An antidote to winter
By Mitch Graham
An antidote to winter is easily found in Taranaki - thanks to the region's bounty of "gardens for all seasons".
We're lucky that regardless of time or location, there'll always be something appealing to be found. This seasonal quality of Taranaki's gardens impressed and excited me when I put down roots in the region three years ago.
True, some gardens are challenging to maintain at top condition, so gardeners who make the effort thoroughly deserve the warmest of compliments.
Certainly, not all of the region's gardens share the same favourable conditions as Tupare - relatively frost-free, sheltered from prevailing westerlies, ample rainfall, free-draining soil and an aspect to suit plants with varying requirements, to name just a few.
As a gardener I understand that above the ground, many herbaceous and woody plants go through dormant phases over autumn and winter. Some plants, however, stand out from the crowd at this time.
The strap-leaved Clivia gardenii, with its curved flowers, orange with green-tips, grows happily in the dappled shade of our mature magnolias and conifers.
Our display of newly trimmed winter roses, all Helleborus species, will flower this month in tones of purple through to green.
Many camellias enjoy Tupare's growing conditions, and at this time of year gardeners can always rely on the sasanqua species to provide a choice of flower colour for the hedge or as a specimen plant.
For that tricky spot under large trees where the soil is dry and natural light is unavailable, we have success with the attractive shrub Plectranthus. There are literally hundreds of species to choose from, but many are considered invasive weeds, so careful research is required by the home gardener before introducing any to the back yard.
Plectranthus belong to the mint family (lamiaceae) and often have decorative and fragrant foliage as well as clusters of small salvia type flowers that appear in autumn and winter.
One of my personal favourites is the upright P. fruiticosus 'James'. It has an earthy red leaf with purple underneath. In autumn it displays spikes of lilac-coloured flowers.
Another plant that receives many favourable comments is P. saccatus. Ours forms a free- flowing mound outside the cottage and for most of the year is sprinkled with short spikes of bright blue flowers.
So wrap up warm, venture out and take in the seasonal spectacle.
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Mitch Graham (left) is Garden Manager - Tupare for the Taranaki Regional Council This column was published in the Taranaki Daily News on 4 June 2010 |
