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Giant Bird of Paradise –Strelitzia nicolai is a really striking tall palm like plant that looks fantastic at the back of a large bed or as the center piece of a round garden particularly when surrounded by a low hedge It gets the same shape flower as the more common variety but is candy red and white.
Tricolour Jasmine – Trachelospermum Tricolour really hardy in sunny or semi shade position, Can be formed into a low hedge or let go as a ground cover, will drape of the edge of walls and post great filler in a busy garden.
“Prince of Persia” – Strobilanthes dyerianus fantastic colour to fill those semi shade spots in the garden. Really easy to strike out from cuttings so only ever buy one.
Giant Bird of Paradise –Strelitzia nicolai is a really striking tall palm like plant that looks fantastic at the back of a large bed or as the center piece of a round garden particularly when surrounded by a low hedge It gets the same shape flower as the more common variety but is candy red and white.
Palm Grass – Molineria Capitulata This is a great plant to use as a filler around the base of trees and palms. Looks great behind a low hedge and in front of taller plants. Is quite hardy and easy to grow, likes the shade and will spread by runners so you don’t need to buy a lot just a few to get things started. As you can see here they grow to about 70cm but like all grass i suspect if watered and fed they will get a bit bigger
Bromeliads
There are literally thousands of different types of Bromeliads available and for the residential gardener they offer a really cheap and easy way to fill in all the empty spots around the garden particularly in the shady areas under shrubs and trees. These plants don’t need to go into soil, you plant them in amongst piles of bark and finer mulch as they feed from the cup in the top of the plant rather than grow a lot of roots.
Hardy and easy to split up and spread around you can often swap them with friends and family rather than buying them
Geraniums – Numerous Varieties (422)
Another great plant to share with family and friends. So easy to strike into a pot with potting mix. Lots of different colours and sizes available and there are even scented Geraniums (cinnamon, rose, lemon or peppermint fragrances).
Great in pots on your patio, but if you want to plant them out try a few spots with the potted plant first. They say the plant needs full sun but I have found that the stay a nice dark green colour in a warm morning sun position that is shady in the afternoon. Keep fed with a low nitrogen slow release fertiliser and only water once in a while as they like to have dry roots. Tip prune and remove dead flowers to bring on new growth.
Clivia – Clivia miniata
Named after Lady Charlotte Florentina Clive, who was the granddaughter of Clive of India. These plants come from South Africa and are very useful in a spot that is mostly shade. They are bulletproof and will survive no matter what you do to them, They are a lilly so corns can be divided and they look fantastic in a clumping mass planting. around palms and shady trees. They flower in Spring and as you can see put on quite a show, But the foliage is also very attractive.
Succulents – many varieties
This month I thought I would ask Linda from Succulents online to contribute the post below. She is a great source of knowledge and ideas on how to get started on collecting a succulent garden.
Some of the easiest care plants I know of are succulents, and one of the easiest would have to be Graptosedum Glauca. It is so easy to look after, requires minimal maintenance and can quite often become a show piece in any garden. Graptosedum are a cross between Graptopetalum and Sedum, and as both varieties grow easily in most climates they come highly recommended for any novice gardener.
They will grow in semi shade to full sun, require very little water and the only maintenance they require is for the flower stems to be removed after flowering. The dainty yellow flowers appear in late spring to early summer, and are really quite insignificant. It is the leaf growth that makes the plant so attractive. During the winter months the leaves will change to a pinkish colour, giving the plant an almost iridescent hue. The plant pictured above has been grown in a large pot on top of an old tree stump and has been there for approximately eighteen months.
Cordyline fruticosa Rubra
Another great plant to fill space in the mid to rear section of a garden that is shaded by trees or palms. The good thing is that they are so easy to propagate from a cutting so look around your street or friends gardens, they are bound to have one and you just need a 15cm cutting.
Put the cutting in a 140mm pot of potting mix and keep it moist and in the part sun and you will have a new plant in no time. In line with my needs they tick all the boxes, being pretty tough, can take being dry for a while but are at their best when feed and watered. There are dozens of different Cordylines around in colours from Red to yellow and orange