PLANTS THAT FIT IN

DO YOU HAVE A SMALL SPACE TO FILL IN YOUR GARDEN?

The 10 days of open gardens in the 2021 Chronicle Garden Competition and Toowoomba Exhibition Gardens were some of the best times to view a range of city and country gardens in all their spring glory.

A growing season that provided reasonably consistent rainfall and true winter temperatures, albeit with a good dose of frost thrown in, resulted in many plants hitting their straps at just the right time for the many thousands of visitors to our region.

Many gardeners decided to fill small spaces in their garden beds with a range of interesting perennial plants, rather than using the usual short-term displays of flowering annuals.

Here’s a small selection of plants for small spaces I snapped during my visits to the outstanding gardens in the Toowoomba Region.

1.

Whether in the garden or a decorative pot such as this beauty, one of the newer cultivars of Australian bred Lavinnova ® Lavenders will fill a small space of around 5080cm wide in full sun or light shade. This particular variety is ‘The Princess’, one of 22 long-flowering cultivars bred for their large, colourful bracts held above the flower spike, from late winter to early summer and continuing to spot flower through to autumn.

2.

Small patches along garden edges, and among rocks, can be filled with a green sward of this little toughie, dwarf mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Nana’). A slow grower, dwarf mondo will rarely achieve a height over 5-10cm and will spread slowly via rhizomes to around 20cm in diameter in a few years. Best grown in a part-shaded area, the tightly packed dark green leaves are almost a given in many Orientally-themed gardens.

3.

Best planted in a part-shaded position in our region, such as under deciduous trees, is Campanula portenschlagiana, the Dalmation bellflower. Producing violet-blue flowers from spring to early summer, this little plant rarely grows taller than 15cm and no wider than 25cm. They do need some extra moisture if the summer starts to get warm and dry.

4.

A welcome break from all-green foliage, this dwarf form of lamb’s ears, Stachys “Kiriti’, works well as a filler for small openings along garden edges or in rockeries. Rarely growing higher than 10cm, it will spread slowly to 40-50cm wide and won’t self-seed like its taller cousin, S. byzantina.

The silver foliage is soft and downy, and it may occasionally flower with upright magenta-purple blooms in early summer.

5.

A close relative of mint, the variegated foliage of Glechoma variegata will brighten up any small space under shrubs and trees that provide dappled shade in the garden. It spreads via above-ground creeping stems (stolons) and can become a little pesky if not controlled on a regular basis. It will produce soft pink flowers in spring on the odd occasion.

6.

Closely related to the true geraniums, this tiny stunner is Erodium reichardii ‘Pink Galaxy’. Growing only about 5cm high, it will spread to around 15cm wide provided it’s kept a little dry in winter and moist in summer. It prefers part to full sun and flowers for most of the year.

7.

A small shrub may be just the right fit for a 50-70cm wide space in full sun. This is

Tibouchina ‘Peace Baby’, one of a range of dwarf and cold-tolerant tibouchinas bred in Brisbane. Flowering season is around November but may continue into the warm months. The ‘Baby’ range of tibouchinas produce large white to pink blooms which stand out among the dark foliage.

8.

Another great filler plant for garden bed edges is the low-growing Bloody Cranesbill, Geranium sanguineum. A true Geranium, it prefers a full sun or lightly shaded position in a well-drained soil. It will spread slowly via rhizomes to around 3040cm wide and 20cm high. Vibrant magenta blooms are produced in spring and summer.

GARDEN CUTTINGS

Say g’day on my Facebook page: Mike Wells - Wellsley Horticulture or email your gardening questions (or article suggestions) to: wellsleyhorticultural@gmail.com.