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As spring approaches, many homeowners are thinking of sprucing up their yard. Plans may include adding some trees or pruning the ones you have to make them stand out for the season. Let’s review details of the Poinciana tree to determine if it would make a good fit for your yard or business.

Description

The Poinciana tree is a vibrant flowering tree that is a favourite in Australia. Its large luscious flowers are coloured bright red-orange and have contributed to nicknames such as peacock flower and flamboyant tree. The flowers can get up to 8 cm long and include four separate petals that spread around delicately, while a fifth petal shoots up from the middle. The leaves, on the other hand, are feathery in appearance and have a bright green colour. They can get up to 30-50 cm long. This tree also carries seed pods because it is a legume. This magnificent tree can grow up to 10 metres tall. However, the average height is between 3 – 5 metres.

Blooming time

The flowers of the Poinciana tree have a long blooming season in Australia. They brilliantly reflect their beauty from November until February. So if you own one of these trees, you will enjoy the gorgeous blooms for four months.

Uses

These stately and eye-catching trees used to be used to line the streets in yesteryears. Now, however, they are utilised primarily as an ornamental tree to enhance the yard. Poinciana can serve as a beautiful focal point for any yard. In addition to its beauty, this tree is also is an excellent source of shade. Because of its large size, it provides plenty of cooling shade from hot, sunny days.

Planting tips

The seed for the Poinciana is tiny and must be planted in a high pH soil. The recommended pH is between 6.5 and 7. If you start your Poinciana from seed, remember that it can take up to 10 years to begin to flower. If you provide your soil with phosphatic fertiliser, that will aid in the growth process. Also, be sure not to plant your tree too close to footpaths, driveways, houses, or pools because the tree will extend to be large at full height and width.

Care tips

This lovely tree lives well in tropical conditions. It can tolerate drought but does need soil that allows water to pass through smoothly and quickly. In other words, it doesn’t do as well if the soil is dense or clay-like. Prune the lower limbs of this gorgeous tree when it’s young, so the branches don’t hang too close to the ground.

Are you thinking of adding colour and interest to your yard or need to spruce up the trees that are already there? If so, contact us for information. We are your neighbourhood tree service.

Everyone loves a beautiful and well planned garden, but not everyone realises that almost anyone with yard space can do it. You do not need a huge budget to grow your dream garden so much as creativity and the ability to repurpose different materials and items into garden features. Below, you can read a list of tips that can put you on those first steps toward having a showcase garden.

Go Ahead, Design Your Own Space

Why spend thousands on a landscape expert when you can do it yourself? If you have little experience, don’t worry. You will have fun researching styles and plans whether you look them up in magazines or visit local gardens in person. Sometimes, you do need a professional for specific services that may require heavy equipment or professional expertise, but you can certainly do the planning and planting. Then, take pride in boasting about how you planned the beautiful space all by yourself.

Grow from Seeds

Gardeners love the eye attracting beauty of a garden shop full of greens and other vibrant colours. All too many will spend money on flower, fruit, or vegetable flats, then gingerly load them in the vehicle and pray they do not tip over on the way home. Instead of paying more, you should buy soil and seeds and plant your own. You will find that you spend less and are able to learn more in the process of growing your plants from seed.

Gravel Your Pathways

Graveling your pathways costs less money than paving and takes just as much, if not less effort. Simply plan out the path, erect a border of some sort, remove foliage, pin down a permeable membrane, then fill the path with gravel. Gravel comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours. It can easily serve as a complimentary addition to beautiful foliage.

Give Some Space to Trees

Architects know how to use elevated structures to draw the eye in ways to maximise visual impact. You can use the same techniques in your yard or garden by growing trees. Small trees, such as Japanese maples or dogwoods can add colour and dynamic elevation. They also create areas for plants that thrive in the shade. As they grow, remember to regularly assess them and their impact on your garden.

Gather Your Own Compost

If you really want to spend money on natural soil amendments, you can. But why not develop your own? Grass clippings, used egg shells, manure from local farmers, wood shavings, and countless other organic items from your kitchen can produce rich compost that helps your plants thrive. It also helps to save space in the local landfill.

Guard Your Vegetables from Hungry Critters Without Breaking the Bank

Professionally constructed fences can run into the thousands of dollars. However, some sort of barrier is a must in certain areas. Rural residents, particularly on the edge of bush country, might as well not have a garden if wildlife have free entry. Small posts erected at regular intervals with mesh or chicken wire attached should keep out most animals seeking a quick snack. The height of the barrier you need will depend on what kinds of creatures frequent the area.

Get Online and Start Hunting for Deals

Make a list of everything you need, soup to nuts. All the tools, containers, even materials needed for decorative walls and walks. Some internet sale sites have sections offering free materials. Also scour thrift shops and yard sales for bargains. You don’t need to dip too deeply into the budget to find quality items. Used will do just as nicely in most cases.

Growing Your Ideas Along With Plant Life

Gardens should be evolving expressions of what you like now, as opposed to a permanent museum of your original plan. As you develop your tastes and skills, you will get more ambitious. Collect stones or old bricks to build that decorative wall. Keep an eye on gardening magazines for fresh ideas. And, when you hit a bump in the road, or garden in the case, call on the experts for help. For everything from stump grinding to tree pruning, we can help you make your garden ideas bear budget-friendly fruit.

If you love gardening, we have a few clever tips that will help you become faster and more efficient. With a little bit of preparation, you’ll be able to protect your plants from harsh weather conditions, pests, and diseases. Let’s get started.

1. Build a Tree Report
Take a walk around your garden and make a note of all the trees you’ve grown. Write down details like the name of the tree, the location of the tree in the backyard, and its overall condition. Examine the trunk, the canopy, and the roots to look for signs of decay or infestation. Write down what needs to be done for each tree and work towards that goal.

2. Use Packing Peanuts
Don’t like the idea of carrying large pots around. Fill the bottom of the pots with packing peanuts and then add a layer of landscape fabric on top. Add soil on top of the fabric and watch your plants grow. Packing peanuts lighten the load and allow for good drainage.

3. Don’t Discard All Your Kitchen Waste
Grind eggshells and use them to give your plants a healthy dose of calcium. You could also use leftover water from boiling vegetables to fertilise the soil. Wait for it to come down to room temperature before pouring it out onto your garden bed.

4. Stop Invasive Plants
To prevent invasive plants from spreading their roots far and wide in your garden, plant them in plastic containers and bury them in the ground. Make sure you cut off the base of the plastic pot before burying it. You’ll have better control over the size and growth of the plant if you follow this tip.

5. Watering Deep
If you want to water roots that are deep in the soil, bury a nursery pot into the soil and plant seeds around it. Fill the empty nursery pot with water as and when required. It will channel the water deeper into the ground’s soil.

6. Pinch the Leaves
Whether this one’s an old wives’ tale or not, it still works. Pinch the tips of your beautiful leaves to encourage further growth. They naturally multiply without too much effort on your part.

7. Clean up Your Garden
Get rid of old tree stumps and overgrown branches. Clear out rotting plants and give your garden a thorough clean. It will deter pests from nesting, and give you more space to grow plants.

If you don’t have the time or the equipment to attend to tree pruning, hire the Brisbane Tree Lopping experts at Brisbane Tree Worx. Whether you need to clear your land, grind stumps or remove dead branches, we can help. We serve the entire South East Queensland area. If you ever need a qualified arborist in Brisbane call us on 0400 249 099 or visit us online for more information.

Trees are generally self-sufficient and don’t require a lot of maintenance. You do, however, have to prune them periodically to keep them healthy and to help them grow strong.

If tree pruning is the last thing on your mind, take a look at the top 5 reasons why you ought to prune them regularly.

1. To Beautify Your Home and Its Surroundings

Pruning enhances the shape of the tree and improves its appearance. Well-maintained trees improve the aesthetic appeal of your home or office. They make your surroundings look neat and tidy. Consider pruning large branches and dead limbs at least once or twice a year.

2. Encourage Growth

Some branches tend to grow faster than the rest. By pruning these branches, you’ll control their rate of growth and strengthen tree roots. The tree will stand strong even in inclement weather. If you eliminate dead branches regularly, you’ll also keep diseases and infestations at bay.

3. Keep Your Property Safe

Branches that are weak, dead or overgrown could fall at any moment and cause property damage. They could even accidentally injure people. To prevent your trees from becoming a hazard, you have to inspect them regularly and trim branches that are likely to come in harm’s way. Be particularly careful of branches that are close to power lines.

4. Stop Tree Damage

Did you know trees could cause harm to themselves? If the canopy, for instance, is too dense, it will block both sunlight and air. This will eventually restrict growth and weaken the tree. Watch out for crossed branches. They rub against one another and get damaged when they’re not pruned.

5. Brighten Your View

Tree pruning benefits both the tree and the owner of the tree. As trees start to grow and thrive, they often obstruct your view. If you trim long and thick branches, you could let more light in and get your spectacular view back.

When you prune your trees, you’ll also deter burglars and other unwelcome guests who otherwise like to hide behind trees and dense foliage.

If you don’t have the time or the equipment to attend to tree pruning, hire the Brisbane Tree Lopping experts at Brisbane Tree Worx. Whether you need to clear your land, grind stumps or remove dead branches, we can help. We serve the entire South East Queensland area. If you ever need a qualified arborist in Brisbane call us on 0400 249 099 or visit us online for more information

Fall brings out the best in nature, giving us a spectacular show of colour right before the grey and brown of winter settle in. Gardeners should not let the trees bursting with reds, oranges, and yellows have all the fun. You can put on your own autumn show with the right mixture of flowers and other plants. A wide range of lovely flowering plants thrives as temperatures cool, and the days shorten.

Kangaroo Paws

These colourful and tubular flowers generally emerge in May and remain in bloom right up until November in most places. While Western Australia embraces the red form of the plant on its emblem, it also pops out in a variety of other colors, including yellow and even black.

Pansies

Perfect for a garden needing colour in autumn, pansies veritably explode with it. Yellows, purples, and other shades with petals sporting frilly or even striped patterns will make your garden come alive starting in March and will flower all the way through until spring.

Crowea

Also known as waxflower, this star-shaped beauty named for English botanist James Crowe grows out of small bushes and is native to Victoria. Crowea can bloom in a variety of colors from lavender to orange. The shrub which produces Crowea only grows to 0.75 metres in height, making it a fine fit for even small gardens.

Nasturtium

Nasturtium brings a dual benefit. Besides bringing multiple blooms of eye-popping red or orange colour to your garden, this autumn flower can also expand your palate. Nasturtium, which comes from Latin for “nose twist” can add spice and contrasting flavors to food as different as salad and mayonnaise.

Wallflower

Despite the colloquial term referring to a person who blends into the background, wallflower stalks grow taller than most flowers and produce abundant blooms of purple, pink, or other colours. They not only last, but also bring a sweet fragrance to your garden. No worries–wallflowers will definitely stand out.

While planning your autumn garden, take advantage of the more comfortable climate to do other necessary work. The cooler temperatures also make routine garden maintenance much more safe and comfortable. While surrounded by your autumn blooms, take the opportunity to prune trees and bushes, assess plant health, and make sure that your garden is in tip-top shape by the time hot weather returns.

Spring and summer do not have to be the only times when your garden presents stunning colour and beauty. Consider these and hundreds of other possibilities to liven up your garden space during the autumn months