EASTCOAST PERENNIALS |
 |
Kniphofia - The “Red Hot” Pokers, or Torch Lilies. These come in such a range of colours now that their “Red Hot” title should perhaps be left behind. One of their greatest features is their range of bloom season that spans almost the entire year. All are very hardy, but the larger the plant the drought hardier it will be. They must all have full or almost full sun. Though they are South African, they are much favoured by our honeyeaters, especially the Spinebills and Lewins. You may trim the foliage to 10 to 20cm (depending on the size of your plant), after the flowering season is over, but you need do this only if it seems necessary. |
 |
‘Alcazar’ - A smaller Poker with grass-green foliage. The elegantly constructed flowers are a very choice soft coppery coral-pink, each individual flower a beautifully flared tubular bell. (70cm) *$7.50 SOLD OUT |
 |
‘Amelia Grace’ - I have named this lovely flower for my daughter Amelia Grace. This is the first Kniphofia of its colouration to be made available in Australia. Buds are salmon-rose, opening to ivory-white, and the individual flowers are beautifully formed with widely flared petal tips. This plant provides a new opportunity to grow the reliable hardy poker in a delicate colour scheme. Foliage is grey-green, upright and neat. Remontant through summer, beginning in late spring. (65cm) **$8.00 SOLD OUT |
 |
‘John Benary’ - A very old cultivar, (only more recently imported into Australia however), this is quite a strong red and has a slim poker shape to the blooms. A bold late summer flowering plant that would look great with the red Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ for instance, or intermixed with russet and red Heleniums. (1m) *$7.00 |
‘Lancer’ - An extremely beautiful autumn flowering poker in very delicate colours from Mr Dennis Norgate. The buds are apricot-pink tipped with lime green opening to cream tipped with green. The flowers have a lovely ‘Christmas tree’ shape that sets them apart. (75cm) ***$7.00 |
 |
‘Lime Butter’ - I have long been hoping for a good clear lime-green semi-dwarf to add to my pair of other “citrus butters”. This has the most fantastically green young flowers ; they eventually to lime-yellow, just as do the fruit. Good erect stalks, but not repeat flowering like ‘Orange Butter’, (they are out in October). New release. (75cm) **$8.00 SOLD OUT |
‘Orange Fizz’ - A big softly oval Poker in an all over rich orange, shaggy with individual flower tubes, out in early summer. I would have liked to name it after that outstandingly orange fizzy drink, but I fear I’d be in trouble. A similar sized plant to ‘Orange Butter’, but a larger flower by far. New release. (85cm) **$8.50 SOLD OUT |
‘Sue Perkins’ - I released this in November ‘07 at the Cottage Garden Club in Sydney. It is named for the club’s invaluable “woman of all hats”, Sue Perkins, who has done more for gardening in NSW than anyone I know. Like its namesake it is of English stock, bold and vigorous but definitely feminine : a strong coral-pink in bud, opening to a fringe of cool pale lemon. (1m) **$8.50 |
‘Wisley Yellow’ - Originating in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Wisley trial gardens, this is a pale primrose-yellow spring blooming sort whose individual flowers are thickly packed into a tall slender poker. Good lasting properties in flower. Semi-evergreen, i.e. it loses much of its foliage bulk over winter, not really a disadvantage as it leaves it looking very neat for its spring display. (1m) **$7.00 |
‘Sunningdale Yellow’ - A warm yellow slim flowered Poker with a long summer season. This UK Poker is only of medium height but as hardy to drought as any of the larger growing old fashioned stalwarts. (90cm) ***$7.00 |
Liriope You know it, that grassy looking stuff that landscapers love to use because of its ultra-tough constitution. You can consider these more exciting variations for those difficult places where nothing else looks happy! The blooms are small spires thick with little mauve or white flowers. muscari ‘Gold Band’ - Originally imported from the USA by Ken Gillanders of Woodbank Nursery, this is a dwarf version of the usual variegated form with its wide green strap leaves neatly edged in yellow. Thickly packed spires of lavender flowers in autumn. (15cm) |
muscari ‘Leadlight’ - A new stripe-leaved Liriope. Compared to ‘Munroe’s White’ (which by the way I suspect is incorrectly named), in cream and sage-green with an overall creamy-lemon-grey effect, this one is leaden-green and white, the overall effect being blue-grey. The leaves are also a little bit finer. (30cm) ***$7.00 SOLD OUT |
muscari ‘Munroe’s White’ (= Sage and Cream Variegated) - Not so often seen as the common yellow and green striped sorts, this has longer slimmer leaves, finely striped in grey-green and cream, and is very telling in either shade or part sun. In late summer it surprises with spires thick with little white flowers. (45cm) ***7.00 |
******
The letters AGM following a plant's name indicate a current Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society of the United Kingdom. Although this relates of course to its performance in the UK, it gives a good indication of its worthiness compared to others of its genus.
DROUGHT TOLERANCE INDICATORS
* denotes a drought hardy plant (infrequent watering)
** a very drought hardy plant (water only in extreme conditions)
*** a totally drought hardy plant (no watering after establishment)
Remember that this is determined here, for our summer rainfall climate and clay loam soil, and be willing to adapt if the area you garden in is significantly different.
Some of the newer introductions may not yet have received a star rating even though they may later be found to merit one. For this reason star ratings may suddenly appear on plants that did not have them in previous catalogues.