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Sandra Batley is an award-winning landscape designer.

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Tropical Flavour - Part three

Flower power

In my last column the focus was on plants with striking foliage. They offer drama and interest all year round. Foliage is fantastic in the subtropical garden, but it would not be truly subtropical without a splash of vibrant colour.

Flowers are bold and racy, you won’t see many soft muted pastel tones in a subtropical garden. Some evoke a strong sense of place, such as Orchids, Hibiscus and Frangipani. They remind us of tropical vacations and special occasions. Some are real show-stoppers like Brugmansias. Their heavy scent and pendulous flowers make them an ideal specimen in the garden.

Here is a list of suggested flowering trees, shrubs and climbers along with a brief description. Some are plants I have personally used and had experience with. There are a large number of outstanding trees and shrubs available and it is by no means a comprehensive list.

Flowering trees

Hymenosperum flavumn – Australian frangipani: A superb evergreen tree, suited to smaller gardens. Sweetly scented flowers that are cream at first but become yellow with age.

Lagerstroemia indica – Crepe myrtle: If you like the colour pink than this tree flowers in gorgeous shades of pink, from pale salmon to a rich rose.

Jacaranda mimosifolia – Jacaranda: A stunning tree when in full bloom, however you do need plenty of space to grow this beauty.

Metrosiderous ‘Vibrance’ – Pohutukawa: A smaller, upright Pohutukawa, good for small gardens. Its brilliant red flowers in summer contrast well with other green foliage.

Chorisia speciosa – Floss silk tree: Pretty to look out when its hibiscus-like flowers come out in late autumn or early winter. However the thorn studded trunk make it very distinctive and very brutal to touch. Plant with care.

Michelia doltsopa: Fast growing evergreen to semi-evergreen tree with scented white flowers.

Rademacheria sinensis – Canton lace: A quick growing screening/background evergreen tree. It also bears fragrant, creamy flowers.

Flowering shrubs and perennials

Cestrum spp. – This fast growing shrub has a potent perfume, that is very strong at night.

Tibouchina – These are right at home in exotic gardens. They are known for their evergreen velvet-like leaves and intensely coloured flowers.

Vireya Rhododendrons: A suberp shrub with stunning flowers. They are evergreen and come in a myriad of vibrant colours, flowering intermittently throughout the year. The bright coral-red flowers of Rhododendron ‘Saxon Glow’ is one of my favourites

Brunfelsia – Yesterday, today, tomorrow: A rather unusual shrub, in that the flowers come in a variation of shades of colour. The flowers are purple, then fade until they become white. A single bush will have flowers at different stages of fading at any one time.

Abutilons – Chinese lantern: An evergreen bush, with bell-shaped flowers in white, orange, pink, yellow and red.

Iochroma cyaneum: Deep violet, tubular shaped flowers hang in bunches from this evergreen tree.

Plumbago auriculata: A semi-climbing shrub with powder-blue flowers. This rather casual spreading shrub is good to use if you have an shed or fence you want to hide.

Gardenia: I love them for their scent. Plant them in a place where you can enjoy the sweet fragrance, like around a kitchen window or outdoor seating area.

Luculia grandilfora: A big, hardy evergreen shrub with scented flowers.

Brugmansia – Datura: Quite a show-stopper this one. It has massive hanging trumpet flowers and looks fantastic in an exotic foliage garden. Their rich perfume is an added attraction.

Hibiscus – Now what would a subtropical garden be without Hibiscus. Their spectacular, lavish flowers and lush dense foliage make them a great evergreen shrub to plant mixed with other foliage plants. As I am a fan of the colour red, Hibiscus ‘Molly cummings’ is an outstanding variety. An important thing to note is that Hibiscus only flower on new growth, so every July/August it is essential to prune back heavily as you would for roses to stimulate strong new growth.

Canna lilies – Cannas are natives of tropical America and Asia. They are a plant that you either love or loathe. I personally love them, they provide hot splashes of colour from Spring right through to late summer, early autumn. Some of the modern hybrids look fantastic when planted in large groups with other subtropical plants. Flowers come in shades of yellow to gold and orange, cherry reds and coral pinks. Canna Tropicanna and C. Bengal tiger have amazing striped foliage. They do require grooming and dead heading after flowering and a hard cut back in winter, ready to spring back to life in spring.

Heliconia: Use in a container or a sheltered warm part of the garden. Best when it gets some shade from the hot afternoon sun. I love the flower, florists love to use them in tropical floral arrangements.

Clivia minata – Kaffir Lily: Ideal to use to brighten up a dry shady part of the garden. Glossy strappy leaves and striking flowers

Scadoxus multiflorus: Masses of rich salmon-orange stars in a large ball. Scadoxus put on a spectacular display in February. Great for a shady part of the garden.

Eucomis – Pineapple lily: A rather unique looking plant, definately at home in a subtropical garden. Their flower spikes have a lovely sweet honey scent, when cut, flowers last for about a month.

Hemerocallis – Day lily: Bright and cheerful and very versatile. They are easy to grow and low maintenance. I suggest planting evergreen cultivars in Auckland for a subtropical garden. Scarlet orbit, Elfin imp and Touched by midas are a few of my favourite cultivars. Ideal to mass plant in groups in a sunny part of the garden for best effect.

Climbers

Tecomanthe speciosa – Other wise known as the Three Kings vine. A very special native climber. Its large, shiny dark green leaves and yellow flowers make it a must for any garden.

Bouganvillea ‘Scarlet O’Hara’ – A striking climber, with brililant scarlet red flowers that last for months on end. Superb for growing over fences, walls and pergolas. They also do well in pots.

Trachelospernum jasminoides – A very reliable popular climber, its white flowers fill the air with scent, making it ideal for planting near entrance ways and entertainment areas.

Mandevilla – Brazilian jasmine: There are a few varities of Mandevilla’s to choose from, my favourite is Mandevilla ‘Alice du pont’. Its glossy foliage and deep pink trumpet shaped flowers are very eye-catching, with the added benefit of being in bloom almost all year round, if the site is warm and sheltered.

Gloriosa superba ‘Rothschiliana’ – This is a spectacular climbing lily. The brilliant crimson and yellow flowers are exotic and eye- catching. They do have more specific growing condtions; semi-shade and cool, moist roots.

Podranea ricasoliana – Port St John creeper: A wisteria like foliage with attractive soft pink flowers from summer into autumn. Requres lots of sun and warmth with a frost-free winter.

Stephanotis floribunda – Another exquisite scented climber for a warm, moist, well-drained part of the garden. It has waxy, dark green leaves and white flowers.

Sandra is an award-winning designer based in Auckland.

Sandra Batley Dip LD
FLOURISH

www.flourishgardens.co.nz