Thursday, April 23, 2009
I had a magnificent flax plant (Phormium), one of the lovely variegated ones with shades of green, cream and apricot striping its leaves. A while ago, I noticed it was sort of collapsing and over the course of a couple of weeks, most of the leaves dried up and fell over. It was time for an investigation. What I found was that some creature (wood rat?) had built a nest deep in the heart of the plant and smothered the crown. They might even have been chewing on it, but that I can't prove. So, I pulled it all out. While I was engaged in the clean up, I took a hard look at everything around it as well. Nothing was performing up to the same standard that the flax had, so maybe it was time to redo the whole bed. The salvia (Salvia buchananii, I think it was) was getting very leggy and I couldn't remember the last time I saw it flower. The Fuchsia triphylla 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt' had become a skeleton of elongated stems as it tried to find a little more sun. Only the big spider lily (Crinum asiaticum) was looking at all happy, and it alone remained when I was done.
This planting bed is in one of the most difficult places to garden. It is up against a seven-foot wall on the east so doesn't see the sun until noon and has shade from the west after about 3 p.m. in the summer and even earlier in the winter (there's also a high building to the south!). There is only sun during the middle of the day, when it is at its brightest and hottest. What to plant this time around?
For sure, I'll replace the flax. It did famously until its untimely demise. Here are some of the candidates I'll be considering for other starring roles. Brugmansia, known as angel's trumpet, can become a small tree, but is easy to keep smaller. It could provide a fine focal point. There are several lovely colors from white to pink to gold to choose from, too. I could look for one of the interesting variegated forms of Pittosporum tobira to bring some light to the dark area. 'Turner's Variegated Dwarf' would fit the scale of the space well and the fragrant blossoms would also be welcome. I want to try another Abutilon, too. It might get leggy, but maybe with judicious pruning, I can keep it bushy enough. Loropetalum chinense also comes in a variety of pink shades of flowers against purplish leaves (as well as the lovely white flowers on green foliage) and can be a graceful small shrub.
With several of these taller plants in place, I can probably add some more low-growing and shade-loving plants that would be sheltered from that noon time sun. There are both variegated and solid green selections of Liriope, lily turf, and Ophiopogon, giant lily turf and mondo grass. That could take to the front of the stage. I like the variegated form of Houttuynia cordata called 'Chamaeleon,’ too. It can become a bit invasive, so if I plant it, I'll have to keep an eye on it. It does have a brief deciduous period in winter, as well. Saxifraga stolonifera, with the very misleading common name strawberry geranium, makes a nice ground cover in shade or partial shade. Its small dull green leaves have beautiful silver veins patterning them and tiny white flowers occur much of the year.
These are good “foundation” plants with a little interest, but I really want some pizazz as well. I've been charmed by that showy little impatiens, I. auricoma 'Jungle Gold' with intricate flowers in gold streaked with red and I see it offered in catalogs. I could try Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra') again. It really is blood-red. I can always fall back on bright annuals to tuck into the corners when a party is in the offing. I've used sunny yellow or creamy salmon nasturtiums, magenta lobelia, flowering tobacco in both pale and saturated shades of pink, yellow and even green. In summer months, colorful coleus can also fill in the blanks until cold weather arrives.
Of course there are many other choices that would probably fill the bill here. Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) might. As would boxwood (Buxus), maybe as a topiary, or wild ginger, (Asarum). I did have another “filter” in mind as I made my selections: color. My little garden needs to have a limited, but sophisticated color palette. Pastel yellows, salmon-y oranges with some deep wine pinks for contrast will compliment each other well.
Virginia Hayes, curator of Ganna Walska Lotusland, will answer your gardening questions. Address them to Gardens, The Independent, 122 W. Figueroa St., S.B., CA 93101. Send email to vahayes@lotusland.org.