Gardening
I WAS lucky enough to be able to visit a plant nursery owned and managed by three sisters in Sarikei recently. There I was able to see a well-stocked centre with at least 1,000 varieties of flowers and shrubs, all lovely garden plants. I have not been able to see the same anywhere in Kuching or Sibu.
I was looking for some planting materials for the footpaths in my garden when I decided the lantana would be the most appropriate in terms of ease of care and maintenance over the long term.
Lantana is ever-willing to flower and will still thrive without much care except to apply some fertiliser to give the plants a boost after a heavy flowering season. Background Lantana is a genus of more than 150 species of flowering plants in the verbena family, which is native to the tropical parts of the western world and Africa. Today, however, they have spread all over our region. These are hardy plants that grow wild in our tropical land among field plants, on the margins of forests, and even disturbed sites.
They can even be invasive in some sites and will survive well in drought and hot areas once established. The plant spreads through seeds eaten by many birds, especially the munia.
Lantana is an evergreen or deciduous shrub in temperate regions. The intensity of colour can change as the flower matures. Now we even have purplecoloured flowers in addition to the more common red, orange, yellow, and pink flowers. Lantana’s aromatic flower clusters are called umbels and are mixed colour florets.
In Sarawak, we commonly call these flowers bunga tahi ayam. This perennial tends to grow as a cluster in thick and bushy shrubs with somewhat thorny stems and branches. The flowers are attractive but emit a pungent fragrance – this has actually been found to be a good insect repellent. It is said to ward off mosquitoes, so that is an extra benefit of having some in the garden. Lantanas are somewhat toxic to herbivores and the extract is used to treat vegetables against aphids.
On the contrary, butterflies are attracted to the flower and cannot resist visiting them to enjoy the nectar. So planting lantana will help to attract pretty butterflies to your garden.
I have experience growing the lantana as a border to give colour to the landscape, especially the low-growing type called Lantana sellowiana, which bears light lavender flowers. There is also a variety called Lantana montevidensis, which gives rosier lilac-coloured flowers. Growing tips This plant prefers rich, welldrained soil though it can tolerate many different soil conditions. For clay or sandy soil, add compost to improve the soil’s porosity and fertility. Plant lantana in full sun or partial sun sites. Make sure it receives at least five hours of sunshine a day, as it may not flower under shady conditions.
Water a newly-planted lantana thoroughly. A good top dressing around the plant with mulch will help to stop weeds from growing and retain water. Well-watered plants will flower much better than those with a restricted watering regime. Lantanas do not need much fertiliser, so be sure not to over-fertilise the plant or you will actually see less flowers being produced. Pests and problems Lantana is a hardy and easy to care for plant. As mentioned, it produces toxins in the leaves that make it unpalatable to animals. Insects that will feed on lantana are lace bugs, which cause bleach spots after an attack. This can be dealt with by using a horticultural oil or insecticides.
Some pruning back is needed to keep the plant in a neat and stylish fashion, which is of course required in all landscape works.
New plantings can be made by getting cuttings from the branches and then treating the cut end with a hormone for the initiation of new roots. Seed sowing is also easy in order to establish new plants.
Do send me an email if you have questions, comments, or suggestions. Happy gardening.