Got an old timber fence you can’t stand looking at? The Galston District Garden Club reckons they’ve got the answer, and it’s been growing wild across eastern Australia for thousands of years.
The club met on 13 May, opening its doors to visitors and new members alike. Judy Horton took the floor with a talk on climbing plants, mixing solid know-how with enough humour to keep the room hooked from start to finish.
One member walked away from that talk with a problem solved. They’d been staring down a tired old timber fence, wondering what might cover it, and landed on Hardenbergia, also known as Native Wisteria or Happy Wanderer.
It’s a hardworking plant. Come late winter and through spring, it bursts into masses of purple, pea-shaped flowers, twining its way across fences, pergolas, arches, trellises, and retaining walls with little fuss. The deep purple form is the one most gardeners know, but white and pink versions hold their own too.
Hardenbergia doesn’t ask for much. Give it sun or part shade and soil that drains well, and once it’s settled in, it shrugs off dry spells. A bit of water when things get tough, a light feed of slow-release fertiliser in spring, and a trim after flowering to keep it neat and bushy- that’s about the extent of the care it needs.
Gardeners around the country lean on it for good reason. It’ll climb, it’ll spread as ground cover on a slope, or it’ll happily sit in a large pot if given something to grab onto. Bees and butterflies turn up for the flowers too, bringing a bit of life and movement into the garden. Between the easy care and the show it puts on, it’s no wonder Hardenbergia keeps turning up in backyards across the country, from sleek modern courtyards to old-fashioned cottage gardens.
Next on the club’s calendar is Chris Jones, talking composting in June. Anyone curious is welcome to drop in for an evening of garden chat and a bite of supper afterwards. The club gathers on the second Wednesday of each month, 7.30pm, at Galston Community Hall, 37 Arcadia Road, Galston.
More details, including meeting times, are available at www.galstongardenclub.com.au or by emailing [email protected].