For a brilliant border, try the variegated liriope (Liriope muscari ‘Variegata’). This plant is the perfect choice for edging garden beds or walkways.
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This plant is low-growing with attractive foliage and produces very interesting spikes of purple flowers. The flowers appear during the hot weather and are retained for some time.
We have a border of this plant near the Horticultural Department’s nursery at Wodonga TAFE and it looks great most of the year.
These plants are easy to grow and are incredibly hardy. They’ll grow in most soils, from dry to wet, and are both frost- and drought-hardy.
If you’re using these in a border, plant the liriopes about 15-20 centimetres apart for a good result. This plant will grow in full sun, but it’s a perfect choice for a position that gets part shade.
When it comes to maintenance they are a breeze.
In late autumn or in early spring you can cut these plants back.
Pull the foliage into a clump like a pony tail and cut it all off a couple of centimetres above ground level.
If you do this in early spring, you won’t have to wait long for the plant to regrow, and all the growth will be young and fresh.
As well as being great as a border plant, the liriope works well in containers and excels in a mass planting.
It will work in modern gardens and even fits well into any cottage garden - a very versatile plant.
So if you have a shady area, take care in your plant choice. A couple of other suitable plants are the coral bells and the hellebores.
Coral bells (Heuchera) like full-sun but will grow quite happily with some shade.
They have interesting foliage and tall spikes of bell-shaped flowers which are hot pink/coral in colour.
Hellebores are also known as winter rose or Lenten rose.
These plants have attractive leaves and cup-shaped flowers that look a bit like a rose.
These flowers come in a few different colours of pink, cream, maroon and green.
Hellebores are hardy, preferring part shade and are reasonably drought-hardy.
Liriope, coral bells and winter rose – three plants that are suitable for borders in shady garden beds.
Diary
Wodonga TAFE is holding a half-day course in basic propagation on April 27 with a variety of techniques for growing plants.
Join teacher Alister Rhook for a fun and informative hands-on workshop 9.30am–12.30pm. Cost is $50 and for more information call 1300 MY TAFE (I300 698 233) or email AgHort@wodongatafe.edu.au.
Feel free to call into the Agriculture/Horticulture Department in University Drive, West Wodonga.
