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GRASSES AND MORE ......
You don't mow this stuff - just sit back and watch it grow instead! Native grasses, Libertias and Astelias have become increasingly popular with councils, commercial landscapers and are gaining superiority in household gardens. Typically New Zealand native gardens are full of contrast and colour with grasses providing flamboyant foliage and effect.
Whilst the choice is widespread here at Gardening Solutionz we have narrowed it down to a few tried and true popular performers of our structured planting range.
Carex testacea - this hardy evergreen grass will impress you with its bright sunset orange tones throughout the year. Its clean mounding habit makes it suitable for mass planting in either hot and dry or cold and exposed conditions.
Carex tenuiculimis 'chocolate grass' - this quick growing, evergreen grass has deep chocolate brown foliage all year round. It has a graceful, arching habit and forms an attractive mound, ideally suited to group plantings. Its taller habit makes it a stunning backdrop. It will grow in moist or dry soils, preferring full sun to maintain its appeal.
Carex dipsacea - this hardy plant is a graceful, semi weeping evergreen grass with bright green foliage all year round. It thrives in hot, dry and exposed conditions.
If you really want the upright structured look, maybe the Libertia range can provide the inspiration:
Libertia Ixioides 'Cranwelliae' - this evergreen Iris or Mikoikoi has upright, pale green sword like leaves with complementing white iris like flowers appearing in late spring. It's suitable in either moist or dry areas preferring sunny positions.
Libertia Peregrinans - this evergreen, creeping Iris has all year round interest with its stiff, fan like leaves varying in colour from soft creamy greens to bright orange. Colder conditions enhance the foliage colour with white iris-like flowers appearing in late spring. It's clumping habit looks spectacular as an under planting in gardens where structure and texture is desired. It's suitable for either moist or dry areas preferring sunny situations.
Libertia Taupo Blaze - this newish, hardy evergreen Iris has all year round style and interest. In Autumn, the spiky sword like foliage changes from green through to yellow/orange to an intense burnt red.
To complement the colourful foliage, white star like flowers are produced in Spring in clusters just clear of the foliage, followed by attractive orange/red berries in Autumn. Its clumping habit and looks make it a spectacular plant in almost all garden situations. Mass planted, as a border, as a container specimen it adapts to most climatic and soil conditions.
Or for the true wow factor try Astelia 'Silver Spear' - it is in a class of its own. This plant with it's clean silver coloured stiff and upright sword-like leaves has appeal all year round. It make a wonderful feature plant whereever it is situated. It is happy in both sun and shade areas and a wide range of soils. Astelia 'Silver Spear' makes a wonderful background along tall fence lines.
All these afore-mentioned plants will provide a structured yet functional look to your garden. They are easy care and hardy, whilst providing long seasonal interest through their colour and foliage.
Metropol Magazine Christchurch and Canterbury - 13 September 2007
Carex testacea - this hardy evergreen grass will impress you with its bright sunset orange tones throughout the year. Its clean mounding habit makes it suitable for mass planting in either hot and dry or cold and exposed conditions.
Carex tenuiculimis 'chocolate grass' - this quick growing, evergreen grass has deep chocolate brown foliage all year round. It has a graceful, arching habit and forms an attractive mound, ideally suited to group plantings. Its taller habit makes it a stunning backdrop. It will grow in moist or dry soils, preferring full sun to maintain its appeal.
Carex dipsacea - this hardy plant is a graceful, semi weeping evergreen grass with bright green foliage all year round. It thrives in hot, dry and exposed conditions.
If you really want the upright structured look, maybe the Libertia range can provide the inspiration:
Libertia Ixioides 'Cranwelliae' - this evergreen Iris or Mikoikoi has upright, pale green sword like leaves with complementing white iris like flowers appearing in late spring. It's suitable in either moist or dry areas preferring sunny positions.
Libertia Peregrinans - this evergreen, creeping Iris has all year round interest with its stiff, fan like leaves varying in colour from soft creamy greens to bright orange. Colder conditions enhance the foliage colour with white iris-like flowers appearing in late spring. It's clumping habit looks spectacular as an under planting in gardens where structure and texture is desired. It's suitable for either moist or dry areas preferring sunny situations.
Libertia Taupo Blaze - this newish, hardy evergreen Iris has all year round style and interest. In Autumn, the spiky sword like foliage changes from green through to yellow/orange to an intense burnt red.
To complement the colourful foliage, white star like flowers are produced in Spring in clusters just clear of the foliage, followed by attractive orange/red berries in Autumn. Its clumping habit and looks make it a spectacular plant in almost all garden situations. Mass planted, as a border, as a container specimen it adapts to most climatic and soil conditions.
Or for the true wow factor try Astelia 'Silver Spear' - it is in a class of its own. This plant with it's clean silver coloured stiff and upright sword-like leaves has appeal all year round. It make a wonderful feature plant whereever it is situated. It is happy in both sun and shade areas and a wide range of soils. Astelia 'Silver Spear' makes a wonderful background along tall fence lines.
All these afore-mentioned plants will provide a structured yet functional look to your garden. They are easy care and hardy, whilst providing long seasonal interest through their colour and foliage.
Metropol Magazine Christchurch and Canterbury - 13 September 2007
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