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Last Updated: Nov 14, 2008 - 12:49:26 PM |
Bidding farewell to summer is not always easy, for it is the transition period when the colorful garden starts to prepare to go into a dormant phase for the approaching winter season. Looking on the bright side, however, the end of the season gives us a timely chance to evaluate the performance of the garden, of annuals in particular, to help plan for next growing season, which at present seems rather far way, but thankfully, does return.
This summer, of all the annuals grown in our garden, the one that gave the most return in terms of performance happens to be Scaevola aemula, a first-timer in our garden, a plant I was totally unfamiliar with until now. In fact, if it weren’t for the unusual growing habit and lovely purple-blue flowers the plants bear, chances are I would have walked right past a bench full of specimens while browsing at a local garden center this spring.
Though a little pricey for what I am accustomed to paying for annuals, the reward was worth every bit invested, for not only did Scaevola turn out to be very heat- and drought-tolerant, having toughed out a dry, hot spell as we took off on a week-long vacation just after putting the plants in the ground, but survived the attack of rabbits who grazed the leaves as well as the flowers at every available opportunity, at times leaving the plants almost bare.
A native of Australia and commonly called the fairy fan-flower, Scaevola aemula is grown as an annual around here, providing a delightful blue hue in the garden; and, because of the low growing habit, plants are perfect for containers, hanging baskets, or a cozy corner of a flower bed. Plants need a well-drained soil and as the tag that came with the plants indicated, the range of light required runs from full sun to part shade. I opted to plant at a location that got some afternoon shade, as summers tend to be fairly hot in this area. At the time of planting, I amended the soil with some Plant-tone and have, except for occasional watering, left them pretty much alone.
The plants, incidentally, need no deadheading, and now that the rabbits have decided to move on, are just as healthy and vigorous as they could be, blooming profusely ever since spring. What more could I have asked for?
gitaagrawal@juno.com
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