OPINION: The scent of Falling Stars
It’s said that placing Falling Stars’ dried flowers in warm water elicits the scent of saffron, allowing you to feel like you’re in the great halls of a Persian spice bazaar.
Like the smell of saffron? That grassy, hay-like odour is hard to come by when you consider how expensive this exotic spice is. However, the distinct aroma is still attainable if you plant the beautiful Crocosmia. The flowers are commonly known as Falling Stars – a pretty sight to imagine, when you think of their many little orange flowers dangling from their rather tall stems.
Eight species exist, and as an indigenous plant to South Africa, they’re mostly found in the eastern parts of the country. It is most abundant in forest margins, on stream banks and in wooded kloofs. Its large colonies are spread by the birds that eat its seeds and the bush pigs feeding on its 50mm-wide corms (a rounded underground storage organ present in some plants).
The corms of the Crocosmia aurea, the most popular of all Falling Stars, should be planted 5cm to 8cm below ground level, and spaced 20cm apart. The aura prefers dappled shade and should be planted in September for flowering between December and March. They’re not very demanding (and the only insect to be aware of is the red spider mite, which likes to attack the foliage), so a feed in summer with a mulch of old compost.
These corms can be left in the same position year after year, so plant them in a spot that you won’t need for anything else. If you do happen to lift the corms, do so in mid-winter, and transplant them immediately, as they do not like being kept outside of the soil.
Because of their long stems and abundance of blooms per stem, these plants make for great summer vase displays as cut flowers. The soft, sword-shaped leaves, which are 20mm to 30mm wide, are arranged in two ranks, and have a distinct mid-vein. Their architectural-type structure gives them the allure of ornamental grasses as they move with the wind.
Whether planted for its dry-flower scent or falling-star aesthetic qualities, Crocosmia has the ability to bring an entirely new dimension to your garden – one that will leave you with bright memories season after season.
Content supplied by Hadeco Bulbs.
www.hadeco.co.za
