Question From:
Monique in Booval, Ipswich Queensland
Nature of problem:
Tricky garden area – summer sun, winter shade
Type of Plant (if known):
Any
Symptoms of Plant Illness (please try NOT to diagnose your problems yourself):
Depends if a sun or shade plant
Soil Type (e.g. sandy, clay or loam) OR Potting Mix Type:
Black clay
How often do you water the plant:
Twice weekly
How many hours of sunlight does the plant get each day:
5
How long since you planted it:
2.5 years
Have you fertilised? If so, with what and when:
When required
Is the plant indoors or outdoors:
Outdoors
Is the plant in a pot or in the ground:
Ground
What other treatments have you given the plant:
Mulch every 6 months
Upload photo if available:
Other Comments:
I have a Gardening challenge. The longest garden in my back yard gets the westerly sun in summer and full shade all winter. I’ve not had any success getting anything to grow in the ground for more than a year because of the lighting issues. Recently I’ve taken to rotating pots – in summer, plants that take full sun get put out and in winter it’s the shade lover’s turn. As you can imagine, this gets quite tiring!
The rest of my gardens are cottage-themed to fit the 1950s era house. Are there any plants you can recommend for my region that would be suitable for the scorching QLD summer sun but will also take full winter shade?
I’m limited on plant height as the neighbours have a pool area on the other side of this garden fence.
Answer:
Hi Monique, A dwarf lillypilly shoul ddo the job. A sasanqua camellia like Star Above Star would also be good. Don