Growing Gardens

with Anita Morton

Shady characters

As our gardens mature they present new challenges - the patterns of light and shade change as trees get taller, and sometimes plants that used to thrive become starved of light or moisture. You can always tell a plant that needs help by the way it leans outwards into the sunlight. Don't let the poor thing struggle on any longer. If it's a smallish perennial or shrub, shift it to a brighter spot, and if it's too large for that, chop it down and replace it with something more suitable.

Dry shade is always a bit difficult for plants to cope with, though fortunately our climate is better than most. Because we have so much rain during the hot weather, plants are less likely to become stressed. For us, spring is the difficult time - it gets steadily hotter and is usually very dry. It is well worth installing an irrigation system just to help the garden cope with the September to November period.

Plants that will flower in those shady areas include azaleas, hydrangeas, impatiens and nodding violet (Streptocarpus caulescens), (keep the water up to these), cliveas, begonias, orchids, native violet and seaside daisy (Erigeron karvinskianus). The range of foliage plants that will grow in these conditions is even wider, and many a shady garden is enlivened by banks of cordylines and crotons, bromeliads, philodendrons and bird's nest ferns. Even the shadiest and driest conditions can't phase the hardy Sansevieria (mother-in-law's tongue) and aspidistra.

Shade is where you will get the best results from all variegated and coloured-foliage plants. They have evolved to suit these conditions, and when planted is a sunny position often become bleached and sun-burned. Those red, golden and purple leaved plants will be much happier in that scruffy shade patch under the tree - so shift them and see the difference.

Lismore Garden Club News

The clivia or kaffir lily is a hardy, handsome, evergreen, strap leaf plant that thrives in the shady parts of the garden. They flower August and September around Lismore and district. The flowers are a pretty light orange shade and are born about 10 or 12 per stem. There are at least two hybrids available in nursery's now, cream to yellow and deep orange-red. You will pay a big price for a flowering size plant around 5-years-old. Two-year-old plants are much cheaper, or the common, light orange version, can usually be procured from gardening friends or neighbours when they divide over grown plants.

When clivias are in flower, it's important to protect them from snails.

Spring is at the doorstep, so it's time to get cracking with annuals.

What to plant now: (In warmer frost free areas)

Flowers: spring bulbs, roses, cosmos, alyssum, calendulas, nigella and marigold.

Vegies: potatoes, lettuce, beetroot, radish, silver beet and herbs. If you live in a frost prone area, delay planting for a few weeks.

Remember, the Lismore and District Garden competition is on soon.

Finally: "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Happy Gardening
Ron Burns