July 2010
Painting with plants
By Jenny Dean

July – cold, dry and wintry – can be a bleak time in a conventional garden, characterised by brown grass and not much of interest as the plants rest. The garden featured here, however, glows with bright vibrant brushstrokes of colour and is at its absolute best in the winter months. It is especially easy to manage with hardly any pruning to be done and certainly no additional water is required. If this sounds like the perfect garden to you then read on ...

This garden, in a retirement complex in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, is situated on a large sunny mound and can be seen from many angles. Many residents walk past it every day and it simply called out for something special. The brief I gave myself, as the landscaper engaged to transform it, was to turn it into a jewel-like showpiece. I departed slightly from my usual indigenous-only stance and used a few Madagascan succulents (definitely nothing invasive, of course)

in the mix along with all the locals. The spine of the garden consists of ALOE ferox, which make stately features with their candelabra of orange or red flowers in winter. Although you can remove the skirt of dead leaves from their stems in the interests of neatness, I like to leave them as homes for lizards and skinks. In my garden the Southern bou bou shrikes have perfected the art of inspecting this old foliage for insects. Sprinkled over the hillside are STRELITZIA reginae; they begin flowering in early May, much to the pleasure of the local sunbirds. The grey foliage you see belongs to SENECIO aizoides. It is quite lovely with its blue grey fingers, and easily cut down and replanted when it gets too leggy. KALANCHOE sexangularis has bright red succulent leaves in winter and is stunning, even before its yellow flowers appear. In summer it tends to dullness as the leaves are a plain green. ALOE chabaudii, with its red whorls of flowers, is repeated throughout the front of the bed. It has lovely grey foliage that can also hold its own during the rest of the year. KALANCHOE thyrsiflora (white lady) is like a fat red cabbage and a splendid contrast to the spiky leaves of other succulents. This delightful plant sends up powdery grey spikes adorned with tiny yellow flowers. They remain for many months before the plant dies, but not before sending out a host of babies at its toes. CRASSULA capitella was planted extensively in the garden – I love the lime green of its leaves throughout the summer, followed by a flush of delicate white flowers in autumn. Little blue butterflies feel the same way and hover in a cloud over the blooms for the entire flowering time. The plants die back somewhat in mid-winter, but re-sprout with vigour in spring. The plant with the orangey pink ‘fingers’ is EUPHORBIA tirucalli ‘Gold finger’ and the hotter and drier it is, the better the colour of the fingers. (It makes a superb pot plant if you are neglectful in your watering.) The bright yellow leaves are those of a Sedum species that is not indigenous (but also not invasive); it is quite lovely and a wonderful contrast to its succulent companions.
Although CRASSULA multicava usually thrives in dry semi shade it has proved very effective in the full sun in this garden, remaining tight and compact and producing its pretty pink flowers prolifically. I also used the taller growing C. multicava subsp. floribunda; it grows to knee height, with lovely bright green leaves and white flowers, and looks especially superb when planted with SENECIO aizoides. Interspersed in the bed is COTYLEDON orbiculata (common pigs ear), with its dangling, bell-like flowers.
Our country is fortunate to have such a varied and splendid collection of succulents. Creating this garden was such fun – like painting a picture with the brightest paints that nature has to offer. It certainly was not difficult and I know you can do the same. Happy painting!