 Growing Gardens
with Julia Hancock
Gorgeous Gap-Fillers
A brief respite in the drought last week occasioned a planting frenzy in this neck of the woods. With the spring displays over early this year and with the summer species not yet showing colour, there lurk what many gardeners dread -gaps.
Fortunately some gentle rain provided a good opportunity not only to get potted plants in the ground but to fill those gaps that always occur 'midseason'.
Gap-fillers for shade
I find that shady gardens are rendered much more interesting if foliage rather than flowers become the feature. This does not mean that they are just green; nothing could be further from the truth because there is a huge range of temperate and subtropical species that look colourful while never producing flamboyant flowers.
Bromeliads, coleus, cordylines and crotons are at the top of the list, but also consider Draceana marginata 'Tricolor' and D. massangeana fragrans with their spectacular spiky foliage and the leathery, greyish-blue leaves of the card board palm, Zamia furfuracea.
While we usually associate succulents with desert conditions some, such as pedilanthus or zig zag plant, grow beautifully in the shade. Calatheas, ctenanthes and marantas are always worth considering for their often metallic-looking, patterned leaves. At ground level, peperomias, pileas and violets, both native and exotic are fresh and fancy.
Gap-fillers for sun
If you want something neutral but contrasting, ornamental grasses are a good choice.
Small ones such as Festuca glauca, which form low-growing bluish-green tussocks or larger types such as the many miscanthus varieties that are now available, are versatile and low-maintenance.
If you focus on colour coordination consider salvias, because they come in just about every colour of the rainbow. They also grow to different heights depending on the cultivar and are therefore easy to accommodate in a mixed planting.
For bold tropical displays, the dwarf varieties of acalypha are simple, but sensational shrubs.
|
