Garden Centre

Saturday, February 9, 2008

All Seasons Gardening – season’s superstars

Of all the things I can’t grow, this is the most wonderful and spectacular. The Chaenomeles or Chinese Quince is a profound garden performer – it produces large and fairly weather resistant blossoms on bare wood, in colours ranging from the palest pink through to deep red, but most fall in the apricot to salmon pink range. I don’t know why this shrub won’t grow for me, because it’ said to grow in most positions and soils, expect an excessively limey soil, which causes the common ailment of yellow leaves. Few pests or diseases affect the flowering quince, so all the books say.

On the other hand, in my garden it just doesn’t grow. My oldest quince is seven, my youngest two, neither produces more than four flowers, and neither has grown more than five inches! They are said to like a sunny site with well-drained moderately fertile soil and pruning is usually necessary only to thin out overcrowded branches when growing as a freestanding shrub. I’m going to put mine in a tub and see if they do better next year, but for now I’m reduced to admiring this specimen in a neighbour’s garden.

Labels: chaenomeles, winter colour, winter flowers

The All Seasons Gardener at 5:37 AM

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