Dry shade Renga Renga Lily

Renga renga lily

The rienga lily, renga renga lily or New Zealand rock lily (Arthropodium cirratum) is a herbaceous, clump-forming perennial lily with soft, lime green foliage that adds lushness to any garden bed. The strap-like leaves surround masses of delicate starry flowers that are produced on a flower spike approximately 60cm in height.

The lily-white flowers appear in abundance in late spring and continue popping up into summer. This is a maintenance-free plant that only needs to be kept looking tidy, which is done by removing the previous season’s bottom leaves every now and again.

Arthropodium cirratum performs best in a fertile, welldrained soil. It can tolerate both sun or partial shade, but its strongest attribute is that it is an ideal plant for a dry and shady position, even in wind-blown coastal gardens.

Once planted, water well to encourage the plant to establish itself in the soil. It will then have the ability to tolerate periods of dryness, making it a water-wise alternative for South African gardens.

Should your New Zealand rock lily require fertilising, this is best done in spring. Be sure to watch out for snails and slugs as they tend to be attracted to the lush leaves. ‘Sympa de Bellevue’ is a powerful shrub rose that just keeps on growing and flowering, producing clusters of large red blooms with a rounded, full-petalled and old-fashioned appearance. It can stand on its own as a specimen shrub, be planted close together as a sturdy, impenetrable hedge or trained up a pillar. The diseaseresistant leaves stay fresh and green deep into winter.

Rose tasks for January

• Cut back tall growers with flowers towering over your head. When cutting back a stem, make sure there are still leaves below the cut.

Don’t undercut all the stems at once but do it in two or three stages a week apart. • Thin out dense bushes to allow air and light into the middle of the bush. • Rejuvenate neglected or defoliated rose bushes by lightly trimming the top growth and increasing watering. Spray with Ludwig’s Insect Spray. Do not fertilise at this stage. • Water deeply 2 - 3 times a week in the absence of good rainfall. • Fertilise leafy rose bushes with Vigorosa towards the middle of January. Well-fed roses are more resistant to disease and pest damage. • Renew mulch on the rose beds but keep a space open around the rose stems for water to penetrate. • Spray once a week with organic Ludwig’s Insect Spray and once a month with Chronos to prevent black spot. • Cut off dead blooms to keep the bushes looking neat and to encourage new stems to sprout. www.ludwigsroses.co.za