Coming to the end of their flowering season are the tree peonies, Paeonia suffruticosa, with their huge flowers up to 15 millimetres across.

Last week I visited Dr and Mrs Edgar Riek’s garden to view their tree peonies and, wow, what a sight! They had dozens of varieties growing to two to three metres tall, many were bred by Dr. Riek.

Author Peter Valder, in “The Garden Plants of China”, says that “no flower in China has ever surpassed the tree peony in winning and holding public esteem”.

This past week I saw at the Heritage Nursery, Yarralumla, an extremely rare Dicentra that was totally new to me under its new name Lamprocapnos “Valentine”, with deep red flowers.

IN our garden we only use certified organic fertilisers. Note I said “certified”, as there are garden products labelled “organic” but not necessarily “certified”.

There is a difference, as specified in the Australian Standard AS6000 for “organic and biodynamic products”. These can be certified by various registered organisations such as Australian Organic Certified (AOC), the National Association of Sustainable Agriculture of Australia (NASAA) and Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA).

These organisations also certify all horticultural products for farmers. Look for their logo on fertilisers etcetera to ensure they are “certified organic”, which is important when growing home vegetables.

ONE such certified product is Neutrog’s Go Go juice, which is teeming with microbes that activate the natural processes in the soil, speeding up decomposition of the residential organic and mineral compounds. It is applied to the soil in addition to the organic plant foods you normally use. This ultimately increases the nutrients’ availability and stimulates growth of plants.

SOURCES from interstate horticultural societies say the Horticultural Society of Canberra presents the best flower shows in Australia. Be the judge this weekend for the spectacular Iris, Rhododendron and Azalea Show at the Wesley Church Centre, National Circuit, Forrest, 11am-5pm, on Saturday, October 25, and 11.30am-4pm, on Sunday, October 26. Entry by gold coin donation.

THE Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens popular plant sale will be held from 8.30am to 11am on Saturday, November 8. All plants are propagated by The Friends from material growing in the gardens. Plants priced $3 and $5. Be early and bring your own boxes and/or bags. A plant list will be available from 1st November at www.anbg.gov.au/friends

Jottings…

• When planting trees always dig a square hole to prevent roots spiralling and becoming root bound.
• If you have a bulb-planting tool use this to plant potatoes. This saves digging a big area. Simply lift out the circle of soil, drop the seed potato in and put the plug back in place. Now is the time to plant potatoes.
• When buying plants cover them in the car with an old sheet. The heat through the windows can scorch the plants before getting them home