Some summers, many parts of New Zealand can be exceptionally dry. A lack of useful rainfall is a big test of resilience for flowering perennials. The Living Fashion trial gardens in South Auckland can illustrate the problem when clay soils quickly turn to ‘concrete’ with even the most diligent targeted watering seeming to make little impression on the ground.
But it is interesting that given harsh conditions, some of the perennials continue to thrive and flower profusely despite challenging conditions.
Lavenders hail from some of the hottest and driest regions on the planet. And while they do appreciate the odd watering, their dense coating of small, needle-like leaves are great at conserving moisture when needs dictate.
As members of the sage family, salvias are renowned sun lovers and thrive in the dry. So it is no surprise that the ‘So Cool’ salvias continue to flourish, their mass of delicate mauve-blue petals soothing the eye and providing a lovely vista in the bright summer sun.
A tight mounding growth habit is an excellent way for a plant to reduce moisture loss from its leaves and keep its roots cool. The latest ‘Flutterburst’ dianthus are a perfect example. Blooming profusely on close-packed hummocks of blue foliage, they seemed to relish summer’s dry conditions. ‘Cherryburst’ tops its tidy mounds with an abundance of simple dianthus flowers in extraordinary tones of hot pink and white.
Gaura ‘So White’ is popular with gardeners and landscapers due to its ‘bulletproof’ performance in dry conditions and poor soils. Its secret is a deep tap root capable of reaching into moister soil depths and drawing up needed nutrients. The abundance of white dancing flowers is like a cloud in the garden, exceptional when mass planted.
With careful selection of hardy flowering perennials like these, and dense ‘no gaps’ planting, we can still enjoy a colourful summer garden - even when mother nature turns off the tap for a while.
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