Phormiums in the Garden Border

Cornflowers, roses, and assorted foliage plants might jostle for space in the Dog-Path Garden, but the spiky New Zealand Phormiums, or flaxes, dominate the look of the borders.

Corner Flax

Shrubs and trees in the Dog-Path Garden have the advantage of excellent soil, a good irrigation system, and good shelter from the cold southerly winds. The red trees are a juvenile Red Beech and a Cotinus, and you'll see a New Zealand Cabbage tree reaching for the sky behind them.

Dogwood and Flax

The slow growing Dogwood tree has beautifully coloured leaves, and the whole area is carpeted with purple variegated honesty in spring. Take the graceful red flax, add some rhododendrons, and you have the perfect New Zealand woodland garden!

Footnote

Oh dear. The second flax was flattened in the winter snow of 2006 and had to be dug out. No replacement has been planted as yet...

Another big red flax is very happy growing by the water. It hasn't always been this size, though.

Red Flax by the Dog-Path 2003

You'll easily see below in a very early photo how narrow this part of the Dog-Path Garden first was. The red water-side flax has just been planted. The year is 1998.

red flax by the dog-path 1998

The wet snow storm in the winter of 2006 flattened this waterside flax, and I trimmed it completely down. It's a survivor, though, and is back bigger and better than ever.