Gone Gardenin’ — Gaura add a light and airy touch to container planting

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/08/2018 (2633 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Communities in Bloom group in Minnedosa that plants and maintains the containers of plants on our boulevards used a lot of gaura this year. This flower is a very popular container plant and you often see it used in public plantings as well as in private yards.

When large containers like those used in streetscapes are put together, there is a tendency for the creators to use large plants as the central specimen. Cannas, castor beans and Mahogany Splendor Hibiscus are three that come to mind, and while these are all spectacular plants, when used in containers they often overwhelm the other plants in the arrangement.

Not so with gaura; this wonderful plant adds a light and airy touch to a container while at the same time adding the desired height in the centre of the arrangement. The airy texture and form of gaura combines nicely with other plants without dominating the plant combination.

Often called wandflower or beeblossom, this low maintenance plant has small lance-shaped leaves and produces four-petalled flowers on tall wiry stems. The stems wave in the breeze and the flowers dance in the wind just like a swarm of pink bees or a group of waving wands hence its common names.

This native of Mexico is actually a shrub in its native habitat but in our area it is grown as an annual. It has a deep tap root so when gaura is used in a container, the container must be large enough and deep enough to accommodate the root. Planted in the ground, this long tap root makes the plant very drought tolerant, but when included in a container design, the plant depends on the water supplied by the gardener.

In both cases gaura demands a well-drained soil that is light and airy. It is best not to fertilize the plant too much or it will become rather floppy and the growth will be less erect. This is hard to accomplish when using the plant in a mixed container with other plants that prefer to be fed regularly.

Gaura grows about 60 cm tall, but the height can vary depending on the variety. There are varieties that have pink blooms, some that sport pure white blooms, and even a few that have bi-coloured pink and white flowers. The most common variety we see in our neck of the woods is the pink one. Sometimes the foliage will be green but it can be burgundy or green tinged with pink. “Corrie’s Gold” is an uncommon variety not often available that has variegated green and gold foliage.

The waving wands of gaura can occupy a lot of space as they lean out from the centre of a container. I used gaura in containers on the steps to our back entrance last year and the wands were a nuisance because they always seemed to be in the way as we went up and down the steps; it was a poor plant choice for the location as the plants did not have enough space to spread out and wave their wands. I used plants with a more vertical growth habit this year.

Gaura are excellent plants for use in large containers where there is space for them to show their stuff. They look wonderful on our town’s medians and boulevards combined with colourful petunias. Like their companion plants, gaura blooms continuously all summer long. In the home garden some of the older stems might be cut off to encourage new stems to develop to promote more flowers to develop, but generally deadheading is not necessary.

Besides a deep, airy soil, gaura is quite undemanding. It does require full sun however, and the amount of bloom will be sparse if the plants are grown in much shade. The plants must be given adequate space in a mixed container but when planted in the center of such a container, gaura seems to be able to compete for space as it sends its wiry stems skyward. Gaura can also be used as an accent plant in a border where its fluttering flowers will attract butterflies to the garden. Three plants grouped together will put on a wonderful focal point of dancing flowers.

Gaura, because of its long tap root, is not generally propagated by division; it is grown from seed. In our area it is used as an annual so propagation is not an issue although some gardeners may grow it from seed. Lindenberg’s offers a variety called “The Bride” in their catalogue which has pink buds that open into white flowers. The seeds should be planted in mid-March to produce good sized transplants for the summer garden.

One interesting use for gaura in the garden is to plant it among iris. When the blooms of these spring flowers fade the gaura will fill in by producing waving wands of colour above the iris foliage; the finely textured gaura and the spiky foliage of the iris will create an interesting contrast.

Gaura is not bothered by disease or insect pests, which makes it easy to look after. It is truly a low maintenance plant that will add a wonderful airy touch to any garden. It will live up to one of its common names, “Whirling Butterflies”. Gaura is a delightful plant take note of it this summer and plan to use it in your garden next summer.

OUT & ABOUT

On Thursday, Sept. 6th, the Minnedosa Hort. Society is holding its Fall Produce Sale & Tea. I’ve been busy drying flowers to make dried floral arrangements and creating Thanksgiving baskets of gourds. The sale is 2:00-5:00 in the United Church Hall on Main Street. Perhaps you will come have a look and enjoy a cup of coffee.

Albert Parsons lives, writes, and gardens in Minnedosa.

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