We all know that plants are dynamic, living things, and because we understand so much about our own plants (we carry out trials around the world) we appreciate the subtle differences regarding their growth and habit.
Which is why it’s worthwhile visiting the section of our site which gives you local information – which plants are available; when it’s best to plant, prune and feed them; tips and so on. It’s all here to help you enjoy them more.
we need drought tolerant warriors...
Put up your hand if you think it’s been tougher lately keeping your garden happy and beautiful. Well my hand’s up there waving around in what I imagine is an internet sea of others. We all love gardening, but maybe you, like me, feel just a little bit punched.
We all know it’s nothing personal, and that Climate Change is the culprit – giving us more extremes in weather and a lot less water where we really want it. Reality says we just have to take the storms on the chin, but drought’s a different animal – and it’s one I’m happy to tame.
Now can I say here that I’m not claiming to be unusually clever or brave, it’s just that I have a privileged view. I know (and by this I mean I’ve seen the trial garden results) how well some plants do compared to others when water is a scarce commodity. I also know that when you plant these drought tolerant warriors you create beautiful gardens full of happy plants.
And here’s my present to you – a list of plants which will cope with tough, dry conditions. They’ll need some attention and care to get established, but once they’re settled in they’ll give you much joy and no stress. They are: the Flower Carpet® ground cover roses - eight different shades, robust growers with glossy foliage and masses of blooms seemingly forever; Tropicanna® with its startling stripes in two main color combinations as well as black; the best of the best of the cordylines – Festival Grass with a glossy fountain of burgundy strap-like leaves, and Burgundy Spire™ which is taller and more upright but with foliage right to its feet; Bonfire® Begonia covered in cascades of coral pink or red orange flowers; Ceanothus TuxedoTM with its dark foliage and lavender blue flowers; phormium 'Black Adder'™ and its deep burgundy/black glossy foliage; Soleil Petunia, a new tough petunia that thrives in drought conditions, currently only available in purple, but with more colors to come; and Storm™ agapanthus in white or blue with massed clumps of narrow foliage and an astonishing number of flowers in summer.
So go to it and happy gardening.
CLICK, PLAY, AND WIN!
VOLCANO ™ Pink with White Eye. Lots of blooms and disease tolerant
Play the new Flower Carpet Game to win a $250 gift card or a Great Tote Bag from Gardeners' Supply Co.
hot spot
Phlox lovers take note. Volcano Phlox™ are the only phlox worth considering if you want to side-step the issue of powdery mildew. They also produce a bewildering number of flowers - 125 or more per plant - from June through to September. of course the trick to keep the fragrant show on the go is to cut the plants back after the first flush of flowers is waning. As for color choice, there's pink with a white eye, pink with a red eye, white, red, ruby and purple.
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