native to the eastern US and used for veneers, it’s only grown in Australia as an ornamental tree. 

Tulip trees are a medium-to-large size tree (up to 20 metres tall and eight metres wide) with a straight trunk and a conical crown. 

Given the room, they are a majestic tree to have in a park or large garden but not for small gardens. 

Of the Magnolia family, they share the same spectacular flowering and like the same growing conditions – full sun and a slightly acidic soil. Its leaves have an unusual four-lobed shape. 

In late spring, the trees burst into attractive green to orange flowers, which produce nectar and attract bees, birds and butterflies. They are drought tolerant when established and like our cold winters.

There are some really beautiful specimens of tulip trees around Canberra as street trees and a few in Commonwealth Park.

There are dwarf varieties – up to 10 metres tall – available overseas that would suit our suburban backyard and would make a terrific shade tree. 

Coming into summer, all trees will still need watering (even after rain) to keep the moisture levels up in the soil for the warmer months ahead.

Watering trees around the drip line with deep water weekly or fortnightly, is more beneficial than short watering several times a week. 

Jottings… 

• Sow seeds of tomatoes, silverbeet, beans and cabbage.
• Hand pick any curly leaves on peaches and nectarines and put in the bin. 
• Remove weeds such as vetch and sticky weed before it sets seed. 

jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au