Some Golden Leaves

Der Kuss (The Kiss) 1907-1908
Gustav Klimt (1862-1918)
Osterreichiseme Galerie, Vienna

The ultimate chill out concert by the Vienna Philharmonic on New Year's Day (Das Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker) which always features the calming music of the Strauss family composers, was this year dedicated to the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt as a way of celebrating his 150th birthday in 2012. Klimt used gold leaf extensively during his "golden years" being influenced by the Byzantine period of art. The painting from that period The Kiss is the most famous work and yesterday's concert included a ballet work performed in front of it.
I have always liked golden leaved plants but they can be tricky to incorporate into a garden as they can look harsh and turn brown when grown in full sun. However for dull or shady garden places they bring light and vibrancy and are indispensable as a contrast to darker foliaged plants which tend to disappear and lose impact in such spots. Here are a couple of examples of golden leaves.

The gold leafed Geraniums (Pelargoniums) do well under deciduous trees as they enjoy the winter sunshine and summer shade. They are able to cope with the often drier conditions brought about by tree roots as they seek out moisture. They can also easily be grown in pots and moved about to different places in the garden to add brightness where necessary.

More shade lovers here including the dwarf golden bamboo Pleioblastus viridistriatus, the variegated Viburnum tinus showing some small pink buds and below, the large leafed Acanthus mollis 'Hollard's Gold'. The golden bamboo is a runner but rarely reaches more than 40 cm tall. It needs a cut back in late winter to ground level to make way for the new leaves to emerge in spring. The Viburnum is slow but is quite delicate in appearance and a better choice than the strident Aucuba japonica 'Variegata'. The golden Acanthus is a favourite because the leaves change colour as they mature, and with the seasons, from bright yellow to lime green. The other shrub to look out for, which I have featured in an earlier post is Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea' which you can't beat for amazing golden colour.

Bamboo goes formal

There is still a lot of fear about planting Bamboo because of its reputation as an invasive plant with a terrible root system which can lift up buildings. However if a bit of thought goes into planting it properly such as using root barrier material for the running kind or planting the clumping varieties within well made garden planter boxes, there is little to worry about. Bamboo lends itself to quite formal pruning such as hedge shapes or rounded shrubs such as pictured below. The spears of new growth need to be cut off at the desired height as the flush of leaves below the growing point usually occurs sometime after this has been done. From time to time old canes may need to be removed from the base of the plant to keep the overall appearance looking fresh. I have been watching my 'Timor Black' bamboo over the last couple of weeks sending up huge new canes to at least 8 metres tall. These are just spears or canes without any leaves as yet. What is incredible is that I did not expect this kind of growth from a bamboo which is supposed to be quite tropical in origin. I will take a photo of the clump once the leaves have filled out.

Bamboo in the garden.

Bambusa vulgaris 'Vitatta'
 Giant Golden Bamboo

Gardeners in the wet tropics and sub tropics of this country who have have been growing the huge clump forming Bamboos in their gardens for years are often the envy of city folk who may like to experience the joy of having that giant grass bamboo in their backyard. Many people shudder at the thought of using bamboo however especially if they have had to deal with that noxious weed of 'running' bamboo and have seen how destructive it can be. 'Clumping' bamboos are helping restore the image problem bamboos were having and there are now lots of specialist growers where you can get great advice on the types suitable for smaller gardens. Many species survive sub zero temperatures, make great hedges and are adaptable to most situations . They are prone to salt burn in sea wind particularly during late Winter. Their main growing time is from mid December when the main flush of new canes appear. These take several months to open out from a pole appearance to a stem of new leaves.The one pictured above grows to 25metres and is not suitable for a small garden. The giant stems arch over and move with the wind so cannot be recommended where power lines occur. It has beautiful green striped gold canes and a feathery appearance at the top when mature. It is useful for erosion control and embankment stabilization. It is a sustainable plant and harvested poles have many uses . As a child, the best fun a boy could have was to make a raft out of bamboo poles and ride it down a flooded creek.

Tiger Grass, Thysanolaena maxima

Thysanolaena maxima
  Tiger Grass

Tiger grass is a clump forming grass resembling a bamboo and is an excellent screening or landscaping feature plant. It grows to about 3 metres tall but remains a metre wide at the base. During winter it produces terminal pannicles of pink/brown flower heads which are quite decorative. At this time of year I cut off the old flower stems and give it a feed of some nitrogen rich fertilizer. It does well in full sun or part shade and though tolerant of dry poor soils, best growth is achieved in good soil with adequate moisture. It will only tolerate light frost.
2017 update: I had trouble keeping stock alive over winter in pots so no longer grow it. In ground plants remain tall and lush.

Bambusa textilis 'Gracilis'

Bambusa textilus 'Gracilis'

This Bamboo is one of the best to use for screening especially around swimming pools. I have planted it here in a narrow 30cm wide garden bed and after 6 months it has put on plenty of growth to provide a privacy screen .It is a clump forming ,fast growing species which is frost hardy to minus 12C.
2017 update: Can grow very tall but one of the best for privacy screens.

Himalayan Bamboo

Drepanostachyum falcatum
 Himalayan Weeping Bamboo

This is one of the delightful soft clump forming Bamboos which likes to grow in shade. I have used it here in planter boxes which are open at the bottom to allow for expansion of the root system and better growth. It is ideal for spots between buildings which are narrow and sun-less for most of the year. This species grows to about 4 metres and is tolerant of cold down to about minus 10C. Bamboos like adequate water and respond to fertilizer in spring and summer.