Gardening guru JACKIE WARBURTON loves the fragrance of Christmas lilies and says they’re east to grow, too.

CHRISTMAS lily or trumpet lily makes a terrific cut flower that lasts for many weeks in a vase. 

Lilium longiflorum likes moist, well-drained soil and a little protection from the wind. The flower stems can grow to at least a metre tall and can be a good backdrop for a large garden. 

The sweet tropical fragrance from the white flowers is what they’re grown for. Unfortunately, Liliums are toxic to animals so it’s best to keep flowers, stems and leaves out of reach. 

Christmas lilies are easy to grow in pots or containers in a sunny position with protection from the afternoon sun. They are fleshy bulbs and can dry out easily if exposed to the air for long periods of time. 

Other successful liliums to grow in Canberra are Asiatic or Oriental hybrids as well. Asiatic hybrids have a huge colour range, but no fragrance, whereas Oriental hybrids tolerate more shade, flower in a variety of colours and have a slight fragrance. 

The bonus with these plants is that they are much smaller in size and more suitable for pots and patios or small gardens.

THE red-flowering gums, Corymbia ficifolia are in flower now and putting on a show with the wet summer that we have had. 

A small tree that grows to 10 metres, it can be tricky to grow in Canberra and needs a sheltered spot where the frost won’t damage it. Its multi-trunks and gnarled branches can be a feature in themselves. 

Flowering gums flower better in full sun and their flowers are highly attractive to bees. 

The flowers come in a range of colours from red to oranges and pinks and whites. A light trim after flowering will help flowering for the following year. 

There are now smaller grafted varieties suitable for small gardens and some new varieties that grow only to a height of three metres. Fertilised only with native fertiliser, that is one low in phosphorus and good drainage, and they should grow well. 

The best time for planting a flowering gum into the garden is autumn while the soil is still warm and has a chance to get established before winter. 

NOW is a good time to start to take semi-hardwood cuttings of shrubs such as camellias, viburnums and conifers or shrubs that generally flower in spring. 

Semi-hardwood or softwood cuttings should be of brown/green stems that are about 10-15 centimetres long and be current season’s growth. Stems need to be cut at the bottom at a node where the growth point is, and the stems need to have at least two to three nodes buried and three to four above the ground. 

Using a coarse 50:50 potting mix, sand and coir peat, dip cuttings into hormone gel or honey, bunch stems and place in potting mix and keep moist and in the shade. 

Most cuttings will take four to eight weeks depending on the type of shrub being propagated. Roots coming from the bottom of the pot means it’s time to pot up to a larger one filled with a good quality potting mix with a little fertiliser.

THE vegetable garden should be growing strongly with the extra wet conditions… and so will the insects. Like last year, there are lots of butterflies, moths and bugs around so keep an eye out and squash if there are too many. 

Tying up tomatoes, cucumbers, beans to trellises keeps them off the ground to create good air flow around the plants and keeps fungal diseases at bay. 

jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au