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  • Arisarum

    Araceae

    • proboscidium   CAG00101

      (Mouse plant)
      Height15cmWidth1mFlowering SeasonWi - SpWaterL - MLightFilt.Shade
      Arisarum proboscidium
      $12.00earn 60 points

      A curious groundcover for moist shade from Italy and Spain, which potted makes an excellent conversation starting centre piece for the dinner table. The purple hooded white spathes, that shelter the spadix and flowers, with their long tail-like appendages appear amongst the glossy, dark green, arrow shaped leaves like a family mice grubbing for food. Slowly spreading by the underground stolons to which it retreats during summer, emerging again in late winter with fresh foliage and a new family of mice.

      Tolerates considerable dryness when dormant but demands adequate moisture in winter and spring while actively growing.

      Resents disturbance and typically will not flower well until it's settled in for a year or two and then improving with time. In a container re-potting is neither desirable or necessary but annual replacement of the surface soil and the addition of slow release fertiliser will be greatly appreciated.

  • Artemisia
    • ludoviciana ‘Valerie Finnis’   CAG00925

      (Prairie sage, White sagebrush)
      Height1.2mWidth60cmFlowering SeasonSu - AuWaterLLightSun - L. Sh.
      $12.00earn 60 points

      A staple of gardens the world over though indigenous through most of North America. A suckering carpet of silver, broadly lance shaped leaves for borders and edgings or combined with other vigorous perennials, Bearded Iris maybe, in drifts or clumps. Cut down regularly to maintain broadest foliage and low growth or if left unchecked it will eventually form a dense mound of wiry, branching stems bearing irrelevant, small, pale yellow, button-like flowers, quite an effective silver shrub in wilder parts of the garden or fence line.

      Very vigorous and perfectly drought tolerant on well drained soils, struggling in heavy clay though more successful in lower rainfall regions. Impervious to any heat and cold experienced in this country but, as with most of the genus, unlikely to tolerate the summer humidity of more tropical climes. Dead easy and indestructible.

      Might work as a silver, water efficient lawn when mown routinely.

      Broader, more simple leaved than A. ‘Silver Queen’ and perhaps better when kept low.

    • princeps ‘Crabling’   CAG02319

      (Yomogi, Japanese mugwort)
      Height10cmWidth1mFlowering SeasonSummerWaterM - LLightSun - Shade
      $12.00earn 60 points

      Forming a dense creeping mat of small dark green dissected foliage Crabling makes for durable unassuming edible groundcover in awkward spots, tolerant of heavy and shallow soil, periodic wetness and drying out as well as the occasional heavy boot (possible lawn substitute). Vigorous but not quite rampant, the shallow subterranean stolons, to which it owes its durability, are fairly easy to remove if invading in areas they are unwanted.

      Winter dormant, allowing for easy clean up and weeding, ensuring a fresh look each year as well as letting in light for winter growing bulbs and annuals. In late summer taller spires of insignificant flowers add some temporary height, perhaps needed wildness, easily removed by a quick shearing/wowing which will yield fresh verdant growth in a matter of days and keep it looking good into winter.

    • princeps ‘Dynamite’   CAG02320

      (Yomogi, Japanese mugwort)
      Height1.5mWidth60cmFlowering SeasonSummerWaterM - LLightSun
      $12.00earn 60 points

      The antithesis of Crabling it explodes from winter dormancy making a mound of feathery dark green, silver backed leaves and sending skyward leafy flowering stems, bearing insignificant flowers, adding lush foliage and temporary height to the garden without stealing the limelight from showier flowering plants or fine foliaged grasses.

      Tolerant of heavy soils, periodic wet feet and dryness. It can be cut to ground level at any time resulting in a fresh crop of lush growth. Very quick growing but only sedately spreading b y its underground stolons. Shade will make it flabby.

      The form to grow if your looking for a vegetable.

  • Cosmos
    • diversifolius   CAG00185
      Height45cmWidth3mFlowering SeasonAu - SpWaterMLightSun - L. Sh.
      Cosmos diversifolius
      $12.00earn 60 points

      An exceptionally vigorous winter flowering groundcover of Mexican origin whose soft pink daisy-like flowers and flowing mounds of lush, lacy foliage make for choice filler between warm season shrubs, particularly Roses, where it will appreciate the offered shelter during summer and mask any awkwardity in their off season, when it shines.

      Easily grown in any reasonably drained soil. Not drought tolerant but not a high water user either as it is at a low ebb during the heat, though I suspect in more humid regions it would romp year round but maybe not else it should be more commonly encountered. Cut back hard in spring or as needed and the shallow rooted stems are easily removed by hand. Somewhat frost tolerant but probably not great in the coldest areas.

  • Geranium
    • x cantabrigiense ‘Westray’   CAG02126
      $12.00earn 60 points

    • incanum   CAG00256
      Height30cmWidth1.2mFlowering SeasonAllWaterM - LLightSun
      Geranium incanum
      $12.00earn 60 points

      A soft, flowing perennial from South Africa and the most useful and reliable of the genus for our climate. Saucer shaped, 3.5cm, pink-purple flowers are produced prolifically over a deep carpet of fine, filigree foliage. Spill down walls, over rocks and across paths with abandon as the trailing stems are non rooting. Good covering foil for Amaryllis belladonna, or other large bulbs, or for hiding ugly trunks of roses.

      Happy in any adequately drained soil but best in sand. Tolerant of light Shade but sun and exposure dictate density. Some summer watering is essential but less so in the south.

      Cut back very hard when in positive growth for complete renewal and replace every few years with young self sown seedlings, ruthlessly discard any of coarse form or inferior flower.

    • x riversleaianum ‘Mavis Simpson’   CAG01337
      Height30cmWidth60cmFlowering SeasonSp - SuWaterH - MLightLight Shade
      $12.00earn 60 points

      A vigorous variety forming a sprawling mound of deeply incised, rounded, jagged edged, silvery satin, green leaves and bearing throughout spring and summer silver pink, saucer shaped, 2cm flowers just above.

      Selected at Kew and one of the few of European origin to last more than a year or two here (inadequate vernalization is my favoured theory), indeed it often self sows, no doubt the influence of its part southern hemisphere heritage, G. traversii from the Chatham Islands, the rest is G. endressii. If it runs out of steam over our long growing season a quick cut down to its clustered rhizomes will see tidy renewed growth, flowers too if early on, otherwise wait until it naturally retreats to a reduced winter state, allowing it to recycle nutrients and build energy for the following season.

      Easily grown in any well drained, not dry soil with morning sun or high shade.

  • Sedum
  • Ajuga
    • australis   CAG01853

      (Austral bugle)
      Height20cmWidth30cmFlowering SeasonSpringWaterLLightLight Shade
      CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE

      A hardy clumping species from south east Australia very unlike the more familiar moisture loving ground covering members of its race.
      Rosettes of red tinted, dark green, bluntly toothed, lance shaped leaves appear to be cut from red backed velvet and in late winter produce tall slender spires of rich blue, two lipped, tubular flowers in whorls among small velvet leaflets.

      Gorgeous, drought hardy and self seeding in any lightly shaded well drained soil that is not over watered and over mulched. Will happily go dormant to survive dryness so don't be alarmed if it temporarily disappears over summer.

      Beautiful in a deep pot perhaps shared with some not too vigorous cool season bulbs and an ideal garden companion for wild Cyclamen whose form, foliage and flowers make the perfect compliment, at least in my opinion.

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