Designing with Plants
Presenter: Phil Dudman
Episode: #15 28/07/07
Plants have an amazing affect over the senses and it has nothing to do with taste, touch or smell but the mere shape and form of plants and the dazzling effects they can have on the eye.
The Bismark Palm (Bismarkia nobilis) has unusual blue green foliage and incredible fan like fronds, each one a dramatic sculpture itself. If you are after something that will stand up and command attention then this palm will do the trick. Beware they will need a bit of room because they do get huge.
If you are after something a bit different and not quite so big then check out the Pachypodium (Pachypodium lamerei). It is quite unusual looking but very eye catching with its thorny trunk and pineapple like foliage on the top. It will make a great talking piece for a pot; in the ground it can actually grow into a small tree around six metres tall.
If you are after something smaller again Echeveria (Echeveria Hybrid Cultivar ‘Black Prince’) and had a dramatic form. Like many of the ground dwelling succulents it is a good one to display on its own or in a pot that needs very little care or water.
There are a whole group of different Echeveria’s to discover each with their own personality and charm and they all feature these bold architecturally shaped leaves that take on more character the more sun you give them.
It is not always the plants with sharp clean lines that capture our attention. Grasses such as the Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’) give you lots of colour in the foliage as well as soft feathery seed heads. It looks as good on it’s own as it does mass planted.
The plant world has so much to offer and that is what we love about gardening. If you are after something new that will jump out and grab your attention then why not check out some of these architectural stunners.
Episode: #15 28/07/07
Plants have an amazing affect over the senses and it has nothing to do with taste, touch or smell but the mere shape and form of plants and the dazzling effects they can have on the eye.
The Bismark Palm (Bismarkia nobilis) has unusual blue green foliage and incredible fan like fronds, each one a dramatic sculpture itself. If you are after something that will stand up and command attention then this palm will do the trick. Beware they will need a bit of room because they do get huge.
If you are after something a bit different and not quite so big then check out the Pachypodium (Pachypodium lamerei). It is quite unusual looking but very eye catching with its thorny trunk and pineapple like foliage on the top. It will make a great talking piece for a pot; in the ground it can actually grow into a small tree around six metres tall.
If you are after something smaller again Echeveria (Echeveria Hybrid Cultivar ‘Black Prince’) and had a dramatic form. Like many of the ground dwelling succulents it is a good one to display on its own or in a pot that needs very little care or water.
There are a whole group of different Echeveria’s to discover each with their own personality and charm and they all feature these bold architecturally shaped leaves that take on more character the more sun you give them.
It is not always the plants with sharp clean lines that capture our attention. Grasses such as the Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’) give you lots of colour in the foliage as well as soft feathery seed heads. It looks as good on it’s own as it does mass planted.
The plant world has so much to offer and that is what we love about gardening. If you are after something new that will jump out and grab your attention then why not check out some of these architectural stunners.
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