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Flaxes have long been used in our gardens, tired car park bark-strewn landscaping and school grounds seem to specialise in dusty, droughty flax bushes. But we should not consider them predictable, over-done or boring. | |
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Carex dipsacea |
Cosseted and treasured elsewhere, our native flaxes create great drama in a planting scheme, and they are so very, very tough. Grasses, on the other hand, are very, very fashionable plants these days. But we should not discount them on this basis either! Grasses are wonderful plants in our rather windy climate for they move beautifully in the breeze and don't mind the wind at all.
One tip that adds immensely to a planting of grasses is to plant them where they catch the sun, especially where the light comes through the leaves of taller grasses, and where the breeze will create movement.
The grasses being used extensively overseas are not our natives, yet some of the most striking grasses are indigenous here. Why plant Miscanthus when you can have a beauty such as Chionochloa flavicans? But C. flavicans is a large plant, let us start closer to the ground. |
The fescues are a large family and New Zealand has about six species, including the lovely blue Festuca coxii from the Chatham Islands. At 20-30 cms high and spiky, it is a brilliant accent plant or edging. It tolerates a dry position and if the colour starts to look a bit dingy, divide it and you will enjoy the metallic blue again.
Festuca novae-zelandiae is at the opposite end of the colour spectrum. Yellow-brown leaves form a dense tuft, spinning out from the centre. The flower spikes stand over the leaves. Found naturally in dry, mountain tussock lands, it is striking as a mass planting and wonderful for barren banks and inhospitable positions as it will withstand quite dry conditions when established.
Carex comans, New Zealand Hair Grass, is often seen. It is a sedge and will reach 30cms, light green leaves with silvery highlights (although reddish specimens are also seen) curling ground-wards to make a splendid ground cover. Although naturally a plant of damp tussock lands, it is especially useful in coastal gardens and will cope with drought and wind once established. There is a very pretty cultivar called 'Frosted Curls'.
C. flagellifera is taller, with glistening, bronze leaves to half a metre that move beautifully in the wind. The flower stems grow to 1.0 metre when fruiting and can become very untidy and matted looking afterwards, deadheading is an advantage here. Plant in sun, in a reasonably moist soil.
There are other desirable carex species. C. dipsacea comes from the bronze mountainsides of the Lewis Pass and is quite lovely when massed. C. flagellifera is an open bronzy colour and the flower heads are sprawling - it needs a good tidy or combing after fruiting.
Anemanthele lessoniana, gossamer grass, lives up to its name. This bronzy-green grass forms an attractive, lax clump, in summer it is smothered with open and arching reddish flower plumes to 1.5 metres. It is found in both North and South Islands in areas of open bush and can withstand fairly dry conditions and part shade. |
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Carex comans
Anemanthele lessoniana, gossamer grass
Chionochloa flavicans
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If you are looking for something different try Baumea articulata, the jointed rush. The green stems are rounded and segmented (hence the common name), and grow to about 1.0-1.5 metres. B. articulata carries curious reddish brown flower 'spikelets'. It is a great pond edge plant or in the garden but be prepared to control it as it is a 'strong grower' or else plant it in a container!
The snow tussocks are a family of some 20-odd members, most of which are native to New Zealand. Chionochloa flavicans is a favourite, the fresh green leaves grow to 1.0 metre and are useful in the back or middle of the border. In early summer wonderful, creamy white plumes appear standing clear of the leaves making this a definite 'must-have' plant.
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