In the Narrows

Many yards have narrow spaces between the house and fence that can really challenge home gardeners.  Let’s take a look at how Southern Gardening friend Jane has tackled this troublesome area in her coastal landscape. The first thing you notice is the meandering sidewalk down the side of the house. The winding pattern from side to side creates pockets of plantings that Jane has filled with eye-popping colors and attention-grabbing textures.  Butterflyweed and a pass a log red salvia greet you with a pop of color in the first pocket of plants along the pathway.  One of the most interesting plants along the path is this Tibouchina grandifolia. Also called Purple Glory Tree, this is a shrub with show stopping large velvety round leaves. The flowers, which bloom off and on during the summer are spikes of purple with fuchsia throats. Cut leaf philodendron are very tropical looking plants that flourish when grown in protected areas. The big course leaves look great in this narrow garden.  Hawaiian Ti plants are a tropical houseplant that Jane can grow outdoors. Looking like colorful stalks of corn, Red Sister Hawaiian Ti has vibrant red leaves with pinkish accents that almost look fluorescent. This Bird of Paradise has a commanding presence as it stands twelve feet tall. The leaves are huge, stretching to four feet long. When blooming the flowers are exotic. When faced with a troublesome landscape area, different shapes, colors, and textures can come together for an interesting visual experience.   I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman and I’ll see you next time on Southern Gardening.