Waxflower Does it All

It’s hard to find the right plant for the right spot. Sometimes the criteria is very strict. That is, I may be looking for an evergreen, drought-tolerant plant that flowers in the early spring. Fortunately, there is such a plant: Geraldton Waxflower (Chamelaucium uncinatum ‘Purple Pride’).  This fast-growing, evergreen shrub needs good drainage and ideally, a sunny hillside. It will grow to 6’ tall and can fill in well where you need a backdrop. The rosy red flowers are delicate but numerous. Give it a try on your problem hillside.

Orange is the new Orange, Part 1

In following with the garden by color theme: we are on to Orange – one of my favorite colors. Here are some of my favorites.

Gazania (Gazania): This is an incredible flower-producer. Technically, it’s a groundcover because it only grows 10 inches tall. It produces a dramatic carpet of color in the spring and summer of yellow, hot pink, white, or orange.  Gazania comes in either clumping or trailing varieties.

Gazania

Lion’s Tail (Leonotis leonurus): It grows to about 4’ tall and has orange flowers. What’s so interesting about this plant is the flowers grow in a whirled pattern around each stem. I like to place it behind other shrubs so that the flowers on their torch-like stems poke up in the background.

Give these a try for a pop of color.

Gardening by Color

In the next few weeks, I will be featuring my favorite plants by color. Our gardens are often organized by color, so hopefully, this will help. I will start with my favorite warm-colored flowering perennials and shrubs. Warm colors are yellow, red, and orange. Personally, I like these colors the best in the garden because they add the most contrast to the ever-present green. The listed plants do well in this area and are easy to find. As you can imagine, there are thousands of perennials to choose from. Plants are listed below in the color that I prefer. First off: Yellow.

Yellow:

Daylily (Hemerocallis hybrids): These come in a variety of colors – yellow, orange, and red. They have blade-like foliage and lily-like flowers. My favorite yellow is ‘Stella de Oro’ because it is a profuse bloomer and stays at 2’ tall.

Jerusalem Sage (Phlomis fruticosa): This deciduous shrub reaches 4’ tall and emerges with yellow whirled blooms. I love the unique flowers that whorl around the erect stems. Full sun and little water is the best for this Mediterranean plant.

Jerusalem Sage

Yarrow (Achillea): These drought-tolerant plants have grey-green foliage and grow to about 2’ tall. Their flowers are in flat clusters and bloom in the summer and into the fall. Yarrow comes in yellow, pink, and red flowers. One of my favorite yellow varieties is ‘Moonshine’ with deep yellow flowers.

Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos): This popular perennial comes in flowers that are yellow, red, or orange. These unique flowers actually look like a paw. The foliage isn’t that great looking after the flowers fade, so be sure to plant something appealing nearby.

Kangaroo Paw