Growing Gardens

with Julia Hancock

Making besser better

A common feature of homes built into a slope is a retaining wall at the rear. Often this is a problem area, and an eyesore when looking out of the rear windows.

Retaining walls can look ugly and depressing, especially if they are made out of grey besser bricks. Coloured interlocking building blocks are more appealing and offer the advantage of tiering backwards, allowing for planting opportunities between each layer.

The solution to the problems described above is often simply a matter of choosing a few suitable species to cascade out over, or nestle in amongst, the stonework. Mass planting one or two species is usually more effective than using a variety of different types. Here are a few suggestions.

Sunny banks

Flowering plants can turn an eyesore into something really special. For ease of maintenance mesembryanthemums can't be beaten because they come in bright colours and require little water and develop into soft billows. Succulents like aptenia and kalanchoe are also winners. Daisies such as arcotis, erigerum, gazanias and osteospermums are terrific value, flowering for many months of summer. Don't forget some herbs make great groundcover/hole fillers and thyme, oregano and catmint are ideal for planting in pockets. If you're into natives and your wall is flat faced, try planting Grevillea 'Poorinda Royal Mantle' with maroon toothbrush flowers, and the white-flowered Myoporum (creeping boobialla) in the soil at the top so the plants can drape downwards.

Shady banks

The accent here is on plants with interesting foliage, as fewer species flower successfully in the shade. That said, the softly spreading ajuga, native violet, periwinkle and members of the plectranthus family offer a variety of leaf colours and shapes and flower periodically. Ferns are fantastic and if conditions suit will colonise happily. Bromeliads too will multiply over time and offer a range of subtle leaf colours.

With a little imagination an eyesore can become a fabulous feature.

Lismore Garden Club News

The club's Hunter Valley Tour was a resounding success, arriving back late on Friday.

The maximum of 53 happy gardeners went on the tour, all agreeing that the Hunter Valley Gardens at Pokolbin was the highlight.

Last week I touched briefly on birds in the garden and this week I will try to cover the most important points of attracting butterflies to the garden. Like most other creatures, butterflies are attracted by a good, reliable source of food. They are most abundant and visible from late spring through summer to autumn, as indeed most garden insects are. Lismore and district is blessed by good numbers and many species of butterflies, which is an indicator of a healthy environment. Now is a good time to plant butterfly nectar plants, which will bloom next summer. Buddleja, Duranta and Pentas are among the favoured nectar flowers for butterflies. If you are serious about having butterflies around, you must avoid using any form of insecticides in your garden. Remember it's caterpillars that are eventually transformed into beautiful butterflies, so try to resist squashing them on impulse.

Happy Gardening
Ron Burns