Ruud Kleinpaste: Shape, Structure and Colour

Shape, Structure and Colour 
Last week we planned spring from an edible point of view. This week, let's look at it from the angle of shape, structure and colour.  1. Good time to divide Rhubarb. If you have a neighbor or friend with a strong plant, just get a sharp spade and aim for the gaps in the “crown” of the plant. With warmer soils they won’t “sulk” as much and quickly send down new roots. Rhubarb is not just a food, its large leaves and good red stems help to make everything look good too  2. And then there’s the flowers; honestly the choice is yours and there are so many seeds and plants in Garden Centres, it is just a matter of what you like. My favourites are monsters like Tree Dahlia. Flowering in autumn and up to three meters high! Stake for securing the plant in high wind areas.  3. Brugmansia: they come in all sorts of colours and yes – can be grown in the cooler south 4. Native climbers like the Clematis paniculata:cool roots, warm, sunny head! 5. Endemics such as Metrosideros carminea, a small rata bush that is sometimes a climber. Fabulous splash of colour in spring: native bees and birds lap up the nectar and pollen.  6. And right now, Kowhai is flowering. It’s a favourite food of tui and bellbirds, as well as silvereyes and wood pigeons (kereru). Kowhai come in many different species and heights; there are fabulous, gnarled forms which, in themselves, are beautifully sculptured.   7. And here’s something totally unexpected: a ground-cover that really ads ecosystem services: Muehlenbeckia axillaris, or “mat Pohuehue”. This is a native plant that feeds the caterpillars of our native copper butterflies. It also acts as a great ground-cover that suppresses weed growth, and a brilliant habitat for skinks and geckos. LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE