Australian Handyman - July 2018

E

very garden has one – the bit that

doesn’t quite work. Maybe it’s too

damp, too dry, too hot ... It’s the

spot where plants wilt and hope fades.

Don’t give up. here’s always a solution.

DRY SHADE

You will ind these problem spots

around tree roots or under the eaves

of a house – shaded areas with little

rain that are often marked by patchy

lawn or bare earth. But nature

provides a range of understorey plants

that thrive in these tough conditions.

What to plant

Silver shield (Plectranthus argentatus),

with silvery leaves and white

lowers, enjoys dappled shade and

copes with sun, while Plectranthus

ecklonii prefers deeper shade and

lowers in white, pink or purple-blue.

Both spread swiftly, but are easily

controlled. Liriopes and clivias form

a good strappy contrast, or

epimedium works as a lower

groundcover with spikes of ethereal

lowers. Several bromeliads,

including Bilbergia nutans, Vriesea

and Aechmea, are ideal in frost-free

climates, and for Brisbane and north,

succulents are perfect. If you want

height, look at euphorbia cultivars

or Fatsia japonica. ▶

NARROW PASSAGES
New homes and old semis often have
narrow walkways beside the house,
sometimes barely a metre wide. hese
are usually the only access to the back
garden without going through the house.
Before making any grand planting
plans, make sure there’s enough room
to walk freely carrying items or
wheeling bikes or bins. Use pavers or
crushed granite for an easy-care surface
and add groundcovers around the edges
to provide greenery and suppress
weeds. Half-circle hanging baskets on
the fence add colour and texture, and
are easily moved when needed.
For wider passages, take advantage
of narrow trees and shrubs and espalier
them along a wall.

What to plant
Creeping thyme and golden oregano
are brilliantly fragrant in sun, while
succulents and Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’
shine. Dianella ‘Tiny Titan’ will grow
from sun to shade, and bugle (Ajuga),
ferns and iv y suit deeper shade.
For height, camellias are perfect
in shade, or Magnolia ‘Little Gem’
in more sun. Ballerina apples and
nandina also it the bill, or string
a climber along wires.

LEFT Camellias soar in size and colour.

RIGHT Bromeliads handle heat but not frost.

Many succulents thrive in dry

shade. LEFT Ivy suits tight spots.

Handyman.net.au JULY 2018 129

GARDEN