Sun and shade plants to brighten gloomy spots in the garden
Fill gaps in your garden with a flowering sun or shade plant. A genus that thrives in those particular conditions is the only way to ensure you enjoy years of beauty.
Replacing species that have failed to thrive is expensive. Before selecting sun or shade plants for an area, keep an eye on it all day to see how the sun affects it at different times. There’s nothing like assuming you’re dealing with a shaded spot - based on how you see it in the morning before work. Meanwhile, unknown to you, it gets the full heat of the sun at 2 PM.
Shade plants for darker areas
- Hyacinthus, commonly known as the hyacinth, is the perfect flower for dense and darker areas in the garden. Shady patches are easier to fill with foliage-rich plants, few flowers flourish without sun. Hyacinths fulfil this need with their intense colours and clustered flowers.
- Galtonia candicans, commonly known as the Summer Hyacinth, lightens dark shady areas in the garden with their pure white flowers. A fairytale-like shade plant. They have many small white flowers that hang from the stems. Perfect for the middle of a garden bed or to liven up a shady wall or boundary.
- Zantedeschia aethiopica is perfect if you have a marshy area that’s less-than-attractive with thick shade. Zantedeschia, loved for its simplistic beauty, grows well once established, unassisted - a great way to demarcate a border, if you have natural contours in the garden. Use Zantedeschias to outline the hill.
Drought tolerant plants for hot areas
Alliums
Aliums, like the tulbaghia variegated alliums, they make petite flowers that are hardy enough to withstand drought conditions. They’re commonly used to liven the parking lots of shopping malls. They can just as easily liven up dry and dead areas in the garden that are sheltered from life-giving rainfall.
Scadoxis multiflorus katherinae
Also known as the Blood/Christmas Lily, is another drought-hardy attractive bulb. They’re the most unusual flower - an exotic gem that deserves to take the focal point. While they can handle the heat, they’re not exactly drought-tolerant. They need rich soil with excellent drainage. Also, keep in mind, they dislike being lifted from the ground and will not flower for at least a year after being settled. That said, this beauty is a worthwhile investment for the future.
The Crocosmia variety also withstands long periods in the heat provided it has a good water source - they love a slightly damp soil.
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