Natives offer garden variety
With so many lovely native plants and shrubs now available to us it would be a pity not to include a few in the garden, and plants can be chosen to suit a variety of needs. A popular choice for the well-drained sunny positions are the clianthus varieties, the kaka beak. Clianthus puniceus bears large red flowers, and alba, flowers of the purest white. There is also a pink variety. Lophomyrtus with their richly-coloured, crinkly foliage are ideal in that shady corner inclined to be a little damp, as they love the damper conditions. A number of varieties are obtainable with variations of leaf colour, and as they are evergreen they give colour all the year round. Pseudopanax arboreum, the native five finger, is another that will stand a
shady damp situation, but as it grows into quite a large shrub it will need adequate space. Some of our native hebes, or Veronicas, are well worth iricluding and even the smallest garden can find room for some of the smallef varieties. Hebe odora is a great favourite in our garden. With tiny grey-green, tight-ly-massed foliage, it grows into a dense ball with hardly a leaf out of place. Ours is now about one metre high and a little more across. A very 'tidy' shrub, it has dainty white flowers in late spring or early summer. Hebe albicans is a low-, spreading shrub about one metre in height with white flowers in November and December. Hebe macrantha is another favourite with its small, shiny leaves and large, bell--shaped flowers in purest white. Not a large shrub, it will not require a lot of space, but give it some protection from the elements. WHIPCORD Some of the whipcord varieties are most attractive, and quite tiny varieties are available which will take up very little space. Hebe Armstrongii, 'James Stirling', is one of these. Growing to only 60cm in height its stiff, whipcord foliage glows bright gold in winter. Hebe McKeannie with dark. shiny green whipcord foliage is another attractive tiny growing only 60cm in height. All hebes are evergreen and can be obtained in a variety of leaf form with flowers from purple to lavender and
pink to white, but as not all varieties are completely hardy, make sure that the variety you choose is suitable for our alpine climate. Some of the parahebes are most attractive. Hookeriana, with blue flowers streaked with red, grows to only 30cm high, as does Lyalli, with its pure white flowers. ALPINE Celmesia spectabilis, the alpine daisy, is a most attractive plant. With greygreen foliage furry foliage it bears thickly-petalled, daisylike flowers in November. Leucogenes leontipodium, the NZ eidelweiss, is another lovely. Its white, flannel-like flowers with tiny gold centres, are quite delightful. Surely a must for our alpine gardens. It does not seem to mind dry conditions, and like the gentian aucalis, another alpine plant, it seems quite happy planted beside a large rock or stone. Mysotidium hortensa, the Chatham Island forget-me-not, with its large shiny
green leaves and tall flower heads in brilliant blue, enjoys a sheltered spot in semi-shade, as it prefers a broken light condition. Not too dry. I have heard it said that it will not grow up here, but given the right conditions it will grow quite happily. If you are looking for a climber, try the native clematic paniculata. This is a lovely climber with its mass of pure white flowers, but remember its natural home is the forest floor and it will not be happy in a position exposed to strong drying winds. Ground cover plants are always in demand and there are a number of native plants that will fill that role. Two I would mention are coprosma acerosa and coprosma prostrata/kirkii varietgata which has a creamy edge to the leaf. For a damp, very shaded situation, the native fuschia procumbens is a delightful little ground cover which will grow into a tight mat of tiny dark green leaves, with a dainty flower.
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Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 26, 19 November 1985, Page 8
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670Natives offer garden variety Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 26, 19 November 1985, Page 8
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