Phormium Tricolor & Pittosporum
Phormium and Pittosporum
Middle Garden's earliest plantings included Pittosporums with variegated leaves surrounding a striped Phormium (flax) called Tricolor. Pittosporums are shrub-trees, easily pruned if their growth needs restricting.
In Middle Garden's case I let them grow naturally, next to the Tricolor flax. By a happy coincidence both variegations have a tinge of cherry red in them. What colour style! I've always loved variegated foliage.
As the years have passed, of course things have changed. Some of the Pittosporums have been limbed up, while others have been cut down. The Tricolor flax has just got bigger and bulkier. It's a weeping shape, and such a beautiful specimen.
I try hard to keep the garden residents under control. But every Autumn the Golden Hop (which is supposed to grow discretely over a large tree stump) goes on the rampage. It flops all over the Phormium and scales the Pittosporums to reach the sky.
Phormium Tricolor
And do I do anything about it? Nope! I might write lots, but there's no gardening action...