One of the toughest shrubs to grow in our climate is flowering quince, says gardening columnist JACKIE WARBURTON.

Although flowering quince (Chaenomeles japonicathey) is deciduous this time of year, it will soon be in bloom, letting us know that spring is just around the corner.

It is a suckering shrub with thorns and will get bigger over time. While most branches have thorns, this shrub is ideal for small nesting birds.

It flowers at the same time as early fruit trees and will encourage bees to the garden when we need them most. 

Its flowers range from red, white and pink, but if there are multiple-coloured shrubs in the garden, the bees can create interspecies hybrids and the colour of the flowers may not be as strong as they originally were.

Flowering quince also grows unusual pear-sized fruit that, while inedible straight from the shrub, can be used in pies, jams and jellies once they’re cooked.

Native to Japan and popular as a bonsai shrub, its flowers are full size on a small plant. 

A tough, indestructible plant, in the garden it likes full sun and grows to a metre tall. 

Cuttings can be taken in summer or autumn. Layer propagation can be done by bending a branch that has had a section of bark removed to expose the flesh of the stem. Ensure this “wound” is touching the soil and weighted down with a rock or a brick. 

Once the branch has rooted from the wound, it can be removed from the parent plant, potted to grow on and planted out when good roots are strong. 

AS winter marches on, there are still many jobs that need to be done. 

If pruning pome fruit trees, cut into smaller branches and dry for a few months. They can then be used in the barbeque or smoker offering a hint of flavour from the wood that’s being used.

Fruit and nut woods are better for white to pink meats, such as chicken and fish, and hardwoods, such as hickory and oak, are best for red meats. But strictly no conifers of any type are to be used. 

Ensure the wood is dry, not diseased in any way, and are healthy, solid pieces. With a little research growing your own timber can be a sustainable way to reduce green waste.

For serious folk, a good wood chipper can be used; coarse wood chips for the smoker and barbeque and finer wood chips on to the garden as mulch. 

Again, if all wood chips are dry and seasoned, they’ll be ready for the barbeque season when the weather has warmed.

Logs that are seasoned and ready for use will have about 20 per cent moisture content. The logs will begin to have cracks or splits on the ends and will be slightly lighter than they were at the time of cutting.

If this process is rushed or the logs are too wet, it will show in the end result and the flavour will be lost when cooking with them.

WORMWOOD (artemisia absinthium) is an old-fashioned plant that was used to grow around the chook house to keep lice away from chickens and other livestock.

While it can be a little weedy when planted in the wrong spot with its suckering habit, there is a new variety, Silver Queen (A. Ludoviciana) that has spectacular silver foliage that’s grown as a ground cover and used in gravel gardens. It doesn’t mind our summer heat. 

Jottings

• Feed garlic with high nitrogen fertiliser until a month before harvest.

• Used manures such as cows and sheep in fallow vegetable gardens. 

• Prune hydrangeas to 40cm off the ground and mulch. 

• Do not prune maples until the weather has warmed. 

jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au