Bottlebrush (Callistemon) thrives in dry, sunny areas of the garden, writes Gareth Carter.
OPINION
Good moisture during the past few weeks makes it a great time to make new shrub and tree plantings.
A dry summer every now and again can mean a garden comes somewhat unstuck. If no one tends it and gives it water, then losses occur.
We are people with busy lives who are often looking for “low maintenance” and “easy care”, meaning what will survive on its own without much attention.
There is a good range of plants available that, once established, will be far more hardy to withstanding dry summer conditions than others.
The right plant in the right spot will give a garden that will thrive for years, providing great aesthetic value as well as environmental benefits.
To ensure success, thorough preparation should be done when planting. These steps are simple, but will make the difference between a job done once or a job that has to be done again.
Select dry-loving plants.
Dig a hole two to three times the size of the root area of the new plant and plant into a mixture 50-50 of compost such as Ican Premium or Tui Compost and the surrounding soil.
Use an appropriate root establishment fertiliser for the plant (check with the store when purchasing) such as Ican Slow Food; give two years of feeding.
Mulch around the completed planting with newspaper and bark chip, Feeding Mulch or similar.
Provide weekly deep watering for December, January and February in the first two years while these plants are getting their roots established deep to subsequently source their own water.
Bottlebrush (Callistemon) is a plant that thrives in dry, sunny areas of the garden. There are several varieties that grow to different heights suitable for small or large-garden situations.
My favourites that do well in Whanganui gardens are Callistemon: Red Clusters (medium-large growing), Little John (small growing) and John Mashlan (bright pink flowers).
Callistemon Red Clusters has stunning, bright-red flower spikes that cover the plant in abundance during spring and summer, though it usually has a few flowers on it throughout the year. This variety grows about 3m high.
Callistemon Little John is a compact dwarf-growing bottlebrush. It grows only about 1m x 1m so is suitable for smaller gardens and shrub plantings. It is often used in traffic islands and other public areas where growing conditions are tough. It produces masses of deep-red flower brushes tipped gold mainly through spring and early summer, with occasional blooms almost year round.
Callistemon John Mashlan is a compact, upright bush producing masses of candyfloss-pink bottlebrush flowers during spring to summer. Hardy and tolerant of dry situations once established. Best in full sun and well-drained soils. Grows 2m x 2m.
Strappy leaved plants such as flaxes, Dianella and Lomandra are useful in dry environments and can form colourful contrast and structure to a garden. These look good when used with the smaller-growing grass varieties.
Species such as the mini toetoe and the brilliant-orange-foliaged Carex testacea provide excellent landscaping opportunities when used in groups of three or in larger mass plantings, using the colours of the grasses to contrast against one another.
Lomandra grasses have come to recognition in New Zealand in the past five years or so. They are being valued for their general hardiness, the attractive form and structure they can bring to a garden through the movement they offer in the wind, the range of colours that are available and the ease of care. Lomandra grasses are generally “self-cleaning”, meaning old foliage shrivels and disappears from the plant rather than “hanging on” and needing to be removed by hand for the plant to look good. Where many plantings have been made in the past with Carex-type grasses, Lomandra are now being used to great effect with a much lower maintenance requirement.
The stand-out varieties are Lomandra Lime Tuff, Nyalla, Tanika and Frosty Tops.
Lime Tuff has a spiky, fresh green appearance and its growth and survival in tough situations can best be described as bulletproof. It grows to a useful 50cm x 50cm size in sun or part-shade situations. In the summer months, it produces sweetly fragrant flower spikes that sit down amongst the foliage. This plant can be used to a highly attractive effect, planted among a larger-growing, darker-coloured flax. As well as a garden specimen planted in groups of three or five or more, Lime Tuff is also the perfect pot specimen. Being so drought tolerant, it is great for the sunny patio or outdoor living area.
Nyalla is the same in its hardiness. Its appearance has a soft, blue-green hue and it is slightly taller, growing to about 80cm.
Tanika is soft green in colour and is soft to touch. It has a compact form, growing about 50-60cm high by 65cm wide.
Frosty Tops has soft arching foliage with a fine grey-green foliage with silver-frosted new growth. Grows about 50cm x 50cm.
A favourite for coastal gardens is a dwarf variety of pōhutukawa called Meterosideros Tahiti. This plant grows about 1m by 1m and has brilliant orange-red flowers during summer and into the autumn. It makes an excellent plant in the garden or in pots and handles the tough conditions we are talking about.
Another of the best-performing small-growing plants for dry areas is the Morning Glory, Convolvulus cneorum, not to be confused with the problem convolvulus weed. This plant is not invasive and offers almost year-round colour — it is seldom without a flower. White trumpet flowers are 3-4cm across with bluish tinge, shaded yellow in the throat. It grows 60cm high by 1m wide. The foliage is a stunning silvery-grey.
A family of New Zealand natives that perform well in the drier environment are the Coprosmas. Coprosmas have many varieties that excel in dry, hot conditions. They also attract the birds with the berries that develop each year. The range of varieties is diverse with a number of colourfully leaved shrubs growing about 1-1.5m high.
There are many coloured varieties including Evening Glow, Lemon & Lime and, one of my favourites, Wendy.
Coprosma Wendy is a stunning native evergreen and its foliage is a blend of various colours — pink, red, orange and yellow. As the weather cools heading into winter, the colours intensify. It is a good coastal plant, growing about 1.5m high x 1m wide.
There are also varieties with divaricating-type foliage. This is typified by small leaves on branches that have a tangled appearance. Coprosma Taiko is a good one to grow in the home garden with tiny green leaves on blackish stems offering an attractive appearance that can be used to good visual effect when contrasted with other plants. It has a spreading habit and is excellent for holding sand and banks together in harsh conditions. Other similar varieties are Hawera and Acerosa.
Native trees that thrive in dry conditions are the pōhutukawa (metrosideros excellsa); these are certainly one of the most popular when a large tree is needed. Other natives include some of the Pseudopanux varieties and Griselinia.
There are other plants that originate from the hot, dry climates of Australia and South Africa that are suited to these garden situations. Some of these include Leucadendrons, Protea, Banksia, Westringia and Grevillea, to name a few.
I have not managed to mention ceanothus, rock rose, escallonia and feijoa that do well in the coastal and dry environment too. So don’t despair if you have had a few failures in a dry situation — there is quite a variety of things that you can grow. Many of these plants are attractive to birds, providing flowers containing nectar and good foliage cover in which to nest as well as inhabit.
For more gardening information, go to www.springvalegardencentre.co.nz
Gareth Carter is general manager of Springvale Garden Centre.
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