September-2015

Metrosideros excelsa- (Christmas tree)
A relative of the
Eucalyptus, this
plant from New
Zealand flowers
with bright red
flowers on grey
leaves, which
makes a stunning
contrast! The
flowers appear
midsummer
(which is
December on
the Southern
Hemisphere, hence its common name). If left
unchecked it will grow into a small tree, but it
can be pruned in almost any shape, pruning can
be done anytime of the year but stop pruning
from April onwards, when it starts making flower
buds, else you will miss the bloom.
Bismarckia nobilis- Bismarck palm
This is another plant from Madagascar. This
fan palm forms striking blue grey leaves and
eventually grows huge. The crown diameter can
be up to 7-8 meters, so give it space to grow!
Brahea armata-Mexican fan palm
Teucrium fruticans (Silver Germander)
This timid
shrub with its
small leaves
and small blue
flowers fits in
everywhere. It
can be shaped
of left to grow
wild, in more
formal gardens
they look great clipped neatly in balls, cubicles
or low hedges.
Echium
candicans-
Pride of
Madeira
If you don’t have enough space to grow the
Bismarck palm but still like the look of it, try the
more modest sized Mexican fan palm. They
are also extremely drought tolerant, do not
overwater it, as it will easily succumb to rot, so
keep on the dry side.
A fast growing
short living
shrub, it puts
on a huge
show in spring
with the bright blue flower spikes, the rest of the
year it is a nice grey green shrub that needs no
maintenance apart from raking the fallen leaves
underneath. It grows large in less than 2 years,
so give it some space to grow.
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