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28 GARDENING Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age www.northernadvocate.co.nz 141
GARDENING
Birds and bees will love you for the laetus flowers and berries.
Promiscuous pseudopanax Birds and bees? Leigh Bramwell reveals the secret, and sexy, lives of these surprising plants
M
OST PLANTS ARE described by their colour, texture, flowers and habit. Hardy, for example. Upright. Strap-like. Fleshy. Not exactly inspiring. But you couldn’t accuse our native pseudopanax of having a boring description. Its name actually means ‘false ginseng’; but that’s not the interesting part. What is far more titillating is that in some circles, it’s known as one of the most promiscuous plants around. Yes, I did say promiscuous. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word means ‘having or characterised by many transient sexual relationships; demonstrating or implying an unselective approach; indiscriminate or casual’. So much more exciting than ‘hardy’. Despite the obviously gregarious nature of the pseudopanax, I never became intimate with them until quite recently, when the Partner brought a couple of leftover Pseudopanax laetus home from a job. They were bright (Laetus means bright), lush and subtropical-looking. We were in the midst of a plan to thicken up the planting in an area adjoining our so-called native garden, and these looked perfect for the job. I became attracted. I quickly looked them up and now I'm into a fullon affair — quite appropriately, since these
promiscuous plants are often to be found having affairs with each other. Actually, the promiscuous ones are the lancewood and the coastal five-finger, which get it on whenever they occur in the same area. It’s quite encouraging to know that, because the skinny, stringy lancewood is far from pretty, and the Five Finger's not exactly gorgeous either, proving that looks aren’t everything. My less common Pseudopanax laetus, on the other hand, are lush and voluptuous with plump green foliage and little white flowers emerging from plumcoloured buds. Pretty as, but ignored by potential lovers. Such is life. Quite a few varieties of pseudopanax will grow in the deep south but Laetus is found naturally from Coromandel to Taranaki in forest margins and open scrub. Having said that, they’ll grow quite happily in a tub in your courtyard, provided they're given rich soil, sun or semi-shade, and shelter from the frost when they're young. In the spot we’ve earmarked for them they should grow quite speedily to three or four metres upwards and outwards. The bright green leaves have distinctive red stems, and we'll get flowers and berries to attract birds and bees. Not that we need more bees – happily, our neighbour has beehives and every now and then tour groups fly down to our place because, I reckon, they find it more interesting than flying around a kiwifruit orchard.
STABLEHOUSE NURSERY
Landscape designer’s excess stock sale Includes mature trees, large specimens, peonies, blue bells & topiary. While stocks last
Fridays 10 – 3pm. Saturdays 10 – 12pm. 21 Morris Road, Te Ore Ore. EFTPOS Available.
The bright green, subtropicallooking leaves are held on dark red stems.
Pearls of wisdom Big houseplants are on the way out. Honestly. I know this because in the past week I’ve visited three or four cafes, a couple of design shops and a hair salon where the ubiquitous Monstera, Fiddle Leaf fig and their mates have been unceremoniously ousted by …. get this ….. the String of Pearls. These tiny succulents are well-named, although in truth they look more like peas than pearls. But let’s not be pedantic. The round leaves are carried down long, slender stems and the best way to display them is in a hanging basket, or balanced on the edge of a tall bookcase or windowsill. You can plant several together on your pot for a really lush display because despite its delicate appearance, this plant is a vigorous grower and will rapidly cover the surface of the pot and cascade down the sides. It might even flower — small, white trumpet-shaped flowers studded with colourful stamens. Bright light, some direct sun, light moisture and well-draining soil are on its wishlist. If you do everything right the stems can reach up to a metre in length. If the cat chews the ends off, don’t panic — they’ll grow back.
DO YOU NEED LIME
IN YOUR GARDEN
?
Grow your own
Mushrooms
We can supply you with: • Ag Lime for the lawn/garden • Rocks for the edging landscaping • Screen lime-chips for driveways & paths • Screened topsoil
Only
$15
bucket
Cars, trailers and utes welcome
PLEASE RING | 021 546 380 10kms from Masterton - Castlepoint Road
59 Kokotau Road, Carterton phone 06 3798699 office@parkvale.co.nz
