Planting a Dry Garden - F - G

Felicia amelloides is a delightful perennial for a hot dry sunny spot. Commonly known as the blue marguerite, it is fast growing, sturdy and very hardy to wind, drought, and coastal positions. Use in the rockery, as an edging, or the container garden. Plant in full sun in most any freely draining soil.
 
Freesia has a unique perfume all it's own. This frost tender collection of bulbs come from South Africa and are famous for enduring summer drought surviving scalding sun where little else will. They are dormant during the warmer months and only pop up to flower while conditions are wet in winter and spring. Freesia is an excellent subject for dry semi-shaded spots such as under trees or hedges with lighter soils. Gaillardia is also known as Carpet Flower or Indian Blanket.
 
This American prairie wildflower inspired many an Indian artwork with it's brightly coloured daisy flowers with zig-zag markings. There are annual and perennial forms with single and double blooms in a variety of warm colours, all easily raised from seed for summer and autumn bloom. Full sun, heat, and poorer, dry soils give best results. This plant makes a brilliant carpet of flowers on the coast. Quite compatible with gypsophila in the drier, sunny garden.
 
The same comments could be made about Gazania. These South African daisies are sometimes called Treasure Flower and are a treasure if considerable colour is wanted in the hottest, sunniest, driest conditions on poorer soils over a long period. Colours include everything except true blue. The star-like blooms close at night. Plants have grassy foliage and are dwarf to 30cm. with clumping and trailing varieties.
 
Gerbera is another South African plant known as African Daisy. There are many brilliant hybrids in all shades and flower forms. The long stemmed blooms making superb cutflowers. They are frost sensitive and demand very sunny spots with perfect drainage. Container-grown plants can be set out now or divide established clumps in autumn. Plant 60cm apart as they make big clumps. Good in raised beds, borders, rockeries and pots.
 
Glottiphyllum, the Tongue-Leaf plant, is an ice plant with large, succulent leaves that somewhat resemble a tongue. They are very hardy to most extremes other than wet and freezing. Fringed yellow daisies cover the foliage in spring and summer.
 
Graptopetalum is another tough succulent from Mexico. Resembling the houseleek, the attractive blue-green foliage is topped with bright pink star-like flowers in spring and summer. Great in containers, the rockery or as a groundcover.
 
Grevilleas are Australian natives that have become extremely popular over the last decade because of their durability and versatility. They come in hundreds of varieties from tiny groundcovers to tall trees with unique bottlebrush or tooth brush shaped blooms in creams, yellows and orange to hot reds and deeper. Full sun, light, dryish, freely draining, acid soils give best results. Feed only lightly and avoid any food with much phosphorous.