RETRO PLANTS
THINK MID-CENTURY DESIGN FOR A LOW-MAINTENANCE GARDEN
I’ve been having a bit of a fling with mid-century style, which has manifested itself mainly in a compulsion to buy Don chairs on TradeMe.
The idea was that I would restore a couple for our living room, but they proved to be beyond my upholstery skills and were eventually rehomed. I kept one, which was an easier rejuvenation and I’ve been trying to find another to match it ever since.
Now I’ve turned my attention, nervously, to the mid-century garden, and recently came across some comments by an American landscape designer of the time, who said, “The modern landscape designer employs the sparing use of plants chosen for their sculptural rather than decorative effects. They are to be enjoyed, like abstract art, for their colour, form, texture and balance.”
I was about to dismiss it as pretentious nonsense but on a second reading it struck a chord.
Mid-century designers praised these sculptural gardens – and not without reason. Because they were composed of a limited plant palette, with repetition of shapes and materials, they were elegant, balanced and often low maintenance.
Happily, these days there are more “sculptural” plants to choose from and even if you’re not interested in mid-century design, you can create smart, lower maintenance garden areas using the same principles of form, texture and balance.
YUCCA AND CORDYLINE
For me, it’s always a toss up between yucca and cordyline. The stiff, well-shaped crown of sword-like foliage produced by the yucca is perfect for a dry garden and they look superb planted in rows. Cordylines offer a similar look but are less disciplined and the dropped leaves make a mess. But they’re ours. As a compromise, I’ve just acquired two Cordyline “Stricta” that have promised not to drop leaves and they look very mid-century in their smart blue pots at the gate.
CANNA
The Partner’s always been keen on cannas and I’ve been surreptitiously deleting them from the garden whenever they come up. But if you’re after dramatic foliage colour, the palette ranges from the palest green to the darked red, with or without stripes. Keep the foliage tidy and when they’re done flowering, cut the old stems down to within 2cm of the soil. Leave the new young shoots.
HOSTA
Hostas have the most gorgeous foliage and they’re unbeatable in a shady garden. Over the past decade or two, we’ve seen heaps of new cultivars so there’s now a very wide choice of leaf shapes, sizes, textures, colours and patterns.
SUCCULENTS
Despite the fact they had a mid-century heyday, succulents have made a determined and very successful comeback, and just in time for those who want to pursue the era’s revivalist look. As with the flax, a single succulent in a pebble garden or in a container is a focal point.
FLAX
Our often taken-for-granted mainstay, the flax, is a garden designer’s godsend. Form, texture, colour – it’s all there and not much seems to bother it. A single flax in a stunning colour is a work of art in itself and a row makes a dramatic edge to a path
or against a wall.
LIRIOPE
Once again, a plant loved by the Partner but merely tolerated by me has shot to prominence and now, I must admit, rightly so. Liriope (lovely name) has a cast-iron constitution and requires very little attention.
It’s only little so you can mass plant it and admire both its smart foliage and its vibrant flowers.