1

Autumn at Wigandia
A
utumn means something different to everyone. Many like the richness of changing leaf colour, which is great if you happen to live in an area with a satisfactory show. However, I would rather observe such displays ... most of which are a little too garish for my taste but nice to view in passing. Deciduous tree and shrub plantings remind me too much of the Northern Hemisphere, and I begin to wonder what our true values are in gardening this southern land. From late summer to autumn the majority of gardens start to look somewhat tired and battle worn; especially those that rely heavily on added water to keep them alive and well. Even with extra water in summer, many garden plants look as though they need a good rest by the time autumn rolls around. In fact, most plants grown in our Australian gardens are far too removed from their preferred conditions and struggle to perform well for much of the year. Set aside from these more traditional gardens, autumn at Wigandia is comprised of quite a different blend of attributes with just a sprinkling of deciduous foliage, yet still the most magnificent colours unfold. Most plants thrive on a low water regime. Only infrequent rains reach Wigandia and they must sustain the entire garden year-round.
92 Your Garden Autumn 2008

1. Miscanthus sinensis variegata

set in the splendid company of Agave mexicanus.

2. A medley of foliage, form and

colour. Agna feuis nos nulla faccumsandit il il dunt autat ad tat. Duip et autat. Acipsum in ver sis ad enim quisit wisi.

3. Allocasuarina verticilata
provides a mysterious backdrop for Miscanthus, which is in full Autumn flight. t acip ex eu facillaortin euis doloborer

4. Autumns bounty of Sedum

Autumn Joy (bottom,left), Miscanthus sinensis Variegata (centre), Salvia Canariensis (top right), Calamagrostis x acutiflora Karl Foerster (top centre).

William Martin has been internationally acclaimed for his garden Wigandia at Mt Noorat in Victoria where he gardens in communion with his local climate and conditions, eschewing artificial watering. Here he tells it like it is

Dabbling in the deciduous

Some of the most reliable plants in this garden include the wonderful, but rarely seen, medlar (Mespilus germanica) a perfect small-scale tree usually reaching the size of a large fruit tree, and which performs all year round. Spring presents simple white flowers in great abundance, followed by a most curious fruit that makes delightful jelly! Autumn leaf colour varies from reddish to yellow with age. On a larger sale, Ulmus parvifolia Frosty gives a reliable dash of subtle yellows. Tilia europaea (linden or lime tree) contributes a buttery look, as does wisteria and a small-growing climber, the porcelain berry vine Ampelopsis brevipedunculata, which is all the more special if it holds its wonderful jewel-like berries while the leaves turn a vibrant golden. But enough of this deciduous stuff all of which I use in moderate amounts to offset a mass of showy evergreens. The autumn break (the first rains after summer for those of
94 Your Garden Autumn 2008

you unfamiliar with rural sayings) triggers the wonderful Cape bulb Amaryllis belladonna (Naked Ladies) into flower, and what an amazing sight! I will never tire of this exquisite flower. Generally seen in hot pink and white, I have acquired forms that range from the palest pink to bright cerise. Sternbergia lutea, another Cape bulb, can survive in a baking hot position (as do the nerine species and cultivars), and bravely puts up a rash of yellow flowers in autumn. Originating from South Africa, a similar climate to our south eastern coastal belt, I always prefer these autumn flowering bulbs over spring flowering ones, with the exception of sparaxis and freesia.

Subtle attractions

There also many subtle contributors to this autumn scene, too, and these are my favourite autumnites: the seed heads and leaf colourings of grasses, including miscanthus, poa, purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum

Rubrum, a sterile form), Calamagrostis x acutiflora Karl Foerster and those indispensable sedums. I have grown Sedum Autumn Joy for over 25 years and it still gives me great pleasure. I often think the dry seed heads are the most interesting phase. Rarely do I cut them back until the new growth of next season kicks in, and then only reluctantly. So, too, the seed heads of cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) The succulent tribe, though not in flower, offer an interesting stage after summer and before the autumn rains. The rosettes of aeoniums, a wonderful group of plants from the Canary Islands, are closed and tight, showing off as little leaf surface as possible to preserve moisture. After a good rain they miraculously open. These small details provide far more interest to me than all the great and wonderful colourations of the big picture plants. Sadly, succulents are often mollycoddled by mulching, watering and fertilising so they become bloated and characterless, and experiemce little seasonal change.

2
Flowers too are part of the Wigandia autumn. Salvia canariensis (Canary Island sage) is a very reliable medium-sized shrub, reaching around 1.5m tall and it can be counted on to offer up its dusky mauve flowers, just as it does at other times of the year. Leonotus leonurus (Lions Ear) is even more beautiful, producing a woolly splay of vibrant orange flowers. Mine was grown from seed and has stronger colour than commonly seen. Following its floral display are knobbly seed heads that provide ongoing pleasure throughout winter. Among my absolute favourites are two rarely cultivated South American bromeliads that are coldtolerant and as tough as old boots. They are the pineapple relatives Ochagavia carnea and Fascicularia bicolor. Both plants flourish in the most inhospitable conditions and flower in autumn when one least expects it. Their amazing flowers are almost indescribable! Perhaps a photo tell the story better than words. U
1. Morning dew creates a
saturated look on this far from dead Miscanthus. sequis nullam dolum dit amet, velismo dignit ullandit auguerilit, volutpat.

2. Pennisetum setaceum
Rubrum Purple Fountain Grass (sterile) swaggers with the slightest breeze. et autat. Acipsum in ver sis ad enim quisit.

3. My very vibrant seedling form,

of Leonotis leonurus (Lions Ear) eu facillaortin euis doloborer

4. The incredible flower of South

American bromeliad Fascicularia bicolor. veros nisim verosto odip ex eugiamet wisi blaor sequat. Ummolut nulluptat, si. Lessequip eugait, venit ad et praese etue consequisl utat volortin vullan

Your Garden Autumn 2008 95

96 Your Garden Autumn 2008

Your Garden Autumn 2008 97

98 Your Garden Autumn 2008

Your Garden Autumn 2008 99

Take one idea

Idea:
Making use of whats readily available

100 Your Garden Autumn 2008

Your Garden Autumn 2008 101