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IMAGE Clockwise from top left ULADZIMIR ZGURSKI/Getty Images, emranashraf/Getty Images, kongxinzhu/Getty Images, kororokerokero/Getty Images, igaguri_1/Getty Images<br />
the most familiar known for their<br />
beautifully scented pink or white<br />
flowers. Bring a sprig indoors<br />
to enjoy the lovely perfume.<br />
D. odora grows to about 1.5m,<br />
D. bholua can top 3m.<br />
In the same family as<br />
rhododendrons is the mountain<br />
laurel, or calico bush, Kalmia<br />
latifolia. This large shrub covers<br />
itself with the most beautiful<br />
pink and white bell-shaped<br />
flowers, opening from spiky pink<br />
buds. Although Kalmia grow in<br />
shade, they like their heads in<br />
the sun to flower well, so give<br />
them these conditions and<br />
you’ll be rewarded with masses<br />
of those cute flowers. Its only<br />
drawback is that all parts of the<br />
plant are very poisonous.<br />
ELEGANT SHADE LOVERS<br />
Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum<br />
x hybridum) is another musthave<br />
plant for the shade<br />
garden. In spring, this elegant<br />
rhizomatous perennial puts<br />
up new shoots that develop<br />
into arching stems with long,<br />
ribbed leaves. The white,<br />
scented flowers are delicate<br />
little bells that hang down on<br />
the undersides of the leaves<br />
and are a magnet for bees. The<br />
foliage turns yellow in autumn<br />
before the leaves disappear<br />
underground for winter. These<br />
woodland plants prefer shade<br />
but can tolerate some morning<br />
or late afternoon sun. There is<br />
also a variegated form.<br />
Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos<br />
spectabilis), formally Dicentra,<br />
is another elegant shade lover.<br />
The pink and white flowers really<br />
do look like bleeding hearts and<br />
are borne on arching stems. Like<br />
Solomon’s seal, bleeding hearts<br />
are rhizomatous perennials,<br />
flowering in spring and early<br />
summer. They like light shade<br />
but flower best with some sun.<br />
‘Alba’ is a pure white form.<br />
SPECIAL NORTH AMERICANS<br />
Trilliums are very special and<br />
beautiful North American<br />
woodland plants. One species,<br />
Trillium grandiflorum, is called<br />
wake robin, as it pops up in<br />
spring just as the robins appear.<br />
The plant has three sepals,<br />
three petals and three leaves,<br />
actually bracts, and some have<br />
attractive marbling. The flowers<br />
are creamy white, pink, deep<br />
red or yellow. The little snow<br />
trillium, T. nivale, has white<br />
flowers. Trilliums grow well<br />
under deciduous trees, as they<br />
like sunlight in early spring and<br />
dappled shade later in summer.<br />
BLUEBELL WOODS<br />
If you like the idea of a bluebell<br />
wood, then the choices are<br />
English bluebells (Hyacinthoides<br />
non-scripta) and the more<br />
common Spanish bluebells<br />
(H. hispanica). English bluebells<br />
are scented and flower only on<br />
one side of the stem. Spanish<br />
bluebells have taller, upright<br />
flower stalks with flowers all<br />
around the stem, in shades<br />
ranging from white, through pink<br />
to blue. They like moist but freedraining<br />
soil and need some sun<br />
to flower well.<br />
A similar effect can be<br />
produced with our native<br />
Chatham Island forget-me-not<br />
(Myosotidium hortensia) which<br />
can be tricky to grow, but if<br />
successful, will reward you<br />
with deep green, glossy leaves<br />
and large heads of blue flowers<br />
in spring.<br />
SUMMER FLOWERS<br />
Native rengarenga lilies,<br />
(Arthropodium cirratum), with<br />
their strap-like leaves, grow well<br />
in shade and in summer produce<br />
panicles of starry white flowers<br />
with yellow stamens. Cultivars<br />
like ‘Matapouri Bay’ have a more<br />
compact growth habit.<br />
Similar strap-like leaves are<br />
found on clivias (Clivia miniata)<br />
but their flowers are more<br />
spectacular, in bright shades<br />
of orange and lemon, that<br />
certainly light up a shady spot<br />
from early summer, especially<br />
if massed under trees. Clivias<br />
tolerate dry shade.<br />
So if you have a shady garden,<br />
there’s no reason for it not to be<br />
a beautiful one.<br />
GROW YOUR<br />
OWN SEEDLINGS<br />
PARASENE SELF WATERING<br />
PROPAGATOR<br />
• Capillary mat ensures seedlings<br />
receive correct amont of water.<br />
• Insulated growing tray maintains even<br />
temperatures for strong root growth.<br />
• Reservoir holds three weeks<br />
supply of water.<br />
• Peg board pushes out seedlings<br />
to prevent root damage.<br />
TAKE THE<br />
BACKACHE OUT<br />
OF WEEDING<br />
Parasene Weed Wand makes it easy<br />
to weed terraces, paved areas, gravel<br />
paths and garden edges.<br />
With automatic push button ignition, the high<br />
temperature flame disrupts the cell structure<br />
of weeds causing them to wither and die.<br />
• Lightweight, easy to use, flame weed<br />
burner for clearing weeds<br />
• Takes the back ache out of weeding<br />
• Chemical free<br />
• Burns away individual weeds<br />
• Burns at a safe distance<br />
• Ideal for lighting barbeques and incinerators<br />
AvAILAbLE AT<br />
gardener.kiwi<br />
kiwigardener 35
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