Living Path Edges and Scrub Apple Trees

 Continuing the blog for Real World Gardener:part 4 of lawn alternatives-plants that create living path edges in Design elements and smaller relative of the giant Angophora in plant of the week.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Living Path Edges.

Lirope Stripey White 

Continuing the series on lawn alternatives but this time we’re throwing in those plants that will suit
growing along a path like a living edge.

What do you have growing along your path?

Perhaps you have terracotta or brick borders or maybe even a steel edge.

But what about a living path edge?

Plants that are suitable for path edges are necessarily a lot of hard work.

They can soften a path and make it look that much greener.

We’re not going to walk on them so what can grow along the path?
Let’s find out.
I'm talking with Glenice Buck from www.glenicebuckdesigns.com.au

The top picks for living path edges were
Santolina chamaecyparissus-very hardy and self-shaping.
Alternanthera Little Ruby-not for frosty areas.
Liriope muscari variegated such as Glenice’s favourite called 'Stripey White' growing to a max of 20cm in height.
Teucrium fruiticans or Germander.
Repeat flowering dwarf agapanthus with white flowers called Bingo. Lookout for it in your nursery.

Agapnathus Bingo White: photo curtesy www.ozbreed.com.au

For all the latest news - Follow Glenice on Facebook or Instagram
Facebook : www.facebook/glenicebuckdesigns
Instagram: Glenice_Buck_Designs
Or Subscribe to Glenice's monthly Garden Greetings Newsletter: www.tinyletter.com/glenicebuckdesigns
If you have any questions for me or for Glenice, please write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Angophora hispida: Dwarf Apple

Here’s a much smaller relative of one of Australia’s native giant trees, Angophora costata.

The genus name is the same but this tree fits into a small garden and with the profusion of flowers in summer that will attract all manner of bees and nectar feeding birds.

• How do angophoras differ from eucalypts?

Angophoras have leaves that are opposite always, but in eucalypts and corymbias, the leaves are for the most part alternate except for juvenile leaves.

The seed capsules of angophoras have ribbing on the outside.

 

Angophora hispida flower

 Let’s find out why we should grow it. I'm talking with Adrian O'Malley, native plant expert and horticulturist.

Angophora hispida has an extremely small distribution but worth growing because of the many features. Growing naturally in heath and open woodland as a smallish gnarly looking tree, however it will grow in a variety of soil types including clay.

• Height is a maximum of 6m.

Plus,if it grows in Orange in central west NSW, one of the coldest places in the state where it generally snows in winter, it will cope with frost. 

Protection from frost is only need when the tree is still young.

The tree's habit is a single trunk but if you prune right down to the ground, it will resprout from a lignotuber with multiple trunks.
If you have any questions either for me or Adrian, why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com