Jane looks at some of the best plants to bring a burst of late spring colour to any garden. Subscribe 🔔 http://ab.co/GA-subscribe
Late spring can be a bit subdued in cooler climates, as the vibrant burst of early spring has finished and the summer flowering has not yet started. But there are decorative shrubs that will provide colour at this in-between time.
Californian lilac is an evergreen shrub, with many different coloured cultivars available. Shiny dark green leaves and intricate flowers feature on this dense, spreading mounded shrub. It grows to 1 ½ metres high and 3 metres wide and it’s drought tolerant once established.
Grevillea ‘Peaches & Cream’ is a garden stalwart, and it’s easy to see why when it flowers from spring right through to autumn. It’s a favourite of nectar-eating birds. They usually grow 1 ½ metres high, but they can get larger. Prune when finished flowering to keep compact, and they can be used for screening.
Coral aloes “set the world on fire”, providing great red contrast to green tones. It will still flower in part shade, in fact, less sun makes it more intensely red. It needs very little water.
Jerusalem sage also needs not much moisture, and it became very popular during the millennial drought. The flowers are whorls of yellow, complimenting the textured, grey-green leaves. It grows to about a metre high, and cutting the spent flowers can promote a second flush. It’s easy to grow from cuttings.
Mist flower packs a visual punch. Jane really likes it for the purple sprays of clustered flowers that can be 30cm wide. The flowers look like lilac pom poms. When not in flower the large leaves and dark stems are a visual feature. It’s a fast-growing perennial that can reach over 2 metres, but you can prune it to size. It prefers dappled shade so is great for under trees.
Featured Plants:
CALIFORNIAN LILAC – Ceanothus cv.
GREVILLEA ‘PEACHES & CREAM’ – Grevillea banksii x bipinnatifida cv.
CORAL ALOE – Aloe striata
JERUSALEM SAGE – Phlomis fruticosa
MIST FLOWER – Bartlettina sordida (Check before planting: this may be an environmental weed in your area).
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