Ashburton
Alan Trott on plants that stand tall.
Then there is the problem of what to plant in that hot dry situation or that shaded situation. Narrow and upright plants which need little or no trimming are ideal. But no plant is perfect and they all sometimes need to be staked and tied.
Then you need to consider out a few other things: Do you want it to flower at a certain time? Do you want a specific colour? Evergreen or deciduous?
Once you have decided your preferences, then is the time to be selective and plan what you want instead of going to the garden centre and buying it because it has a nice flower that day!
I like perennials that have upright, vertical flowers as this tends to take your eye upwards. Small plants direct the eyes down. There are, of course, some wonderful perennials that grow tall and upright, but you need to choose a plant that has great foliage after it finishes flowering.
Canna ‘Tropicanna Black’ is a new, very upright cultivar which has almost black leaves.
Later when the red orange flowers appear, it can reach up to 2m. I grow mine in a large 45-litre bucket, with lots of fertiliser as they are gross feeders. In winter I shift it to a sheltered warm position away from frosts.
Canna ‘Australia’ is another cultivar worth growing if you require something a little smaller which also has upright, dark purple foliage.
Delphiniums are a favourite of mine as they flower early spring and again in midsummer.
There are now some wonderful new cultivars available and I would recommend trying Dowdeswell’s delphiniums from Whanganui. The range includes soft blues, dark blues and whites, and now the dusky pinks.
Delphiniums must be staked and tied as they are very brittle and break easily in winds. I have been making wire cages for mine and put them around in very early spring. Feed them in spring and you will be well rewarded – first a little dried blood worked into the soil and then add a good balanced garden fertiliser. When the flower spikes appear add some sulphate of potash – this hardens the stems and brightens the colours of the florets. Cut the stems off a soon as they have finished flowering and you should be rewarded with another display.
A good shrub to use is Buxus sempervirens ‘Graham Blandy’ as it can be clipped and kept very upright.
Perhaps use a stake to keep it tidy when young. Just watch out for buxus blight though, but this can be easily managed with a spray in early spring.
I tend to recommend planting shrubs that have fibrous root systems as they are easier to remove. I often see folk using confers in modern house plantings. In time, conifers become large, and the roots then also become a problem in driveways and drains, and I feel they are only good for short-term plantings. It is a good idea to do some research on what they will attain in height and width after say 10 to 15 years. They do look good for a couple of years but you do need to think of taking them out before they become a problem. I have grown the pillar-shaped conifer
Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’ but found it difficult as it always had black sooty mould and required constant spraying. Use one teaspoon of dish soap to five litres of lukewarm water every few months and this will rid the leaves of sticky black soot.
Why not try some fruit trees that can be espaliered along a fence or wall.
This way, you have both an attractive shrub and the added bonus of having your own fruit. The advantage of using fruit trees is that the root system is not invasive.
Another option is growing some of the new very upright forms of apples such as the ‘Ballerina’ series which are great for small spaces as they grow only 30cm wide and up to 3m tall. Having tasty fruit to eat is an added bonus in late summer. I have two trees and I am going to use them as an archway.
Why not make some designs on a blank wall? Malus Ballerina ‘Samba’ has deep wine purple flowers in spring followed by dark wine red leaves and later, red crabapple fruits. In the autumn when they ripen, it brings the birds which is an added attraction for the garden.
Don’t be frightened to be adventurous with different plants, colour and texture. This is the fun of gardening.
If it does not work this year, just say, “It will be better next year.”