“Thinking optimistically, as most gardeners do, there are only 62 days until spring,” says gardening columnist CEDRIC BRYANT.

WINTER has arrived with a vengeance, although I was a little disappointed not to see snow when drawing back the curtains.

Incidentally, snow won’t actually damage plants or break branches off trees unless it’s very heavy. For most plants, including perennials, it acts like an electric blanket and protects them from frost damage. 

Thinking optimistically, as most gardeners do, there are only 62 days until spring. The early signs are showing, with bulb leaves popping up. Plant summer flowering bulbs now, such as liliums, for colour in the garden once the spring flush is over. 

If you see trees coming into full blossom, it’s not climate change causing spring to arrive early. The first to come into flower is flowering apricot, or Prunus mume, with clusters of pink flowers appearing in mid-winter. There are a few varieties, including “Rosebud” and “Splendens”, growing to about four metres. These are purely ornamental, not for fruit. As they flower on the new season’s wood, prune immediately after flowering. 

THE Horticultural Society of Canberra is offering pruning demonstrations, with expert advice both on fruit trees and rose pruning. Prepare for pruning by sharpening and thoroughly cleaning all tools, from secateurs to loppers. You won’t be using your own tools at these demonstrations but getting them ready to start on your own plants.

The free demonstrations are held at the Horticultural Society’s “Demonstration Garden” in Bruce on Saturday, July 31. Make a note in your diary now for rose pruning at 10am, followed by fruit-tree pruning at 11am. There will be an additional rose-pruning demonstration on Sunday, August 1 at John and June Woodfield’s garden (1 Spence Place, Hughes) at 1pm. I recommend wearing warm clothes as invariably it’s a miserable day on these demonstrations! 

This is also a perfect opportunity to inspect the Bruce gardens and see what’s in flower in winter. All the plants are labelled and members of the Society will be on hand to answer any questions. The garden also showcases different types of hedges suitable for smaller gardens.

A COUPLE of points on pruning at this time of the year. It seems that even garden magazines and TV shows recommend that roses can only be pruned in early spring, from late July to August.

However, that’s not the advice from rose expert Charles Quest-Ritson, author of the Royal Horticultural Society’s “Encyclopedia of Roses”. The book is considered the bible of roses, and Quest-Ritson himself has travelled the world talking about roses for more than 20 years. He is quite clear that roses can be pruned at any time. I pruned my roses in March last year and May this year, for example.

Other plants are due for a severe haircut, such as sedum with withered brown flower heads on long stalks. Cut these to ground level, and divide the clumps if you want extra plants. These are very solid and I literally use a tomahawk to split the clump.

Asters, Michaelmas daisies and salvias can also be cut to ground level, dug up and divided for filling in bare spots in your garden, providing extra plants for free. Alternatively, pot them up for the spring church or school fete. No pots? Don’t worry, just head to the nearest Green Shed. Give pots a good scrub out before using. On this occasion, premium potting mix is not required.  

REGRETTABLY, I will no longer be giving talks to various groups. I have been freely giving talks to garden clubs and other organisations, such as Rotary and Probus, for the past 50 years. Age is catching up with me, along with things like replacing hips and knees, which make it extremely difficult to stand. Notwithstanding, this garden page will continue. 

I’LL leave you with today’s garden thought: this wonderful description of the Arboretum, from a lady whose daughter said: “with all the different trees, it’s like a tree zoo”.