Many people who like growing plants have at least some growing in pots. Very few of these, though, grow water lilies. Perhaps we just don’t think of water lilies as being good pot plants, and think that we have to have a dam or a lake or at least a pond to grow them. But...Read More

In dry times, it’s really important to be conscious of how we use water. This should be something we think about all the time, but of course it becomes an even more serious when rain is scarce and water supplies are running low. Frankly, I think a lot of us use too much water, in...Read More

It’s time to pull out pansies and violas and other winter flowering annuals and replace them with something that will put on a show through summer. One of my favourite warm season annuals is Vinca. This tough little thing looks very much like a New Guinea Impatiens, with smallish, glossy green oval-shaped leaves and masses...Read More

Blue flowers always add a sense of calm and coolness to a garden. While red, yellow and orange accentuate the heat, blues and purples seem to moderate it, especially when complemented with some white. One way to get purple, lavender and white tones in the garden is to plant Brunfelsia latifolia. This clever shrub gives...Read More

Late spring is hydrangea time. With their lovely neat mounds of lush green leaves, topped by clusters of little buds that grow plumper by the day, they are a highlight in semi-shaded situations from now through to the end of summer. In full bloom, the large, striking flower heads in shades of blue, purple, pink,...Read More

Daisy-like flowers always look so cheery; it’s almost impossible not to feel just a little bit happier every time you look at one. The daisy family (Asteraceae) is huge – there are almost 24,000 different species. It includes many garden favourites such as ageratums, asters, chrysanthemums, cosmos, dahlias, marigolds, sunflowers, zinnias and gerberas. Gerberas occur...Read More

Salvias are wonderful garden plants. They belong to the mint family, and there are nearly 1000 species, including annuals and perennials and evergreen shrubs. They are drought tolerant, thrive in the heat, grow quickly, and flower profusely for months on end. They often have interesting foliage, which may be smooth and shiny or soft and...Read More

Petunias have long been a favourite of the flower grower. With a profusion of bright flowers in a startling range of colours, an ability to tolerate heat and poor soil, and a willingness to flower throughout the year in warm climates, these plants have well and truly proven themselves over the years. So it’s no...Read More

Australian wildflowers are grown commercially as cut flowers both here at home and in other countries including Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Israel and the USA. They are hugely important internationally, and the best-selling of them all is the Geraldton Wax (Chamelaucium spp.). Geraldton Wax (Chamelaucium spp.) – Photo Arnelia Nursery These beautiful shrubs come from Western Australia,...Read More

Lots of our native plants flower in winter. Grevilleas and Callistemons are probably the mostly well-known and widely grown native flowering shrubs, but there are plenty of others that are well worth growing. One of my favourites is the Australian rice flower, Ozothamnus dismofolius, which is native to Eastern Australia from north Queensland as far...Read More