© Edna Walling Estate.

One of the sweetest shrubs to plant about four feet away, and a little to the front of the forsythia, is Spirea multiflora arguta. This spirea flowers later than S. thunbergia, which it resembles a little, but if they both flowered at the same time and I had to make a choice it would certainly be arguta, much as I love thunbergii, because arguta is really exquisite when it is laden with its tiny white flowers.

This is October 4th, and we have Olearia dentata in full flower in odd corners and borders all over the garden ... I can never get enough of this native shrub. The flowers are very like a perennial aster (Michaelmas daisy) with a little more substance perhaps, and of the loveliest clear mauve in colour. It needs regular pruning in the manner that the prostantheras also require, that is a liberal, and yet not too heavy, cutting back immediately after flowering; otherwise it grows rather spindly and top heavy.

At the foot of this olearia we have Westmoreland thyme flowering madly. It's glorious! I've never enjoyed anything more. I hope I have the right name for this olearia. In a frenzied search for a title for it, I found it in Thistle Harris' book, "Wild Flowers of Australia", but can't quite make up my mind if it is dentata or asterotricha. It's simply lovely with Viburnum carlesii and flowering cherries.

Dianthus freynii is a most exciting little fellow with its clear pink flowers on inch-high stems all over the little mat of grey-green foliage; so small it is that one is reminded of Reginald Arkell's poem upon someone's rock garden. Do you remember? The owner was expatiating about some treasure and the visitor asked 'Where is this lovely thing', he cried; 'You're standing on it!' she replied. The grey foliage and the small white flowers of Anthemis aeizon thrill me. I bought it under the name of Achillea ageratifolia many years ago now, and am always terrified of losing it.

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The flowers of Vaccinium corymbosa are really the sweetest little waxy lanterns. I secured the plants for their exquisite autumn foliage, and it's a pleasant surprise to find it a dual-purpose plant. I don't know much about its requirements but imagine from the little I've read about it that it favours rhododendron conditions; poor things, they won't get them in my garden.

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