A Beautiful Summer Garden
To me, summer is the time when Australian gardens should be in their prime… Christmas entertaining followed by lazy days spent with friends and family. What can you do to maximise your garden as a beautiful space for outdoor living?
The key for me is light shade. Cold-climate European gardens are often designed to maximise sun, whereas Australian gardens benefit from trees with light canopies that soften the impact of the sun whilst still letting through enough light through for understory plants to thrive. Fast growing birch trees are ideal for this purpose, as are dogwoods and crab apples. Native trees often have light canopies too, but take care that you select one which will grow to an appropriate height. Trentham clients often choose to have a sunnier aspect for their outdoor entertaining area. Often the best solution is an umbrella or deciduous creeper such as Vitis coignetii or Wisteria for shade rather than a solid-roofed structure.
Christmas itself can fall at an awkward time in the garden; spring-flowering plants are finished but the summer perennials are just starting up. Roses, Lamb’s Ears, Euphorbia wulfenii and hardy Geraniums like ‘Rozanne’ are looking fantastic. Berries such as red and black currants are usually fruiting at this time, and make a lovely contribution to the Xmas table. I’ll often irrigate the lawn up until Christmas and then let it brown-off a little for the next few months to save water.
Drought -tolerant summer perennials like sedums, catmint and salvias are popular and have a great sense of colour, movement and fun about them. I like a garden to look good throughout the year, so I tend to plant them in areas where it’s not a problem for them to complete their natural cycle and die down in winter; often backed by an attractive looking hedge, wall or similar.
Whether growing food for the table, or creating a beautiful outdoor space to share with friends and family, summer is a great time to about celebrate the colour and abundance of the natural world. Enjoy!
Happy gardening,
Landscape Designer Kaz Krasovskis
Insta: @kazkrasovskis
www.kazkrasovskis.com.au