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There is no need to wait for autumn’s work to change leaves into rich colours in Jeannie Baxter’s garden.
In every season, trees and shrubs in her lush Stirling garden in East London provide a spectacle of joyous coloured foliage.
For Jeannie has purposely designed the garden to be this way.
“I don’t rely on annuals such as pansies, poppies and petunias to provide colour. That’s too much work.”
This seasoned gardener decided instead to depend on interesting foliage in plant choices for this role.
Beginning at the area fronting the house you have an inkling as to what is behind the boundary walls.
Care has been taken to neatly manicure yellow flowering Wedelia into a hedge interspersed with the long arching leaves of yellow flowering dietes or wild iris changing texture and adding interest to the planting.
Jeannie admits to being something of a plant junkie, not minding fellow passengers beside her on a plane trip who can sometimes frown at her hugging a new prized plant find on her lap.
“I have to acquire every new agapanthus directly from co-breeder Andy de Wet immediately as it comes available, be it the pink, Black Jack, Twister, Midnight Velvet, Ice Angel or other.”
Testament to her passion was seeing Jeannie rushing across the lawn mid conversation, so excited was she to see for the first time a pink orchid just come into flower which had been trussed up a tree with others.
The gardens story began 38 years ago.
“When we arrived here, we were faced with a flat space bound between four blank walls.”
Jeannie’s vision was to ensure that she didn’t have to look onto any man-made enclosure, deciding then to establish walls of plants.
Starting out, she planted a different shrub in every metre surrounding the garden.
“I love crotons, acalyphas and camellias,” Jeannie said, adding that one of her favourite plants was the variegated leafed hibiscus.
“Every garden should have one or more of these plants.”
It’s a small garden but Jeannie has created spaces to house a compost heap and other utilitarian necessities concealed neatly behind a planted “screen”.
Movement is created by plants such as the two angel trumpet (Brugmansia) trees bearing huge white flowers which dangle from their pendulous branches.
The white in flowers and variegated foliage is an important element to include, she says, as it comes into its own — glowing — when night falls.
“Generally, white flowering plants add a pop [of colour] to the garden,” she says.
Murraya Exotica does double work in this instance as its small white blooms emit a gentle citrusy fragrance. (Hence its common name, Orange Jasmine. It is a close relative of the citrus family). The scent is especially strong at night.
Spring-flowering and shade-loving Mackaya Bella with its darker green foliage waits “in the wings” for its opportunity to show off its lovely white bell-shaped flowers in spring.
The “Shrimp plant” with an impressively difficult name to remember — Justicia brandegeeana — is in flower now.
Its flowers are white and tubular and held within colourful bracts which last on the plant for most of the year. Jeannie’s shrub has yellow bracts.
“I love to have a garden which offers a show of different appeal each season — in essence, a garden for all seasons.”
Varied leaf shapes such as in the bold Schefflera fronds seemingly “step” out from the planting just before you join a path that leads to a secluded spot where a bench has been placed for you to quietly, and/or secretly, soak in the beauty around you.
What is Jeannie’s secret to establishing a boundary wall of plants?
“Roll-poles are the answer,” Jeannie says. These are a length of garden edge poles joined together to create a length of garden edging.
Jeannie explained how she has used them to suit the task of creating layers of plantings intended to eventually cover a wall.
First, install them along the front of the planting area in a single length. Plant the smaller shrubs behind them.
Then add another single layer of roll-poles behind the plants. Once that is done, install another length behind which you add another row of plants.
The end result is three rows of roll-poles in tiers behind which you have grown three heights of plants. Eventually, the plantings merge together to form a solid wall.
This application works well in a vegetable garden too.
Each layer houses different vegetable plants which can be easily accessed by allowing you to step onto each layer created by the roll-poles without falling over into the garden bed when you need to reach a vegetable at the back of the planting.
Another innovative practice Jeannie employs is to cover poles with plantings such as the one supporting their outdoor “awning”.
It uses plastic netting with wide spacing, bidim and shade cloth. Begin by wrapping the plastic netting around the pole.
Sew planting bags using the bidim and then covering it with shade cloth.
Attach the bags to the netting then fill them with soil for planting. The bidim lining does not allow soil to escape the bag. Fill with plants of your choice.
To keep them watered, Jeannie has inserted a length of PVA pole behind the planting in which she has cut slashes to create watering holes.
(Note: Bidim is made from recycled plastic cold drink bottles. It is available from Kaytech on 031-717-2300).
For Jeannie, autumn also means a specific number of chores which are a must for ensuring continued pleasurable appeal in the garden through the seasons.
1. Do fertilise your lawn with all months in the calendar that have an ‘r’ in them, that is when days are longer. Spread the lawn with Guana Boost and a fertiliser rich in phosphorous to support root growth;
2. Don’t water the lawn in the afternoon or evening as it causes the formation of fungus and bacteria;
3. Lift the blade of the mower to control the height of the cut;
4. Remove fallen leaves from the garden bed as it creates an environment where bacteria and fungus can grow;
5. Aerate the lawn with a tined fork or simply insert a fork at regular intervals to effect this;
6. Prune back dead, dying and overgrown growth;
7. Tidy up each plant, removing spent growth and flowers;
8. Prune trees to allow more light to the plants growing beneath them and to encourage bushier healthy growth;
9. Feed the clivias and spray and check for insects;
10. Divide the perennials and replant or share with friends;
11. Repot plants in containers with new potting soil. Trim roots where necessary;
12. Fill in gaps in the garden with cuttings you have taken covering any bare soil;
13. Plant up pots of colourful winter flowering annuals and bulbs; and
14. Be aware of the damage roots of some plants will do — such as yuccas, ponytail palms, ficus trees, cabbage trees and those that will damage foundations, uproot paving and break walls.
Jeannie’s advice for poisoning “too stubborn to be removed” unwanted plants, is to paint the plant with a paintbrush dipped in paraffin.
• In the Garden is written by feature writer, garden enthusiast and former teacher Julia Smith, who has returned home to live in Chintsa East. The column aims to inform novice and accomplished gardeners on how to make the most of their green patches.
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