Page 25 - Cornwall Issue 3 2024

GARDENING

leaf of Stachys byzantine or Lamb’s Ear. • Last but not least is what expert
gardeners call well-composted soil -
• Ipomoea batatas, or sweet potato, black gold. Compost is very
is of the ornamental sweet potato valuable for increasing
family. They have beautifully shaped the fertility of the soil as
leaves and can be paired with the it adds rich microbial
lime green or pinkish version of the life and turns sterile
same plant. They look stunning when soil into rich, black
Batflower trailing or tumbling over objects and soil that plants really
grow well in a dry, shady spot. respond to. Note:
good soil = good roots =
• Heuchera, or coral bells, have good plant.
deep red and purple options. Their
attractive large leaves add ‘oomph’ Tip: Black Violas, although out of season, are edible flowers
to the surroundings. Their flowers are that add a dramatic contrast to salads and dishes.
delicate and colourful and they do Good to know: Lime green, orange, pale pink and blue have
well in a dry, shady spot.
the greatest contrast.
• The Black Madonna rose grows to
shoulder height and the blooms
make ideal cut flowers.
• Black Magic roses also grow to
shoulder height. They are good cut
flowers and are free flowering.

• The Black Berry rose grows to
shoulder height and can produce
fifty or more medium-sized roses at a
time. It is good as a cut flower and is
free flowering.
• Alternanthera ‘Little Ruby’ has deep
burgundy foliage, making it a real
stand-out plant in the garden.

• Lagerstroemia indica, known also as
Black Diamond, Purely Purple, Pride
of India, or even Crape Myrtle, has
black leaves that contrast beautifully
with its vibrant purple blooms. They
will grow three to six metres high and
love well-drained soil.
Black bamboo
• Brinjal, aubergine or eggplant are
easy to grow and a very rewarding
“old world” plant. They come in a
range of black varieties including
Black Beauty, Napoli, Long Purple,
Oriental Fingerlings, Florence Violet
and several others.
• Phyllostachys nigra, or black
bamboo, has graceful weeping
foliage and striking black stems.
They are a firm favourite when you
want to create an oriental feel.
Eggplant Heuchera
• Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’, or
Black Rose Aeonium, is one of the
most striking plants to include. This
very unusual water-wise succulent
has a rose shape on top of long
stems.
• Rock Rose (Echeveria) have a few
dark-coloured varieties, with the
most common one deliciously
named Chocolate. These water-wise
succulents are amazing in rock
gardens or tumbling over walls or the
edges of pots and hanging baskets.
Iris Black Petunia

12 DPL issue 9 2022 Kyalami Estates • CONNECT • Issue 2 • 2024 23
Cornwall View • Issue 3 2024