Category: Gardens

Our unique mountain climate at Paluma has inspired many of us keen gardeners to experiment with growing plants from the more temperate climes. Many local gardeners have had great success with a range of ‘cool climate’ plants. 

There’s Len Cook’s superb collection of camellias and magnolias (recently featured in a post on this website). Colwyn grows some spectacular blue hydrangeas, with large flower heads every bit as good as those grown in the south. Lynda has had great success with her potted Asiatic liliums and she currently has colourful pots of blooming pansies and violas. The Bligh’s have a Japanese inspired garden and water feature with some cool-climate conifers. The Cooke’s flowering peach tree is a sight to behold just now in full blossom. Then there’s the Van Rynswoud’s with their array of temperate plants – let’s face it, those two can grow just about anything!

But, in my books the ‘garden gong’ for Winter 2020 has to go to Jennie for her potted jonquils and daffodils. A few months ago, Jennie planted several jonquil and daffodil bulbs in large tubs. The jonquils have prospered producing several heads of creamy and highly fragment blooms. Likewise, her daffodils bulbs have sprouted lush foliage. So far, there is one large perfect flower, hopefully with many more blooms to come. 

Several of us (myself included) have planted daffodils bulbs each year to have them produce lush foliage, but no blooms. Jennie’s theory is that this year the weather has been cold enough to encourage the bulbs to flower. She is currently the envy of many a gardener around the village. Jonquils and daffodils in the wet tropics – what an achievement!

In conducting ‘research’ for this article (several cups of tea and a good gossip), I was informed that the late Kelly Davis planted jonquil bulbs every year. Marilyn said he was diligent in planting, raising, storing and then re-planting the bulbs each year in a small, dedicated garden bed at his Paluma residence. Together, Kelly and Marilyn planted their jonquil bulbs earlier this year. The jonquils have been blooming with an abundance of flowers for the past fortnight. While Kelly missed their flowering this year, bunches of the fragrant blooms have been shared amongst his Paluma friends and family. They are a warm reminder of his everlasting presence in the village and his legacy as one of our great gardeners.

Text & Photos by Michele Bird

When Len Cook’s beautiful Magnolia was featured recently in ‘What’s Blooming in Paluma’, I felt that this plant deserves more than just a brief mention.  So, having read a little about the Magnolia family, I would like to share with you, a little of what I have learnt. 

The Magnolia is one of about 210 flowering plant species in the sub-family Magnolioidaceae of the family Magnoliaceae.  It was named after the French botanist, Pierre Magnol.

The Magnolia is an ancient genus, one of the most primitive plants in evolutionary history.  Fossil records suggest that the genus has existed from the Cretaceous Period (145-66 million years ago). The Magnolia was the first flowering plant, appearing around 95 million years ago.  Before this were only ferns, horsetails, cycads and conifers. The connection with conifers can be seen in the protruding female organs which develop into a cone-like mass of seeds.  The flower bud is enclosed in a bract rather than in sepals.  The perianth parts are undifferentiated (similar in size and shape) and called tepals rather than distinct sepals and petals. The cone-like receptacle in the centre is composed of numerous spirally arranged carpels and numerous spirally arranged stamens.

The Magnolia evolved before bees and pollination is by beetles and beetle-type insects.  To improve its means of successful pollination the inner tepals of the flower remain tightly closed, allowing visiting beetles to feed safely and become covered in pollen.  Magnolias are monoecious, that is, bearing both male and female organs on the same specimen. To counteract the risk of self-pollination, individual plants will not mature their male and female organs at the same time.  This enables pollen from one specimen’s male flower to reach the female organ of another.

Before the last Ice Age, distribution was across most of the Northern Hemisphere: mainland Europe, North America and Asia. Since the Ice Age, it has been restricted to southern USA, Central America and South-East Asia, however Magnolias have naturalised in many countries.

Apart from the large Magnolia genus, the family contains the fragrant Michelias and the tulip tree.

Although the flower colour may be only white, pink or purple, the flower shape has taken on a great variety with blooms being described as lily, goblet, cup or star shaped.  One species, the rare giant Himalayan Magnolia (M. campbelli), may grow to 15 metres and has huge flowers, 25 centimetres across. 

Many beautiful and varied plants have been hybridised.  For example, from hybridising M. heptapeta and M.quinquipeta comes a host of M.soulangiana varieties from which in turn other cultivars have been developed.

Magnolias are fairly hardy but should be planted in a sheltered position, out of direct wind and rain.  Ideally, they should be with other plants where they will get light, shade and shelter, but not too dense as they need sunlight to encourage flower formation. They are often difficult to transplant, especially when large.  Layering is probably the best way of propagating or taking cuttings from a heel of older wood.

What a magnificent and venerable tree this is. And what a survivor!

Text & Photos by Colwyn Campbell

Len Cook planted this magnificent Magnolia more than thirty years ago.  Every winter since then, he has enjoyed the classical beauty and subtle, sweet perfume of the glorious, goblet-shaped flowers.

The Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the sub-family Magnolioidaceae of the family Magnoliaceae. It was named after the French botanist, Pierre Magnol.  It is an ancient genus, appearing before bees did and it is believed the plants evolved to encourage pollination by beetles.

The Magnolia has such an interesting history that it deserves a more detailed article devoted to it.  I shall endeavour to do this soon.

Text & Photos by Colwyn Campbell

Vireya or Tropical Rhododendrons are currently blooming amongst Paluma gardens, providing a blaze of brilliant winter colour. Vireya’s are evergreen shrubs producing clusters of trumpet-shaped blooms several times a year. There are many cultivars and they come in a superb range of bright tropical colours. Some varieties have sweetly fragrant flowers. They are native to  southeastern Asia and range from Thailand to Australia. They thrive in the cool mountain climate at Paluma and they are relatively easy to grow provided they have good drainage. Some of the varieties in beautiful bloom during June are shown below.

Text & Photos by Michele Bird

We have previously posted articles on the wide variety of Camellias growing in Paluma gardens and the fact that our cool mountain climate provides an ideal environment for these more temperate plants. If you peruse the gardening sections of the Paluma.org website you will find photographs of the many varieties and flower shapes, sizes and colours amongst the village gardens.

Coming from Central Victoria I have always loved Camellias and they hold special sentimental value for me. I grew up gardening with my grandparents amongst the Camellias. When I moved to Paluma four years ago and discovered they thrived in local gardens I set about planting several new Camellias at No. 13, adding to those already planted by Andy and Ann Bishop.

About 12 months ago whilst browsing the Bunnings garden shop (something I am known to do on the odd occasion!) I came across a new variety of Camellia – ‘Volunteer’. This new variety was named to commemorate the International Year of Volunteers in 2001 in New Zealand. Incidentally, the International Week of Volunteers has just passed and was celebrated in May.

Anyway, back to Bunnings…..After some deliberation (for about 5 seconds) I purchased a Camellia ‘Volunteer’ and I squeezed it in amongst the plethora of plants in what I call my ‘chaotic cottage garden’. Well, the ‘Volunteer’ has thrived and is just over a metre in height. Throughout the month of May it has produced numerous blooms and they are quite spectacular. The flowers are quite large, deeply ruffled and variegated – they begin as a deep rich pink with white edges and fade to lighter shades of pink as they age.

Camellia ‘Volunteer’ is said to grow some 2m in height and 1.5m in width. It is a medium to dense upright shrub which is low maintenance. It produces multiple blooms over a long flowering period from May to September.

I can thoroughly recommend this Camellia as a beautiful addition to your Paluma garden. I was also thinking that this is an appropriate plant to grow in our little village, since the spirit of community and volunteering thrives here! I wonder if I could find some room for another one…….?

Text & Photo by Michele Bird