Winter Damage To Date

took some Friends of the Garden (FOGs) around the garden early this morning to examine a bit of the winter damage caused by the cold and heavy snowfall of the preceding few weeks. Many thanks to the horticulturists who suggested highlights to visit. Also, a thank you to the FOG "tour volunteers" for recording notes, typing them, and seeking feedback / suggestions for future tours.

For this week, I was both the tour guide and videographer, so the video isn't as dynamic as I hope it will be in future postings. Anyway, here's the video snippet of some of the tour:

Here are a few notes (as compiled by one of the tour attendees) from this first FOGs Walk n' Learn.

Location 1: Courtyard & Fence just east of the shop plant centre -- off the main walkway

• Modest snow damage to the Arbutus which had been winter pruned and new shoot growth allowed. There is also some frost damage.
• There is vole damage throughout the beds and the sub-shrubs and perennials will require spring pruning.
• The Nandina is totally brown and will need to be cut right back and allowed to regrow.
• Holboellia vine on the fence is very robust and together with the weight of the snow has brought down the fence
• Some lost branches from the hemlock

Location 2: Moon Gate

• The load of the snow on the Sinocalycanthus pressed it down and revealed a young Schefflera alpina planted by Peter Wharton and apparently totally healthy
• Distylum racemosum has again suffered major damage due to its dense foliage and requires a lot of maintenance. This shrub is due for removal

Location 3: Food Garden

• Broccoli was removed from the Food Garden due to its very strong smell as it rotted under the snow
• Cauliflower was also rotten - unable to withstand the freezing temperatures.

Location 4: Physic Garden

• The yew hedge was almost pushed to the ground by the weight of snow, but rebounded "like a Russian gymnast"!

Location 5: Alpine Garden

• Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa' has lost several large branches and will be removed.
• Pinus thunbergii also lost large branches and will probably also be removed.
• Genista tenera was so badly damaged with frost at the centre it has to be removed and will be a great loss to the landscape at that point in the Garden.
• Araucaria angustifolia was planted last year and is still only about a meter high with little root growth - it is completely brown.
• Hebes are not looking very good but will probably survive.
• Leptospermum rupestre has lost several branches and been quite severely pruned
• Eucalyptus coccifera has seemingly responded to the cold weather using its fire response to produce many tiny branches from the main trunks (from cold winters in previous years)
• Grevillea victoriae has been damaged but will survive.

The scent of, possibly, the Azara was very pleasant and strong and the Anna's male hummingbird and his friends were very much in evidence around their favourite grevillea.