Amateur Gardening – 20 July 2019

28 AMATEUR GARDENING 20 JULY 2019

I

T may seem counter intuitive,
but growing giant foliage plants
actually makes a small garden feel
bigger than it is. Lush, jungle-style
perennials, shrubs, grasses and
bamboos create an enchanting Alice
in Wonderland mood of towering
greenery and concealed corners.
Because they form a canopy above, it
means that boundaries are concealed
and height meets the eye, giving the
illusion of extra space and depth.
The effect can be magical. High
summer light falls between the
architectural leaves of the rice-paper
plant (Tetrapanax papyrifer) and
Schefflera taiwaniana, stencilling
patterns on the ground, and makes the
giant leaves of canna and banana glow
green and purple. Giant grasses (such
as Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus
‘Cosmopolitan’) and bamboos rustle
on the breeze, and the sweet scents
of honey spurge (Euphorbia mellifera)
and fig hang in the air.

Town and country
This jungle mood works particularly
well in an urban garden, where the huge
plants can boost privacy and provide
a shady retreat from summer’s heat.
But it’s also fun in a country garden, as
shown at Great Dixter in East Sussex,
where exotics grow in the old cattle yard.
In fact, the effect is magnificent in most
settings – there’s nothing like feeling
you are escaping into another world.
Many of these plants are exotics
and will therefore have to be either
overwintered indoors or put to bed with
a mulch at the end of autumn. This isn’t
hard, but if you’d prefer to avoid the
extra work there are plenty of tropical-
looking hardy plants, including Fatsia
japonica, bamboo, Miscanthus x
giganteus and mahonia. And some
exotics are grown as annuals – the
red-leaved castor oil plant, Ricinus
communis ‘Carmencita’, for example,
and the 6ft (2m)-plus Mexican sunflower
Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Torch’.

When planning what to plant, be

aware that some large exotics can be

invasive, so it’s a good idea to temper

their vigour by growing them in pots.

While bamboos like Fargesia rufa

are unambitious, others (the likes of

Phyllostachys nigra) can spread. At

Great Dixter, giants such as Paulownia

Main photo: GAP. All others Alamy

By cultivating big, leafy

plants, you will create the

illusion of space in the

most modest of plots,

says Hazel Sillver

Go large to create a

Giant’s garden

Tall growers like Dicksonia antarctica will

create a green canopy and a ‘secret garden’

eff ect that is simply magical

where exotics grow in the old cattle yard.

When planning what to plant, be While bamboos like

Big and bold: Tithonia ‘Torch’