Kathie Johnson wrote to Don to say that she would really love some help with problem areas around her garden. One area (5m x 3m) faces due north, the other is a very dark, shady garden (5m x 70cm) along the southern side of the house. There was also a small, weedy corner bed that needed some care and attention.
Don visited Kathie and came up with design and planting solutions for all the problem areas. He also fixed a loose roof tile and repaired the side gate.
North facing garden
An existing camellia (Camellia sasanqua ‘Beatrice Emily’) was under-pruned to create a view through to the new garden.
Weeds were removed, the area was dug over and organic material was incorporated into the existing soil.
In the back corner, Don planted a weeping mulberry tree (Morus alba ‘Pendula’). Ordinary mulberries are large, vigorous trees that can become a problem, but the weeping mulberry is much smaller and ideal for backyards. Other plants included heartleaf saxifrage (Bergenia cordifolia), gardenia (Gardenia augusta ‘Florida’), salvias (Salvia sp.), ribbon bush (Hypoestes aristata) and bush germander (Teucrium fruticans). The new plants were placed in position, then planted from the back corner to the front in ripples or little layers of different colours and textures to create an interesting look.
An orange trumpet creeper (Pyrostegia venusta) was planted to cover the bare fence. The orange trumpet creeper is a South American native, which puts on a spectacular display of brilliant orange flowers through the cooler months of the year. It is striking when draped over a building or a structure such as a carport or an old fence. Don helped to ‘drought proof’ the garden by adding some SaturAid to the soil. He also laid out a weeping hose, snaking it through the garden bed. (Tip: uncoil the hose fully during the heat of the day