Search results for: “banksia”

  • The adaptable possibilities of: Banksia plagiocarpa

    The adaptable possibilities of: Banksia plagiocarpa

    This Banksia not only has beautiful flowers but also eye-catching bright red new growth that is covered in tiny hairs giving it a velvety texture, similar to the new growth on Banksia robur. Banksia plagiocarpa has great ornamental potential in the garden, as it can be grown a a large shrub or can be shaped…

  • But what’s the difference? Banksia spinulosa Dwarfs

    But what’s the difference? Banksia spinulosa Dwarfs

    There are so many different cultivars now of Banksia spinulosa that it is difficult to know which to choose… although they all look similar independently when you see them next to each other whilst they are flowering they really do have different attributes. First up is Banksia spinulosa ‘Coastal Cushions’ this produces shorter golden flowers…

  • Trialling Banksia ‘Sentinel’

    Trialling Banksia ‘Sentinel’

    This is a favourite coastal hedging plant of mine which I have been including in my planting designs for the past 7 years or so….sorry, I’m finding it difficult to keep track of time 😉 I say it is on trial or has been on trial for a while as it does have a couple…

  • It’s that time of year again! Banksia ‘Coastal Cushions’

    It’s that time of year again! Banksia ‘Coastal Cushions’

    It’s my favourite time of year again Autumn! Hooray! goodbye humidity, I will not miss you and neither will my favourite native plants. Autumn is also wonderful because the Banksias are budding up or out already and everywhere I go lately one particular dwarf Banksia is catching my eye, Banksia spinulosa ‘Coastal Cushions’. This post…

  • Another true blue Banksia ground cover: Banksia petiolaris

    Another true blue Banksia ground cover: Banksia petiolaris

    This is another great WA prostrate ground cover Banksia that grows and flowers directly on the ground like Banksia blechnifolia. They have a very similar habit, however their leaves and flowers are quite different. Banksia petiolaris has a lovely bluish hue to its leaf, in the image above you can see it growing amongst Themeda…

  • A true blue Banksia ground cover: Banksia blechnifolia

    A true blue Banksia ground cover: Banksia blechnifolia

    This is the real deal when it comes to a Banksia ground cover, it naturally grows along the ground it is not a cultivar or hybrid, it “wants” to grow like this! And I love it for that, happily creeping along with its soft red furry new stems and hilarious flowers that sit on the…

  • The silver cascading Banksia ‘Roller Coaster’

    The silver cascading Banksia ‘Roller Coaster’

    This is one of the most useful native plants around, a prostrate form of the coast Banksia, Banksia integrifolia. I like to use it for covering embankments like the one in these images at the Bulli Grevillea Park. It also layers upon itself giving it some height and density and therefore creating a useful mounding shape.…

  • Brilliant Banksia ‘Orange Glow’

    Brilliant Banksia ‘Orange Glow’

    I have written a lot about the dwarf varieties of Banksia spinulosa but virtually nothing about the dwarf forms of Banksia ericifolia, I must rectify this! They are also prolific flowerers and have a wonderful dense habit and are equally bird attracting. There are several varieties, however the one in these images is Banksia ericifolia ‘Orange…

  • Beginner Friendly: Banksia paludosa ‘Little Pal’

    Beginner Friendly: Banksia paludosa ‘Little Pal’

    There are many, many dwarf forms of Banksias around now, most of them are Banksia spinulosa, a few are ericifolia.  You can never have enough Banksias and if all these dwarf cultivars mean more Banksias are being planted in gardens then I’m all for it. Sometimes the Banksia spinulosa Dwarfs can be a little tricky…

  • Marvellous Banksia ‘Mini Marg’!

    Marvellous Banksia ‘Mini Marg’!

    This is another form of Banksia marginata, a dwarf form that grows dense and low but still covers itself with bright yellow insect and bird attracting flowers in Summer through to Autumn. Banksia ‘Mini Marg’ is quite variable in height growing to between 1 and 3 metres, however it responds very well to pruning as…

  • Bulli Grevillea Park: Banksia ‘Bush Candles’

    Bulli Grevillea Park: Banksia ‘Bush Candles’

    This is an amazing mass planting of Banksia spinulosa ‘Bush Candles’ at Bulli Grevillea Park which I re-visited last weekend. I remember when these were planted and how truly underwhelming this garden bed appeared, so it was so lovely to see them all beginning to fill out and flowering their heads off.   Like most…

  • Rarely seen in cultivation: Banksia oblongifolia

    Rarely seen in cultivation: Banksia oblongifolia

    I had to pull over again and stop and take photos as soon as this Banksia caught my eye in a quiet inner city suburb. It was planted in the prize position next to the front gate near the letter box on a corner block and was stealing the show of a lovely native front…

  • The many colours of Banksia robur

    The many colours of Banksia robur

    I saw this particular Banksia robur at Wireandra Nursery a couple of weeks ago, and could be heard to cry out ‘Wow those flowers have Aqua in them!’ once I go up closer I also noticed that at the end of each new flower there was also mauve! I have long been in love with…

  • My Favourite Banksia spinulosa Dwarfs

    My Favourite Banksia spinulosa Dwarfs

    There are many dwarf forms of Banksia spinulosa, so many it can be quite confusing and seem a little ridiculous when it comes to choosing one. There are slight variances in the foliage, the flower colour, the flower size and in the size and shape of the shrub itself. For most people these difference would…

  • Bright, Thick and Floriferous: Banksia marginata ‘Bright’

    Bright, Thick and Floriferous: Banksia marginata ‘Bright’

    Check out the flowers on this baby, it was absolutely covered, I have never seen anything like it before and was suitably impressed. This is Banksia marginata ‘Bright’. A compact of the Silver Banksia, it grows as a dense shrub to 2 metres high and 2 metres wide – this one looks like it has…

  • Ode to Banksia spinulosa

    Ode to Banksia spinulosa

    Banksia’s may possibly be my favourite Genus of Native plants and this particular species could well be top of that list. I was at a clients garden this afternoon and we were lovingly looking at his Banksia spinulosa and stroking the new growth and commenting on what a wonderful plant it is. There is something…

  • The double flowers of the Swamp Banksia: Banksia robur

    The double flowers of the Swamp Banksia: Banksia robur

    Whenever there is decent rain Banksia robur puts on a wonderful show of growing new leaves that emerge like the buds of red flowers, deep and furry. 

  • Dwarf Dwarf Dwarf Banksia: Banksia ‘Coastal Cushions’

    Dwarf Dwarf Dwarf Banksia: Banksia ‘Coastal Cushions’

    Dwarf, low growing, ground cover, shrub or little Banksias are showing up everywhere, and there isn’t a plant I’m more happy to see coming into ‘fashion’.

  • Banksia as small trees: Banksia marginata

    Banksia as small trees: Banksia marginata

    Every Australian Native garden should have at least one Banksia, even if it is a ground cover or low spreading shrub, they are a signature plant. Banksia marginata grows to be a beautiful small tree with a thick canopy and often very low lying branches, therefore they can make an excellent large screening plant. The…

  • Banksia ground cover

    Banksia ground cover

    This is Banksia blechnifolia, possibly one of the easiest WA banksia ground covers to grow on the east coast.

  • Pink Banksia

    Pink Banksia

    This is a beautiful specimen of Banksia occidentalis, that I saw growing in a private garden in south west Sydney.

  • Privacy with punch: Leptospermum lanigerum ‘Seclusion’

    Privacy with punch: Leptospermum lanigerum ‘Seclusion’

    Please meet Leptospermum ‘Seclusion’ which I am finding to be an outstanding native screening plant, originally I admit to buying it for its intriguing cultivar name ‘Seclusion’, who doesn’t want that in their garden right? It also has a classic favourite colour combination of mine which is grey leaves with pink flowers, and what a…

  • The elegant branches of Leptospermum brachyandrum ‘Silver’

    The elegant branches of Leptospermum brachyandrum ‘Silver’

    I have written about this favourite tea tree of mine before, however I think it deserves another post which is more dedicated to its elegant branches and decorative bark. I took these photos of Leptopsermum brachyandrum ‘Silver’ at Kuranga native nursery last year, where they have used the species extensively around their pond and throughout…

  • The Bronze Highlights of Gymnostoma australianum

    The Bronze Highlights of Gymnostoma australianum

    This almost Christmas like tree is part of the Casuarina family, at first glance can look like a conifer or pine tree, but fuller in habit. Its overall texture and colour is very similar to She Oaks when they are flowering, which is probably why this specimen caught me eye. The male and female flowers…