Gardening with Gael: Who said books are obsolete?

[Gardening with Gael]

7 Nov, 2022

A thank you to a member of my whanau, Abi, who spotted an error in my article on leucospermums a couple of articles ago. The main content was about the leucospermums which I can report are already flowering and I referenced how nice they look among our native astelias and euphorbias. I then referenced the euphorbia. I meant Euphorbia glauca, our native sea or shore spurge and somehow when I was checking I slipped in Euphorbia paralias – also a sea spurge but not a native. This sea spurge is native to Europe, northern Africa and western Asia and has become a problem on our coast. It forms dense infestations which Abi, who works for DOC, had been out dealing with. You can imagine her horror at reading my mistake.

Euphorbia glauca, which I have written about before, is growing happily on both Marg’s and my sandhill gardens. I still have to wait to see how it copes with hot, dry summer but all accounts assure us that it will. This little euphorbia is a rare endangered native and I am happy to see it thriving. Thank you Abi.

More feedback on the leucospermum article from Wendy who suggested that leucospermums may also be available from The Protea Patch near Matakana. A quick look at their website and indeed they have some beauties along with an online service. Leucospermums to the door! Thank you Wendy.

Beside our garage there has been an assortment of plants. “I thought that was it for this year,” said Box. “If you don’t stop you’ll spend the entire summer watering.” He is right. This week I finally managed to plant everything I had waiting in bags and buckets. Bits of plants I have given away in the past are coming back to me to fill in gaps. Planting in sand is laborious. I have to get rid of the sand in the hole and fill with the rapidly depleting pile of rotted grass clippings. It involves a lot of bucketing.

One of the plants languishing came from the old house. I dug it out during my big reorganise and tidy. I remember buying it years ago. It has never done very well and I suspected the roots of the close-by strelitzia may well be invading its space. Sure enough, when I dug it out, big fat fleshy strelitzia roots had penetrated the main roots. My biggest problem was I could not remember what it was, the ticket having been lost a while ago. I don’t have the ‘What’s this plant?’ app. Instead I googled what I knew of the plant. Nothing remotely right.

I really want to plant it in the right place this time. Who said books are obsolete? I sat down next to the plant with my Readers Digest Encyclopedia of Plants and Shrubs. It really didn’t take long and what a joy to browse through my book and spot my plant there on the page – Medinilla magnifica or Medinilla myriantha.

I also wrote to Kings Barn Plant Doctor with a photo, who confirmed my plant as Medinilla myriantha. Now, with the help of google I could find exactly the right place to reposition my plant. One requirement is loose free-draining soil. Sounds like sand to me. Also known as Malaysian Grapes these subtropical plants have large veined leaves and during the spring (I’ve missed this year’s) panicles of bright pink flowers which hang not unlike fuchsias and turn into small purple berries which look like tiny grapes. Basically an epiphyte, I have it perched on the hill with some semi rotted branches sheltered by a maple tree. Out of the sun, I hope it is a lot happier in its new home.

Also known as Malaysian orchid, Medinilla myriantha isn’t actually an orchid at all. PHOTO/TATIANA GERUS/FLICKR