West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Saturday 1 August 1953, page 31


geaggenesauseummemasemeassummagemeagmeeseassessessemesameseememememeseasseeseasesseses BRIGHTNESS IN WINTER While everyone appreciates the brightness that plenty of colour bestows on the winter garden, it is surprising to see so many gardens in which there is green and nothing else at this time of the year.

Yet, in addition to the annual flowers, there are more than a few shrubs -apable of striking a bright and ,heerful note, if given an opportunity. Pink Blooms For many weeks past a small shrub in my own garden has been producing numerous sprays of attractive pink blossoms and it is still doing so. Some of the sprays are more than 2ft. long and have as many as 15 clusters of tiny, cerise-pink flowers with bright yellow stamens. The clusters contain anything up to 20 blossoms and the buds before they open are a bright bronzyred. phis shrub grows between 4Of. and 5ft. high and about a yard through. It is somewhat herbaceous in habit; that is to say, tnaty of the old growths die down to ground level each spring and their places are taken immediately by vigorous new shoots with bronzy-green foliage which is an attraction in itself. It has the unfortunate name of Iliirorelr'm riosew, but right through winter it is one of the most cheerful-Iooking shrubs

in the garden. I commend it to everyone. Another small shrub which has been gay with flowers for several weeks past is the sweetscented daphne. One bush a yard and a half high and as much across, which I saw during the By "1OVEA" week, was carrying well over 200 of the loveliest little bouquets in pink and white. Yet another brightener which can be used in every garden where there is a fence or other object for it to cover is Biginonia mivusia. Tliis lovely Brazilian climbing vine is now in flower everywhere, covering trellises, fences, arches and walls with almost solid sheets of gorgeous, crimson-orange bloom. In some gardens the trusses of bloom are so iumerois that every leaf is hidden. Ilignonji veiusta will grow in any sandy or other soil of average fertility. It prefers a sunny sitnation and requires plenty of water during the summer.

Then there are the camellias. What else is more beautiful in winter? Some varieties, like Red Waratah, seem to carry almost as many flowers as leaves. Another lovely camellia. the Czar, is doing that just now. What a mass of exquisite colour its 4in. scarlet blooms bring to the garden! Almost every twig and stem seems to be studded with flowers. I have been told that the Czar is slow-growing, but I have not found it so. Even if it were. it would be well worth waiting for. Origin Of Czar The Czar is said to be the most popular camellia in Australia today. It is thought to have been raised by an Irishman, Neil Breslin, who practised as a garden architect in Victoria from 1872 to 1912. The whereabouts of the parent bush had been forgotten, but after a search made last year, it was found growing in a garden in Camberwell, Victoria. It measured 10ft. high and 13ft. across. In spite of its size, however, it was moved successfully to the Melbourne Botanical Gardens. where it is now thriving quite well.