Wodonga TAFE’s first year gardening apprentices have been busy with plant identification.
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During their last week in class the apprentices were learning about wattle varieties.
Wattles are a sensational group of plants that colour the garden with yellow and gold during the winter months.
One local species is Acacia dealbata, the silver wattle. The silver wattle is a late winter bloomer, often not flowering until August.
This plant provides nectar for birds and food for possums and gliders.
This fast growing plant is tolerant of the cold and is helpful with erosion control on slopes and in gullies.
A more decorative wattle species for use in the garden is the non-local Acacia iteaphylla, the Flinders Range wattle.
This plant grows to around three metres and it needs a sunny, well-drained position for successful growth.
The Flinders Range wattle is great for screening and hedging, but it isn’t excessively long-lived. It responds well to light tip pruning and its rapid growth rate makes it useful for many situations.
Wattles are excellent for bare gardens or newly built homes that need quick cover or shade.
Our local nurseries have a wealth of wattles to choose from including Acacia fimbriata (fringe wattle), Acacia buxifolia (box-leaf wattle), Acacia howittii (sticky wattle) and Acacia cognata and its dwarf varieties.
The Acacia cognata is commonly known as the river wattle, but it’s the dwarf varieties that are making a big splash horticulturally.
The dwarf form ‘mini cog’ is a stunner, with weeping foliage and a compact, dense habit of growth.
This plant grows well in our area and is a reliable garden plant in any bed with good drainage.
You can plant wattles at any time of the year, though common sense should prevail.
If you plant during the heat of summer the maintenance required will be higher.
Planting in cooler months is always advisable.
Wattles are beautiful in the garden, their flushes of gold and yellow flowers are a hint that spring is near and a reminder of what beautiful plants Australia has to offer. If you are feeling like planting an Acacia in the near future, why not try the wattle that’s the Australian floral emblem, Acacia pycnantha.
Diary: Winter pruning short course on Saturday, July 16, 9am to noon. Cost for the course is $50.
Join Alister Rhook for this three hour session on the pruning of roses and fruit trees. For more information or to enrol in the course contact the Horticulture Department (University Drive) at Wodonga TAFE Phone 02 6055 6644.