WORDS BY KRISTEE SEMMLER
THE BAROSSA NURSERY
Gardening Advice with Kristee Semmler
Autumn is such a fabulous time of year when deciduous trees really show off in all their Autumn glory. Shades of red, orange, yellow, purple and pink dominate gardens and landscapes giving a last big hurrah of colour before leaf fall and Winter sets in.
Obviously we have lots of favourite deciduous trees here at Barossa Nursery, but in terms of Autumn colour you can’t go past these beauties…
Chinese pistachio – a tough and hardy small tree to around 8×6 metres in size. Shades of red and orange dominate in Autumn making this tree a real show stopper. It is also a lovely shade tree in Summer.
Crepe Myrtles – These fantastic small trees are a tree for all seasons. As well as stunning Autumn tones of red, orange and yellow, they also have attractive mottled bark on their trunk in Winter, glossy fresh green leaves in Spring and Vibrant flowers during Summer months. Crepe myrtles are an absolute winner in our books – tough and hardy and well suited to the Barossa Climate.
Japanese maples – A beautiful and graceful smaller growing tree. Here in the Barossa they tend to do better in a morning sun position and part shade-shade in our hot afternoon summers. I have one in my garden on the eastern side of the house which is perfect as my house shades it in the afternoon. Some of the smaller or weeping varieties can even be grown in a large pot as a feature. The Autumn colour on these guys ranges from brilliant crimson to deep orange and golden yellow. A great tree for smaller spaces or partly shaded areas.
Liquidamber – These guys are big, bold and beautiful! As they are a big tree with big roots, they are not suited to smaller gardens or near pipes, but if you have a large garden or property, this is a must have deciduous tree. The Autumn colour on liquidambers is spectacular! Reds, yellows and purples all on the same tree make this a very showy feature tree. Also a fantastic shade tree in summer to sit under and watch the world go by.
Cercis Forest Pansy – Another smaller growing feature tree with beautiful burgundy-green heart shaped leaves during Spring and Summer, followed by a stunning display of multi-coloured leaves of purple, red, apricot and gold. Spring flowers of bright pink buds also make this an attractive tree for year round interest.
Ornamental Pears – You see these trees everywhere these days for good reason. They are super tough and hardy and suited to our conditions but also have the added benefit of beautiful white blossom in Spring, glossy green leaves in Summer and fantastic shades of brilliant red and gold leaves in Autumn. The great thing about ornamental pears is there are lots of varieties to pick from all with different heights and growth habits so there’s one to suit every garden!
Trees play such an important role in our lives. They are the lungs of the Earth and filter pollutants from the air. Having trees around us and in our gardens and suburbs helps to promote a peaceful and aesthetically pleasing environment and community, which in turn just makes us feel good. They cool our homes in Summer (by up to 20%!!) and provide habitat for wildlife, not to mention they are super fun for kids to climb and explore! Everyone should have a tree in their garden. Autumn is a great time to celebrate trees and enjoy the spectacular show that nature gives us with a blaze of colour before Winter sets in. Sit back and enjoy…
Trees are awesome!
Happy Gardening.
