16 | T HE B A R O SSA M A G // G A R DENING
WORDS BY KRISTEE SEMMLER
THE BAROSSA NURSERY
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 8x6 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
Autumn leaf love
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.
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