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Western Sydneys Cold Snap

By Katrina Layt

Western Sydneys cold snap this winter has really tested out the plants at the Ozbreed gardens. We had down to -6 degrees Celcius at some times. Throughout some parts of Western Sydney trees and especially Syzygiums were getting completely burnt and smashed by the frosts, most of the time defoliating plants.

But there were some stand outs that kept looking great through these tough conditions. The Westringias Naringa and Mundi were doing great, the ones that weren't pruned back. Ones that had been pruned back before winter were burnt but are coming back now. Some beleive that frost is natures way of pruning plants but most of the Westringias obviously didn't need a pruning. The Hardenbergia Meema handled the frosts really well with only slight burning at the tips. This shows that it is the tough landscape variety of Hardenbergia.

The reliable strappy leaf plants that stayed evergreen and beautiful included Tanika and the new Lomandra fluviatilis Shara. The Dianellas have been burnt but we have pruned them and they are coming back nicely now.

It's the best to see plants in winter to know what they are like at their worst. It confirms how good a plant really is.

Westringia Mundi front (the one furthest away has been burnt because it was pruned)