Floral fest ... jacaranda flowers.

Floral fest ... jacaranda flowers. Photo: Dallas Kilponen

Sydney has a lilac-blue tinge lately. Everywhere I look I see patches of it on the horizon. I'm not talking about the sky, but magnificent trees covered in lilac-blue flowers. Jacarandas are giving the city a sensational seasonal makeover. It's easy to understand why many people consider jacarandas to be among the world's most beautiful flowering trees.

The calming effect of jacaranda flowers makes me think colour therapists are correct in claiming blue induces tranquillity. They believe it cleanses and quietens the mind and soul. Lilac is viewed as a spiritual and feminine colour.

Jacarandas (Jacaranda mimosifolia) are native to South America, so they thrive in tropical and warm-temperate climates. They are deciduous but only briefly, as their leaves drop in late winter and early spring to reappear with, or just after, the flowers.

Jacarandas make wonderful shade trees because their natural shape is like an elegant umbrella. They reach a height and width of 10 to 15 metres and thus need space. Pruning established trees is a no-no, as this will result in the tree sending up sapling-like vertical shoots from the spot where the branch was removed, ruining its shape.

If trees in bloom awaken your spirit but you don't have the space for a jacaranda, there are smaller choices. Don't dismiss the beautiful flowering angel's trumpets (Brugmansia) just because the plants are poisonous. Many plants are poisonous, but you just need to be aware of the fact.

Most people teach their children early in life not put anything in their mouths unless they know it is edible. Oleanders are common street trees in parts of Italy and, despite being poisonous , in one area they are pruned like umbrellas over picnic benches. I haven't noticed any inert picnickers under the benches on my travels there.

Angel's trumpets produce their long (20-centimetre) trumpet-shaped, perfumed blooms in generous quantities over the hot months. The perfume is stronger at night. Belonging to the same family (Solanaceae) as tomatoes and potatoes, the large shrubs can be trained as small trees. They produce a show-stopping mass of blooms when given lots of food, shelter from hot winds and regular water. They may also be grown in large tubs.

Flower shades include orange, pink, white, lemon and apricot. Check them out at sacredgardenfrangipanis.com. Once you are hooked, request the book Huanduj: Brugmansia by Alistair Hay, Monika Gottschalk and Adolfo Holguin (Florilegium, $95) for your Christmas stocking. You won't be disappointed.

Perfumed frangipanis are ideal for small, sunny gardens and their summer scent will waft through the garden.

Citrus trees provide you with perfumed flowers, shiny evergreen foliage and, of course, the reward of edible fruit.

Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia) produces late-summer flowers in shades of white, pink, mauve or purple. The Indian Summer range features numerous cultivars with different heights and spreads. Eucalyptus 'Summer Red' and pink flowering 'Summer Beauty' are perfect for small gardens and birds love the flowers' nectar.

The late summer, creamy-white flowers of native ivory curl flower (Buckinghamia celsissima) will also entice birds. In addition, it's great for screening.

  • Visit gardens. Coomalong, 8 Lentara Road, Bayview is open to the public on November 17 and 18 from 10am to 4.30pm as part of Australia's Open Garden Scheme. Cost is $7.
  • Think about Christmas entertaining and pot up some annuals for outdoor living areas. Bedding begonias flower for months.
  • Watch for caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly, which will feast on your cabbages, radishes, rocket and Asian greens. Dust with derris dust or organic Eco-Neem.
  • Give lavenders some dolomite, as they love alkaline soil.