Plant Collector: Amaranthus caudatus

Amaranthus caudatus - Love Lies Bleeding

Amaranthus caudatus – Love Lies Bleeding

There is nothing fancy or special about this amaranthus which bears the unfortunate common name of Love Lies Bleeding. It is just an annual which has seeded down over many years in our rockery, but in early autumn we welcome its return. It grows at a remarkable speed. Throughout most of summer, the tiny seedlings are only a few centimetres tall, taking up next to no space at all. Look away for a couple of weeks and suddenly they have rocketed up to a metre or more and produced these eye-catching red tassels which will last right through autumn. The advantage in our garden situation is that the plants still take up very little ground space so the bulbs that are shooting away in the same pockets of the rockery are not crowded out.

There are many different amaranthus species – maybe 70 of them. Some species are eaten as fresh greens, some are predominantly grown as ornamentals while some provided grain in their native habitats of Mexico and South America. There is some resurgence of interest in amaranth grain, including from alternative lifestylers. It appears that A. cruentus is the main grain species but our A. caudatus also gives edible grain and so does the oddly named A. hypochondriacus. The problem we see in using our Love Lies Bleeding is that, while it sets prodigious amounts of seed, it does not all ripen at once, which would make harvesting difficult. However, should armageddon come, we do apparently have a potential source of grain in our front garden, as long as I leave one or two plants to seed down each year in the interim. In the meantime, they do a great job of feeding the birds.

First published in the Waikato Times and reprinted here with their permission.

Garden Lore

“Gardening is an unnatural pursuit. The gardener views nature as an abundantly filled grab bag from which he is free to select a number of items he would like to use in his garden, and then dispose of the rest in the trash. But he’s mistaken: once opened, the grab bag turns out to be Pandora’s box, which constantly releases demons that besiege the gardener and his garden.”

Henk Gerritsen, Essay on Gardening (2008)

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Hedge trimming

Autumn is hedge clipping time for many people. The aim is to time it so the hedge makes a light flush of fresh growth which has time to harden before any frosts arrive. If you are in a colder frost-prone area, do not delay because if the growth is still fresh and tender, it can get burned and look unsightly all winter.

If you want the formality of sharp lines, it pays to use a string line. Over time and repeated clippings, levels and lines can start to wobble and undulate and it can take years to try and get them straight and true again – a decade, in fact, for our elderly totara hedge which had previously developed a fair curve. On low hedges, a measuring stick may suffice.

The aim with established hedges is to keep them at the same height and thickness. Trimming encourages dense, leafy growth which is easier to clip. It is only when a hedge has been allowed to get away to a larger size that it becomes necessary to cut back so hard that you can see bare wood. This is best left until winter, not done in autumn. Before you do it, makes sure that your hedge plants will sprout again from bare wood. Most conifers won’t. Buxus, camellias and totaras will.

If you still have buxus hedges, keeping them on the looser side can help reduce the impact of buxus blight. Repeated clipping can render buxus hedges very dense and solid over time, particularly little B. suffruticosa. Dare I say it, thinning your hedge can help air movement which makes it harder for the fungal spores to take hold. If you have a leaf blower, blasting out the build-up of dead leaves and debris in your buxus will also help.

First published in the Waikato Times and reprinted here with their permission.

Garden Lore

“Our trees rise in cones, globes and pyramids. We see the marks of scissors upon every plant and bush….I would rather look upon a tree in all its luxuriancy and diffusion of boughs and branches, then when it is thus cut and trimmed into a mathematical figure; and cannot but fancy that an orchard in flower looks infinitely more delightful, than all the little labyrinths of the most finished parterre.”

Joseph Addison (1672 – 1719)

058Autumn planting

Autumn is about more than colouring foliage. Despite an indifferent summer, we are gently morphing into autumn. When the autumn rains arrive – which they will and probably sooner rather than later – it is a signal that optimal planting time is here, particularly for woody trees and shrubs which includes hedges. Planting in autumn gives time for root systems to start developing before growth slows down or stops in winter, positioning the plants to take full advantage of spring growth. It means most plants will be well established before the potential stress of drought next summer. The more traditional spring planting dates back to the days when garden centres did not get delivery of new season stock until late winter. Nowadays, most nursery stock is container grown and available all year round but old gardening habits die hard. The more drought-prone you are, the more important it is that you plant before winter, not after it.

While you are waiting for the autumn rains, you can be planting out winter vegetables. The reference to “winter veg” does not mean you plant them in winter. They need to be planted in autumn because they make most of their growth before winter and can then be held in the ground through the lower temperatures to be harvested fresh as required. White butterflies are still very active, so if you are planting winter brassicas (and that includes rocket and many of the Chinese greens as well as the usual cabbage, cauli and broc), you may need to erect some sort of cover to stop them becoming caterpillar fodder in the early stages.

First published in the Waikato Times and reprinted here with their permission.

Outdoor Classroom: Layering plants

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA1) Some plants are difficult to propagate from cuttings, even more so for home gardeners without temperature and moisture controlled conditions. If you are not in a hurry, layering a plant can be a simple way of increasing numbers or of getting a back-up plant for rare or special material which may not be available for sale. This rhododendron has layered naturally where branches lie on the ground.
photo 22) The plant needs to have low growing, flexible branches which reach to the ground. You may wish to try layering plants such as magnolias, rhododendrons, camellias, daphnes or conifers. Most woody plants can be layered over time but it is faster to do easily propagated plants like hydrangeas from cuttings.
photo 33) Select a firm branch or stem which can reach to the ground. It does not matter how old the wood is though young growths from last season may root faster. Remove the leaves from the middle if necessary. Slice a thin layer of bark off the lower side (called making a wound). You can paint the wound with rooting hormone if you have it, but this is not critical.
photo 44) Cultivate a small area of ground beneath the branch or dig a small trench. Peg the branch down so the wound is in contact with the soil. A hoop of wire is ideal for this part of the process. Peg it firmly so it cannot move. Cover the pegged area with up to 10cm of soil. You want to prevent the layered stem from drying out. Leave the branch tip uncovered. Now be patient. It will take a year for easy material and maybe as long as three years for difficult to propagate plants such as many of the rhododendrons.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA5) When the layer has formed a reasonable mass of roots, cut it from the parent plant (think of this as cutting the umbilical cord) and either let it grow a little longer where it is or move it to some well cultivated soil – the vegetable garden is often good – so you can take care of it while it develops into a more sturdy plant.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA6) You will usually need to stake the plant to train it to grow upwards and to start developing a good shape although you can sometimes plant it on an angle to get the main leader almost vertical.

Continuing the quest to get to grips with perennials

Perennial beds at Auckland Botanic Gardens - white gaura with eupatorium and a salvia.

Perennial beds at Auckland Botanic Gardens – white gaura with eupatorium and a salvia.

The January issue of the NZ Gardener magazine had a two page feature from Auckland garden designer, Xanthe White, on designing perennial borders. It is worth searching out if you are interested, because it is a remarkably succinct piece of writing tailored to in our conditions.

I say “our conditions” because gardening in this country is a year-round activity. In much colder climates, people put their gardens to bed for several months of the year and retreat indoors. I can’t recall any New Zealand garden I have seen which becomes a bare, dormant canvas in winter. Xanthe was suggesting getting a mix of perennial plants to take the garden through the seasons. Her recommended balance was to select 30% of plants that flowered in each of the peak seasons of spring, summer and autumn and 10% in winter. It is good advice, though you may be struggling to find a wide range of winter flowering perennials beyond bulbs and hellebores.

The long border at Great Dixter in England is regarded as a classic example of its type

The long border at Great Dixter in England is regarded as a classic example of its type

The trade-off is that there is never a peak time for bloom. Nobody does herbaceous borders like the English do but it is not just because of their labour intensive property that we have not embraced them in this country. Few New Zealand gardeners would accept a garden which looked absolutely amazing in February, pretty good in January and March, starting to pass over by April, dead as a dodo through the winter months and resolutely green with no colour in spring. But if you want a garden that comes together all at once in peak perfection, that is what you can end up with. To manage blooms and fresh growth for a much greater period of time, requires very high level gardening skills, plant knowledge and willing labour.

The fall back position in New Zealand is to add in trees and shrubs and to encase the border in a neat little evergreen hedge. Buxus suffruticosa was the go-to option for this until the dreaded box blight took hold. This takes it away from a perennial border and turns it into a mixed border. We all do it. It is rare to see a straight perennial border here, outside of public parks and botanic gardens, without woody shrubs, trees and hedges added in to give year round structure and interest.

When it comes to understanding perennials, I would ever so modestly claim that we have a better than average knowledge of bulbs and woodland or shade perennials here. Getting to grips with perennials for sunny positions is a different kettle of fish altogether. Several years in already, I can see that it is likely to take the rest of my active gardening life to get the level of knowledge and skill I want. They are the mainstay of the summer garden and a major contributor to the autumn garden but my goodness it can be complex. I disregard spring because, honestly, we do brilliant spring gardens in this country. I see lots of splendid gardens filled with colour, lush foliage and scent throughout spring time. It is easy here. But I can’t recall seeing drop-dead wonderful summer gardens achieved without irrigation. By autumn, most of us are resigned to a somewhat scruffier appearance altogether. We lift our eyes instead in the hope of autumn colours from deciduous trees and shrubs.

The yellow perennial bay at Hyde Hall, the RHS garden north of London

The yellow perennial bay at Hyde Hall, the RHS garden north of London

Why do I say perennials are complex? There are so many variables. Not only is there below ground – the root systems and how these grow in conjunction or in competition with other plants – but there is such a lot to be factored in about above ground performance. Deciduous or evergreen, colour and shape of both foliage and flowers, peak display time, whether they need staking or dead heading and how often the plant needs lifting and dividing, size, how the plant looks when outside its star performance time, requirements for water, frost protection or winter chill let alone sun and light – and that is not a comprehensive list. These vary for each plant type. It is a lot of knowledge to build up.

The skills lie in avoiding the mishmash or hodgepodge effect. No wonder people go for the easiest option and mass plant a single tried and true ground cover perennial. The aforementioned Xanthe White article gives you a mid-line option if you want something more interesting but still relatively easily managed by the home gardener. I am anticipating spending the next decade at least getting to better grips with perennials before I think I will be happy with the results I can achieve. But that is fine. We have never seen gardening as a path to instant gratification.

First published in the Waikato Times and reprinted here with their permission