Curving like a good surf wave, the yellow foliage of flax (Phormium) ‘Yellow Wave’ brings summery cheer to gardens no matter what the weather is doing. Flaxes are exciting to combine with other interesting foliage plants. ‘Yellow Wave’ is superb with the new, dwarf growing Acacia varieties ‘Limelight’ and ‘Green Mist’ which have very fine, weeping, dark green foliage. They form dense mounds, making them great for low maintenance gardens, and their shapes and colours are ideal to go with those of the flax.
In well drained soils, the new, very compact Euphorbia ‘Kea’, with huge heads of emerald green flowers in late winter and spring and stunning green foliage at other times of the year, makes a striking foreground to ‘Yellow Wave’.
There’s drama to be had by growing Echium fastuosum, the pride of Madeira, with big, plump, deep sky blue flower heads, with the yellow foliage of this flax. Add some of the dazzling daisy flowered ground covering arctotis and gazanias to the equation and an exuberant scene unfolds. Among the Gazanias ‘Sunset Jane’ is a stunning new variety with fully double flowers in sophisticated shades of amber, honey and gold and ‘Takatu Red’ has very dark, gleaming red flowers on long stems. Several plants of these surrounding a clump of ‘Yellow Wave’ is a real show stopper.
‘Yellow Wave’ is fun to combine with the very free flowering Australian grevilleas. These include ground covers such as the wide spreading ‘Gaudi Chaudi’, with handsome, saw-edged, red and green foliage. It creates a contrasting carpet around ‘Yellow Wave’ which is most useful for weed beating ease of maintenance as well as looking good.
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Schemes & Themes
using Liddle Wonder Plants