In January, I wrote a post about a few projects my husband and I'd undertaken, including
the removal of the wood-fired snorkel spa in the backyard. Lacking a clear vision for the area, I filled it with cast-offs from other areas of the garden and impulse purchases. It never came together and earlier this summer I lost its central element, the mountain pepper (
Driyms lanceolata), probably due to a combination of transplant shock and inadequate water. As I'd added
Melianthus major to the bed in April, after picking it up the local botanic garden's spring sale, I decided to rely on other Australian plants for the rest of the bed. My first "fall" planting purchase, Grevillea 'Ned Kelly,' and the established
Arbutus 'Marina' adjoining the space set the red(dish) and yellow color scheme. I'm still tweaking it but the largest elements are in place.
The main elements include:
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| Grevillea 'Ned Kelly' (aka 'Mason's Hybrid), which can be seen in flower here |
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| Anigozanthos 'Big Roo Yellow,' which I bought in a large container (breaking one of my usual rules) |
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| Leucadendron salignum 'Blush' (photobombed by Hibiscus trionum) |
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| Leucadendron 'Jester,' temporarily in a tomato cage for his own protection - I paid a pretty penny for him even in a 1-gallon pot and it would break my heart if the raccoon marauders tore him apart before his root system anchors him in place. |
Supporting elements include:
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| Phormium 'Amazing Red' in the background is new but the ornamental oregano (Origanum 'Monterey Bay'), pineapple flowers (Eucomis 'Oakhurst,'which haven't bloomed), cherry skull-cap (Scutellaria suffrutescens) and succulents are holdovers from my earlier planting scheme |
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| Hibiscus trionum (aka bladder weed or flower-of-the-hour), which has a reputation for uncontrolled self-seeding |
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| Fernleaf lavender (Lavandula multifida) is another holdover from an earlier planting scheme |
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| The 3 Pennisetum setaceum 'Fireworks' are new - they're not supposed to get as large as the red/purple variety I have elsewhere in the garden |
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| Scabiosa ochroleuca, also picked up at the spring plant sale, was moved a couple feet so it no longer has to compete with the more aggressive Hibiscus for root space |
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| The Sempervivium have been spreading happily for several months at the front of the bed |
I'll probably add some of the burgundy-flowered
Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem' I'm pulling out of the front yard borders and more succulents. The ornamental oregano and pineapple flowers may be moved to other areas but, for now, I'm leaving them in place.
The bed formerly occupied by our Eucalyptus tree is the next candidate for a facelift.
All material
© 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
