Another gorgeous
phormium is ‘Flamingo’ (P. cookianum ‘Flamingo’), which
is striped with bright pinks, gray green, and orange. It reaches
3 feet. Small, reddish-brown cultivars include ‘Dazzler,’ ‘Rubrum,’
and ‘Amazing Red’; reddish-purple ‘Atropurpurea’ grows 8 feet
tall.
Flax’s form can be
used to make a strong architectural statement when planted en
masse or something very formal when layered using tall, medium-sized,
and dwarf cultivars. A softer look can be achieved by combining
it with ornamental grass.
Phormiums need sun
and moist but well drained soil. In Zone 7 and colder, phormium
would need winter protection. It’s at home year-round in Zones
8 to 10 but not in the humid, coastal parts of 10 (southwest Florida)
where I garden.
Another color powerhouse
is Perilla ‘Magilla.’ Easily mistaken for a coleus, perilla has
rounded, ovate leaves and an insignificant flower. The only variety
I had encountered previously was P. frutescens crispa, which has
dark purple-brown or bronzy leaves. Perillas, members of the mint
family, are aromatic and used in such foods as sushi. Gardeners
in deer country will appreciate the fact that they’re deer proof,
most likely because of the aroma.
‘Magilla’ is much more
colorful than its cousin and just as easy to grow. It’s leaves
are painted a vibrant burgundy with magenta splashes and green
striping. The more sun it gets the more vivid the magenta. It
looks great in a container and, growing 2 plus feet, in the middle
of the border. Another easy source of bright color is sweet potato
vines. The moment they were introduced they became an indispensable
part of the annual border, hanging basket culture, and container
planting. Their only problem soon became apparent: an aggressive
nature that required continual pruning to keep in check. It’s
so bad in my area (Zone 10) that we refer to them as the kudzu
of the South.
I’m happy to report
that the problem has been solved with better behaved plants. Four
new patented cultivars developed by North Carolina State University
researchers in cooperation with the JC Raulston Arboretum were
released in 2002. The "Sweet Caroline" series dubbed each new
cultivar by its color and is characterized by a compact, moundy
growth habit, and reduced root size. They offer all the colors
currently available (‘Bright Green', 'Blackie', ‘Marguerite’/’Sulfur',
‘Tricolor'/’Pink Frost') plus the uniquely hued 'Sweet Caroline
Bronze,' which is coppery-bronze with deeper-contrasting-colored
veins. By the way, ipomea’s tubers are edible.
An old favorite that
outgrew it’s size in the sunny garden is lantana. New forms are
changing that and are definitely worth a try for the continuous
show of bright color it delivers.
Lantana’s downsizing
has been most successful with the ‘Patriot Rainbow’ from American
Daylily and Perennials. Rainbow is 12 inches tall with a 15-inch
spread. Other garden-friendly cultivars mound 2 to 3 feet, trailing
hybrids are prostrate. Lantana’s tiny, showy flowers come in red,
pink, orange, and yellow — and combinations thereof — and form
numerous flat clusters on branch ends. Often the older outer flowers
of each cluster are of a different hue than the younger, inner
ones. ‘Rainbow’s’ flower buds open chiffon yellow, shift to orange,
and finally turn fuchsia and pink.
Lantana is a deciduous
woody plant that will die to the ground in frost zones. In those
areas, treat it as an annual or dig and take it inside before
night temperatures drop into the 40’s. The plant is tolerant of
any soil, even what passes for soil in coastal areas. If lantana
dries out severely, it will stop blooming; consistent watering
until established is critical. Once established, it’s drought
tolerant, making it perfect for containers, hanging baskets, or
xeriscape planting. Small disadvantages worth putting up with
include hairy leaves that can cause minor skin irritation and
a strong odor that some gardeners find repugnant (including myself).
Those drawbacks are only encountered when planting or when weeding
adjacent areas. So I leave my ‘Rainbow’ lantana alone and stand
back and enjoy the showy flowers and the butterflies that can’t
resist them.
Resources
www.all-americaselections.org
www.whiteflowerfarm.com
www.americandaylily.com
www.glasshouseworks.com
www.colormarketing.org/
