Pennisetum advena ‘Rubrum’

Pennisetum advena ‘Rubrum’ or Purple Fountain Grass is a tall (1.5m tall x 1-1.5m wide), ornamental grass with origins in Africa. Its foliage, which remains a striking burgundy red to bronze colour for most of the year in mild climates, seems relevant for discussion in Autumn.

Rubrum also features large, attractive cream feathery flowers held above the foliage during Spring, Summer and Autumn. Notably, flowers are completely sterile so it will not become a weed like its invasive cousin Pennisetum setaceum.

Both the spectacular foliage and flowers of Rubrum can be used to great effect in landscapes, particularly when mass planted. A dwarf form is also available.

It has a place in the formal garden in untamed sweeping masses among well-ordered and clipped plantings. It fits in well with meadow gardens, providing height and colour variety in a sea of other grasses and perennials. Rustic landscapers will enjoy Rubrum’s rugged appearance. It even does well as an informal hedge –picture it doubled with clipped buxus or syzygium. Using some imagination, Rubrum can offer something for most gardens.

Full sun will encourage Rubrum’s rich foliage colour. It will also tolerate up to 50% shade. It has good drought tolerance, becomes quickly established and thrives under a wide variety of conditions from protected coastal to dry inland climates as well as damp, poorly drained soils. It will even survive light frosts with some leaf burning and die back. The dwarf form is not as cold tolerant as it’s full sized parent.

Caring for Rubrum is simple:
• annually trim Rubrum by 2/3 in early Spring to remove last season’s spent foliage
• fertilize with slow release fertilizer after trimming
• keep mulched and
• water over hot Summers to keep it looking it’s best

Bluedale sell Rubrum in 140mm pots and recommend 2-3 plants per square metre for mass planting and 1 plant per square metre for specimen planting. From Spring 2014, Rubrum will be available in Viro-tube 10 pacs.

 

Winter is Coming!

Some simple gardening activities can help your much loved garden plants not only survive the Winter months, but be well prepared for Spring. These tips apply to the south-eastern portion of Australia in particular.

Before we get to the practical stuff, here are some facts to assist your Winter gardening decision making:

• Water has insulating properties. This is particularly relevant for soil moisture and water in plant cells
• Mulch is also insulating
• Cold air is usually also very dry
• Rapid freezing and thawing of plant tissue causes damage

WATERING
Watering is possibly the most effective way of reducing Winter damage to your garden plants.

Watering your garden during Winter may seem unnecessary. In some parts of Australia and during some seasons this is the case.

However when prolonged dry periods occur in Winter, well timed watering can save your garden from stress, damage and even plant loss.

Due to the insulating properties of water, well watered soil absorbs and retains heat from solar radiation during the day which it re-radiates during the night.

Put simply, moist soil will tend to stay warmer for longer than dry soil. In addition to keeping root zones warmer, this elevates air temperatures around the plants above. Temperature increases are only slight, however can be sufficient to prevent plant damage. The take home message is don’t let your garden soil dry out during cold periods.

Watering is best done early in the day. This maximises the period of solar radiation absorption by the moist soil, ensures plant foliage is dry before nightfall and gives the plant time to absorb the water into tissues. Rapid cooling/freezing of water on plant tissue can cause damage and is avoided by applying water to the root zone only (ie not wetting foliage). Also plant cells plump with water will incur less damage in the cold than cells that have dried out.

Pay particular attention to soil moisture content on cold days. Cold air is usually dry – you know how dry your face and hands can get during Winter. Combined with Winter winds, cold air can remove water from plants faster than roots can absorb it.

When watering in Winter, aim to moisten soil throughout the entire root zone. Do not overwater such that the garden soil becomes soggy. Not only will this reduce the oxygen available to the plant roots, it may take a long time for the soil to dry out again, increasing the risk of soil fungus. Prolonged saturated soil conditions damage the root systems of most plants. Watering the first few centimetres of soil will likewise not achieve the desired effect.

MULCHING
With soil moisture and temperature an issue in winter, it follows that mulching has a role in preparing your garden for the colder months. The insulating properties of the mulch itself will guard against soil temperature extremes. A well mulched garden will retain soil moisture, enhancing the effects discussed above. Both organic and gravel mulches are useful for achieving these goals.

FERTILIZING
Young plant tissue is more susceptible to damage by the cold. To avoid new growth coming into the cold months, don’t fertilize your garden with nitrogen late in the growing season.

PRUNING
In the event of plant tissue damage, resist the temptation to remove the damaged branches by pruning until the risk of further damage has passed. It may look unsightly; however the damaged tissue is protecting the remainder of the plant from damage by the cold. Also early pruning may stimulate new shoots that will likely suffer injury before Spring arrives.

FROST RECOVERY
Frost damage is greatest when rapid freezing and thawing of plant tissue occurs. In climates where frost is uncommon, the keen gardener can cover plants with old sheets, blankets and even plastic during forecast frosty nights. Be aware that plant tissue damage can occur where the frozen cover contacts the plant. In the morning rapid thawing can be caused by sunlight hitting a frosted plant surface. To reduce the effects of this, gently water the frosted foliage before the sun touches it.
In frosty areas, plant nurseries avoid damage to their stock by watering all night via misting systems. This is a specialist technique and not practical for the home gardener.

BLUEDALE’S COLD WINTER SELECTION
Our Cool Season Grasses such as Poa labillardieri ‘Eskdale’ and Poa poiformis ‘Kingsdale’ will handle cold to -10 degrees and heavy frost. Both offer a fabulous winter display. Our 3 Dianella cultivars all perform well in cool climates, with Dianella ‘Lucia’ the most cold hardy, growing well to -7 degrees and tolerating light frost. Most of Bluedale’s Lomandras do well in cold climates with the following cultivars staying evergreen to -10 degrees and coping with medium level frost: ‘Wingarra’, ‘Tanika’, ‘Nyalla’, and ‘Katrinus Deluxe’. Some of our other Lomandras are also cold tolerant: ‘Shara’ -5 degrees and ‘Katrinus’ -7 degrees.

Twizzler® Lepironia articulata ‘LA20’

It’s all about the unique sculptural foliage of this landscape sedge. Twizzler’s cylindrical stems are twisted, glaucous and like nothing you have encountered before. Twizzler caused much excitement here at Bluedale when it emerged among the tens of thousands of sedges we grow here. At the time we knew this Lepironia articulata cultivar was something special.

After extensive trialling at Bluedale’s nursery and Ozbreed’s demonstration gardens, Twizzler® Lepironia articluata ‘LA20’ is now a registered plant.

Twizzler is well suited to areas where its architectural element can be best appreciated. This includes:
• courtyard garden water pots
• landscape ponds
• drainage lines
• reed beds for waste water systems
• bog gardens
• rain gardens
• constructed wetlands.

Accentuate the properties of Twizzler by using it with bold colours, for example in pots with a brightly painted wall behind. Blue or grey themed gardens would benefit from its inclusion. Twizzler is a stand out in the formal garden.

Twizzler is smaller than its Lepironia articulata parent, growing up to 1.3 metres tall x 700mm wide. It grows well in freshwater from 100mm-500mm deep and in full sun to 70% shade. Twizzler has proven itself in protected coastal aspects as well as inland climates where it will remain evergreen to -5 degrees C.

A wide range of soil types will be tolerated by Twizzler, including sandy & clay loam, water logged soil and even heavy clays.
The foliage remains very ‘clean’ so trimming is minimal. Every 3-5 years in Spring, trim back foliage to 100mm above the ground. Flowers are not the reason to grow this plant, however 30-40mm conical seed heads which are present much of the year are quite attractive.

Bluedale sell Twizzler in Viro-tubes and 140mm Pots. We recommend planting rates of 5-7 individuals per square metre for mass planting and 1 to 3 plants per square metre for specimen planting.

Go on dare to be different……find a home for some Twizzler in your landscape.