Corner Cordyline

Cordyline Silhouette

The Cabbage Tree (Cordyline) is eight years old, and towers above the hostas and grasses in the Jelly Bean Border corner.

Winter Silhouette

This photograph of the big Cordyline in the Jelly Bean Garden was taken on a winter's day in 2004. Don't let the blue sky fool you - it wasn't all that warm!

That jagged spiky silhouette is a real New Zealand symbol. This tree only has two trunks, but there are beautiful many-trunked Cabbage trees to be seen on the back-roads near my garden - they look particularly good in silhouette against the sky.

Eight Years Old

I can remember first planting this Cabbage Tree, back in 1996. The Jelly Bean Garden was half-dug, and all the plants I put in it were knee-high. My good gardening friend Astrid had given me two seedling Cordylines, and in went one of them, positioned to mark the furthest corner of the garden border.

I had little idea how big Cabbage trees would grow in my garden - or how quickly! It's been quite a surprise!

Cabbage Tree

Even though Cordylines are messy and drop old leaves everywhere I love them. Not all New Zealand gardeners agree with me, though!