Spring Fever

Whether it’s the first flush of lime green foliage or tulips trumpeting the arrival of warmer weather, spring can take your breath away. For the Japanese, the blooming of the country’s cherry trees trigger not just a sweet scent in the air, but a delirious spring fever amongst the general population.

While in Australia we’re more likely to watch the weather report at the end of the evening news in the hope of rain, people in Japan eagerly await their nightly report on the sakura zensen, the cherry blossom front. This pool of warmer air moves northward in spring and when the cherries burst into bloom, people gather in their thousands to enjoy flower viewing or hanami in public parks and gardens.

Sometimes I wish Australians were similarly whipped into a joyful frenzy by the changing seasons. We’re probably too circumspect to do so is our masses, but indeed, quiet celebrations occur in backyards across the Downs when the blossom trees erupt into full September glory. Even those who claim to hate flowers find it hard not to smile at the sight of an ornamental plum or peach in bloom, and why should they: There is something overwhelmingly joyous about blossom.

In truth, first “spring” flowers in many areas are usually Magnolias and while they’re no less stunning, they are most likely to bloom in late winter, not spring. Traditionally though, it is the many species and cultivars of Prunus that are the real show stoppers. Most members of this genus, which includes cherries, plums, apricots, peaches and almonds are long lived, easily grown in any reasonably well drained soil, and fairly small in stature. They are ideal for the average backyard and reliably produce masses of flowers.

In Japan, the main sakura tree is Prunus x yedoensis, a naturally occurring hybrid of unknown origin. This large growing variety is sometimes available, but at local garden centres you’re more likely to come across more manageable cultivars like Prunus serrulata “Kanzan”, with its double, pale pink flowers or Prunus “Shirotae” (syn. “Mt Fuji”), which bears pendulous white flowers.

Chances are you’ll also find a cultivar or two that have the added feature of purple or bronze foliage. The ornamental plums Prunus cerasifera “Atropurpurea” and “Nigra” are two common examples, the former displaying white flowers and the latter pink. For boundaries and similar narrow spaces, Prunus “Oakville Crimson Spire” offers height and seasonal colour while growing to a maximum diameter of around three or four metres.

Then there are the ornamental pears, unrivalled for their toughness and adaptability in all corners of the Downs including the frosty zones, the Toowoomba range and the warmer west. Pyrus ussuriensis, the Manchurian Pear is one of the very best, offering masses of white flowers quite early in the season, while the cultivars of Pyrus calleryana like “Bradford” also put on a bold display. Many are ideal for reasonably small spaces.

The other blossom trees I wouldn’t overlook for a place in the average backyard are the less glamorous but more useful fruiting varieties. A combination of the ornamental and the productive is something we should be implementing more and more in our gardens in the light of big issues like climate change, and fruiting varieties offer magnificent spring blossom combined with delicious home grown produce.

Considering my Herefordian ancestry, apples are a particular favourite of mine. This winter I planted what I’m planning to be the first of many in my garden – Australia’s own heritage variety “Granny Smith”. Rather than growing it as a “standard”, I’m espaliering the tree against the northern wall of an old outbuilding on the property. This technique adds another dimension again to the concept of productive ornamentals, and is something almost anyone with bit of backyard and dividing fence can achieve with a modicum of skill and effort. Add a second cultivar like “Jonathan” for pollination, and bob’s your uncle.

There’s no sign of any blossoms on my Granny Smith yet, but the buds are swelling and within a week or two, you shouldn’t be surprised to see me wandering around in contended spring daze. Winter has passed, new life is bursting forth and the dog days of summer are just around the corner. That’s worth celebrating, don’t you think?

First published in the Toowoomba Chronicle 9th September, 2008

Tagged as: Spring, trees