Basic gardening tip - Frangipanis a delight in the garden

 Walking  around our neighbourhood at the moment is an arrangement in Frangipanis.  Always seen in  older gardens but a row of evergreen frangipanis can look just as good in a modern setting. They flower from November to May, in Queensland,  I don't think you could find a better plant for the tropical or subtropical garden than frangipani.

 


I plant them in amongst other trees and shrubs as mine are deciduous and look better in the winter after leaf loss.















Propagating frangipani is so simple and is done usually in the winter months, although I have left it until as late as October in Adelaide which has a colder climate, when sap movement is at its least. Take a piece of hardwood about 300 millimetres long. Leave the cutting in the sun for a couple of weeks to dry out and then put into some good potting mix. Within a few weeks it will have formed roots, how easy is that.  The secret is letting it dry out for those two weeks.  Wash your hands if you get any of the sticky white sap on you as it might irritate.






Over the last few years rust has become a major problem with frangipanis, and it causes yellow orange pustules to appear on the underside of the leaf. The other side of the leaf becomes almost transparent. Spray with a copper based spray before it appears, and gather up all the leaves that fall on the ground to help minimise it. But recently some frangipani trees have built up a resistance to rust, so hopefully we won't have to spray much longer.

They are a wonderful addition to any garden for the beautiful flowers and fragrance.


Happy gardening


Bronwyn