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Poppies are an ancient, flowering plant and there are many different types to choose from, says gardening writer JACKIE WARBURTON. 

THE most popular poppy, the Flanders Poppy, has bright red colours that are used to honour Remembrance Day (November 11), but the Iceland poppy is my favourite. 

They have showy blossoms in late spring and early summer and are long lasting in the garden. To be sure of a poppy display for next spring, plant seed directly into the garden in autumn before winter turns the soil cold.

Poppy seedlings don’t transplant well, so a little more care might be needed to get them going if in punnets. 

Keep them watered and use a liquid fertiliser to have them growing strong and tall. The Iceland poppies are usually orange, and some varieties can grow up to 60 centimetres tall. 

BULBS planted in autumn – daffodils, jonquils and tulips – will be coming into flower and now’s the time to feed them while they are growing and absorbing nutrients for next year’s flowers.

Floriade, in Commonwealth Park, September 17-October 16, is a way to see a world-standard display of bulbs. 

NOW’S a good time to use copper on fruit trees, particularly stone fruit to combat leaf curl and shot holes. If there are insect issues as well, an alternative product to use would be lime sulphur as a dual insecticide/fungicide. 

It’s important to spray before the colour is showing in the flower buds (before the bud swells). If sprayed too late, it can damage the flower structure to fruit. Spray in the cool of the day and when bees are not present. 

Fertilise fruit trees with lots of compost. Mulch and keep them watered for the next few months while the fruit is forming. 

A BEAUTIFUL, scented, pale-lilac plant flowering now is Syringa laciniata and looks terrific as a narrow fence screen in a shady spot.

It grows to two metres by two metres and is deciduous. It flowers for many weeks and is attractive to bees. 

Most lilacs are vigorous growers and sucker if they are not on rootstocks to keep their growth at bay. The most common rootstock is privet, but make sure it doesn’t sucker, either. 

Relatively pest free, Syringa needs a soil that’s not too rich and will grow in the hot sun. They are really tough and, when planting, add a little gardener’s lime to raise the pH if needed. 

They are mainly grown for their fragrance – the scent is a honey spice, and a single flower can fill a room.

Another one of my favourites is “Sensation” (Syringa vulgaris). Its flower colour, as well as the fragrance, is a show stopper and a must-have for a large garden with full sun. 

CONTAINER-grown plants can either be planted out into the garden or re-potted. 

Replacing potting mix is important for the growth of the roots. Spent potting mix doesn’t have any life in it and will need some additives to get the microbes working again. 

I make my own potting mix because I use a lot of it and my go-to products are pine bark, core peat and fertiliser. I sift different grades to what I need and store in buckets. 

jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au

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