How many shades of green are there? A Wikipedia check lists 43 colours resembling green for all varieties, not only shades in the technical sense.

I have had clients who request a green garden without flowers, and one perfect example was Polly and Peter Park’s amazing garden in Red Hill, open for many years before they moved interstate. It was a green garden with a wide range of plants including Kurume and gumpo azaleas, which had all the buds cut off before they had a chance to flower.

Weird maybe, but what a garden!

IT is important to plant bulbs for summer and autumn colour now.

In the word bulbs, I include rhizomes, tubers and corms. One great example are nerines, the most popular being the pink Nerine bowdenii.

Always plant nerines with the neck above ground. They will grow equally well in sun or partial shade.

The whole variety of bulbs will be in local garden centres now.

I am often asked when is the right time to plant various plants, especially bulbs and veggies. Quite simply, just go to your local garden centre and if they are in stock it is time to plant.

IT has been seriously suggested that Glebe Park is an ideal place for any future Floriade, but I don’t think the general public has any idea of the implications.

Firstly, the available space is considerably smaller than Commonwealth Park, unless they continue to make the displays smaller and fewer bulbs planted.

Secondly, this would mean the public would be deprived of the only real, large, green space in the city for much of the year. The start of preparation commences in February/March, ripping up large areas of grass for the importation of soil to form the garden beds.

It is obvious that all the flower beds will not be left in place permanently, as has been suggested. So, do they re-grass the area as at present at the end of Floriade in late October only to be ripped up again in February before it has become properly established? There are more questions than answers in this idea of Glebe Park.

Jottings…

• Cover plants between the nursery and home with an old sheet to prevent the heat through the car windows cooking them.
• If daffodils flowered poorly they are possibly too deep. Dig them up now and store in an orange strip bag (the one oranges come in) and hang in a cool, dry spot.
• Spread pea straw or similar under strawberries to keep them clean and discourage snails.