Flowers are finally creeping back into the most fashionable gardens. For true gardeners, they never went off the radar. But for too long now, many gardens have consisted of minimalist green on green, with a limited repertoire of very over-used plants. And while I appreciate minimalist gardens juxtaposed with contemporary architecture, a garden full of flowers beats minimalist hands down. I’m not suggesting a return to the crazy cottage era of the 1980s – just a little local colour amid the greenery.
Unlike our neighbouring Pacific Islands, much of our native flora is a tad shy when it comes to flowering. Shy, not because they don’t produce many, more that you just can’t see them!
oost of our natives have tiny, cream or greenish flowers. But there’s good reason for such modesty. We also have a lot of nocturnal moths, attracted to these often highly scented, “glow-in-the-dark” flowers.
As they feed, the moths pollinate the flowers. Luckily, we also have a handful of plants which do offer appealing, floristic flamboyance and the perfect touch of Pacifica for your garden.
Tall & proud
Trees provide contrast in height and form, balance in visual weight with surrounding buildings and shade for hot summer days. However, care must be taken to place them where they will not interfere with views, sun on dwellings, guttering, drains and neighbours.
Kowhai are the perfect small garden tree. They’re easily kept in bounds with an annual trim, and cast lovely dappled shade. Their spring display of brilliant yellow flowers may be short- lived but is utterly spectacular, especially when tui visit to sup their abundant nectar.
Pohutukawa are more suited to coastal cliff gardens. There are however, several forms that grow to a more respectable size. ‘Vibrance’, ‘Scarlet Pimpernel’, ‘Lighthouse’ and ‘Fire oountain’ all grow to around 5m high, making them ideal for an average-sized garden and large containers.
Screens & hedges
Screens and hedges are important structural elements and can be turned into a spectacular feature by selecting reliable flowering plants. Hebes come in scores of different types ranging in height, leaf type, flower form and colour, and time of flowering. oany are suitable as hedging or screening plants, but check the variety you choose grows well in your area – some are frost-tender and others intolerant of humid conditions.
oanuka is underused as a garden hedge or screen. Deep red ‘Crimson Glory’ and double pink ‘Jubilee’ are two of my favourites, but there are many more worthwhile varieties to choose from. oany flower in mid to late winter, bringing welcome warmth to the garden in the coldest part of the year. As with hebes, make sure you trim them immediately after flowering, otherwise you risk snipping off the flower buds.
Fillers & mass planting
We have dozens of excellent, free-flowering, filler plants among our natives, some with quite spectacular flowers. Little known Geranium ‘Pink Spice’ has deep bronze, scalloped foliage and hot pink summer flowers.
oarlborough rock daisy produces masses of pristine, white flowers, but is just as alluring in bud. New Zealand iris (Libertia) has dainty white iris-like flowers and stiff, highly textural foliage. All three suit well-drained soils in a sunny spot.
Chatham Island forget-me-not has amazing, lush foliage with clusters of unforgettable blue and white spring flowers. Rengarenga (Arthropodium) becomes a mass of white flower stems in spring. These two make excellent mass planting in light shade. Taller growing fillers include the spectacular red kaka beak and grey-leaved brachyglottis, which produce yellow daisy flowers in summer.
Accents & focal points
Accent planting generally comprises plants with strikingly different foliage to surrounding planting. Sword-leafed plants are a favourite, as are those with eye-catching silhouettes or unusual branch structure.
The same plants also create a stunning focal point, especially when planted in an urn to elevate them to eye level. Two of my all-time favourite accent plants with fantastic floral effects are Poor Knight’s Lily and snow tussock (Chionochloa flavicans). The former is subtropical, the latter alpine, but both grow pretty much anywhere. Poor Knight’s Lily is even growing at Larnach Castle in Dunedin – but you will have to wait several years for flowers to appear.
It’s time to:
- Cut back raspberry canes that fruited last summer.
- Water houseplants sparingly and allow to almost dry out between watering.
- Prune pip fruit (apples, pears and crab apples) by the end of July.
- Aim to have all roses pruned by the end of this month.
- Sow broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and salad greens in trays for planting out in spring.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
