Refreshing accents

Summer accent plants that grow near water

- Kinbon

For people looking for interesting accent plants to help fill their time and add seasonal colour during the summer and early autumn months, we will introduce various species of accent plants that can be used to create carefree kusamono plantings that will give a refreshing sense of cooling during the heat.

A perennial plant in the Campanulaceae family that grows in boggy marshland with full sun. It grows upright with stalkless foliage that looks needle-like. During the summer and autumn the tips of the stalks are covered with purple labiate flowers. There are some varieties with peach and white coloured flowers available on the worldwide market. It is a robust plant which prefers sunlight and good air flow. The most important aspect of maintenance is to ensure that the roots do not become too compact and that they do not dry out. It is a good idea to keep in a shallow tray of water during the summer months. Repotting should be done during the spring before the new shoots open and performed once every two years. They can be propagated by root division and by taking cuttings. Thin out clumps in May and June and plant the stems that have been removed.

Growing in wetlands and bogs, this is a species of Lythrum which is a perennial plant. Small crimson and purple flowers develop at the leaf axils. There are a number of different varieties of Lythrum available in the market place and they all tend to flower well.

They should be grown year round in full sun with good ventilation. In the summer place them in a water tray so that they do not dry out. Repot around the spring and autumn equinox once every year or two years as a rough guide. Propagate through root division.

Conandron ramondiodes