Presentation: Plant Pairings
Barrie Agar, Head Gardener at Hatley Park National Historic Site, explores effective botanical combinations. Barrie is an entertaining speaker who will consider both intentional and accidental plant pairings, and give suggestions for developing creative frenzy your garden. The majestic castle at Hatley Park is a former Dunsmuir residence, now Royal Roads University. The estate’s elegant gardens are extensive.
Colour:
A basic colour wheel is an important tool. You can use colours close to each other on the wheel feeling confident that they go together or use colours directly opposite each other for a bolder statement. Contrasting colours may be more interesting but are not as restful as complementary colours. Whatever combinations you enjoy be sure that chosen plants like the same conditions or you will also have a combination of happy and unhappy plants. Sometimes you will come upon a happy accident that is particularly appealing, although unplanned. Make notes of these planting – colour, form, location, bloom times, etc. and plan for it next year.
Take into account background colour and texture such as fences, walls of buildings and use that in the design. At Hatley Park Barrie used a cement wall for a backdrop with yellow and orange tulips and grasses
Some effective colour combinations:
- purple, yellow & green all derives from a planting of Heathers mixed with Thyme.
- red tulips (plant new bulbs every year – easier and takes less time), are very effective with pink and white hyacinths
- Grapes with a clematis( pruning group C so it gets cut down each year)
- Primroses, with strawberries, violas or pansies.
- Lichens and algae can be very beautiful and a feature in and of itself
- Large planting swaths give a block of colour rather than individual detail.
Form:
Repeating patterns add interest and are especially effective when reflected from a pond. Light is a factor too and situating plants where light will highlight them at certain times of the day. Buildings, structures and shrubs all add shape to a scene. Flowers with the same shape are comforting to follow, while contrasting shapes keep your interest. Some examples:
- Petunia and cabbage: because the openness of the petunia matches the openness of the cabbage head.
- Calla and Persicaria have similar shapes and contrasting colours.
- Hosta and Heuchera make a good contrasting planting.
- Alliums grow tall and are airy with the airyness of euphorbia.
- Impatiens and Fern are nice foliage plants with contrasting shapes.
- Some interesting combinations to try: Calla lily, with Dodecatheon ( shooting star) and Erythronium or pink Anemone and pink Dahlia).
Texture:
Mixing and matching different types of foliage: variegated plants, plants with glossy or matte finish leaves or silver foliage. Walk around the garden with a plant and place it next to other plants to see what works well.
Visit Hatley Park Gardens: Open 10 – 5 in the summer. Web site: www.hatleygardens.com
Workshop: Rhododendrons
June is a crucial time for rhododendron care. Bill McMillan, of the Victoria Rhododendron Society and curator of the Rhododendron garden at The Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, will focus on deadheading, bud pruning, and woody pruning for improving this popular shrub’s health and appearance. He will also advise on how to handle ‘out of control’ rhodos.
Genus Rhododendron belongs to the heath family (Ericaceae).
- Subgenus Hymenanthes- elepidote (without scales)
- Subgenus Pentanthera (elepidote deciduous Azalea)
- Subgenus Rhododendron – lepidote (with scales). Can be sheared after blooming (need to catch before new growth emerges)
- Subgenus Tsutsutsi – elepidote evergreen azaleas. Shear them when finished blooming. They lend themselves to shaping as topiary.
Pruning.
- The best time to prune is early spring before flowering when you can remove 80% of growth and 10-20% after flowering.
- The purpose is to create an attractive plant and to increase air flow thus reducing chance of disease.
- Consider how the plant should look and go from there. In other words, don’t make dwarf trees out of large ones. Aim for a vase shaped plant.
- Open the plant up, taking out any dead, diseased or crossing branches and prune out the lower branches in spring before flowering.
- If you want the plant to bush out, take off leaf buds leaving the dormant buds, which will then grow several new branches.
- Get good new growth by cutting off large branches.
- Take off sprawling growth and never let branches touch the ground.
- Remove leaders that are not esthetically appealing to let another leader take over the role
- Cutting new growth in half will kick formant buds into action.
Deadheading spent flowers: This is debated but it looks better and promotes earlier growth and possibly enhances bud formation.
Move plants if they get too crowded – easy to move any time of year but not in heat of summer.
Reproduction: Grafting and cuttings, keeping in mind that subgenus Hymenanthes won’t break from old wood
and Subgenus Pentanthera does break from old wood. Cuttings require bottom heat and 100% humidity – use this year’s growth hardened a little, put in a perlite mixture with 100% humidity. You can also use a wooden box with sand in bottom with heating coils underneath and add water.
Growing conditions: Prefer acidic soil in shade. Rhodos will grow in full sun but will produce smaller flowers and leaves
Coppice: if you have a badly misshapen or otherwise out of control Rhodo, cut it off at the root – it will take a year for new growth to appear (if it survives) but worth the risk because it will become a much lovelier plant.
Watering: Ideal is 20 minutes on a drip system every 3 days
Complementary plantings: anything that likes a shady woodland setting with acidic soil
Fertilizer: Use fish fertilizer right after they bloom.
Insect susceptibility: healthy plants are usually not bothered by insects but weak plants can be attacked by weavils. Use a spray of 10 to 1 mixture of water and Lysol in march and then in two week intervals. On large plants use tanglefoot.
Root rot: Can cause plants to die. While they like moisture they do not like standing in wet soils.
Victoria Rhododendron society meets every second Monday at Garth Homer. Next meeting is in September. See the website for more details: www.victoriarhodo.ca