Category: Hedge

  • the always blooming Grevillea × semperflorens

    the always blooming Grevillea × semperflorens

    This is a little known Grevillea Hybrid which has been around for a long time, I have never really understood why this Grevillea isn’t more widely used. It is highly ornamental and spends much of the year in flower. In fact semperflorens actually means always blooming. It is a hrybrid between G. thelemanniana and a yellow-flowered…

  • for lovers of purple:Melaleuca nesophila

    for lovers of purple:Melaleuca nesophila

    I must admit purple is not one of my favourite colours and when clients specify purple flowers I often come up a blank and can only think of Hardenbergia, which is completely ridiculous as there are Brachyscome, Scaevola, Patersonia and soooo many Melaleucas have purple flowers, silly me. This one is one of my favourites…

  • Two top Thomasias: Thomasia macrocarpa and Thomasia solanacea

    Two top Thomasias: Thomasia macrocarpa and Thomasia solanacea

    Thomasia is a native shrub species which can be found largely in the south of Western Australia, like many of the species located in that area of Australia it is quite adaptable. For some reason all of this genus is endowed with showy, textured foliage like few other native species, making them a wonderful edition…

  • Leptospermum ‘Cardwell’: the most floriferous of them all

    Leptospermum ‘Cardwell’: the most floriferous of them all

    Leptospermum ‘Cardwell’ becomes fully veiled in white flowers from late winter through to spring and early summer, it appears to be covered in white fluffy snow and is quite the show stopper. The weeping habit is a favourite of mine and it will happily grow in tropical, subtropical, and in cooler temperate climates. An elegant…

  • The glossy leafed Eupomatia laurina

    The glossy leafed Eupomatia laurina

    This ancient flowering plant has a fossil record of 120 million years, it’s primitive flowers are a legacy from Gondwana. Isn’t that mind blowing!? The perfumed, glossy screen tree with edible fruits is the perfect addition to a bush food garden. My Mum has a Eupomatia laurina in her garden that is flowering at the…

  • 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…

  • Phenomenal Phebaliums: the delicate blooms of Phebalium nottii and squamulosum

    Phenomenal Phebaliums: the delicate blooms of Phebalium nottii and squamulosum

    I am a long time fan of the Phebalium genus, these small to large shrubs which belong in the Rutaceae family can be found growing over much of the south and east coast of Australia. However Phebalium squamulosum is an extremely variable species which means it contains a number of forms and subspecies. So I must…

  • The Mediterranean flavour of Grevillea olivacea

    The Mediterranean flavour of Grevillea olivacea

    Grevillea olivacea is considered a fast growing native shrub for dry conditions, with its dense habit it is the perfect screening plant to block out any building, street or fence. I use it for its grey foliage and small spider flowers, because spider flowering Grevilleas are my favourites! I also like to incorporate it into…

  • Pittosporum revolutum and its eye catching fruit

    Pittosporum revolutum and its eye catching fruit

    This is Pittosporum revolutum, a medium shrub with jasmine-scented blossoms which flowers profusley in Spring and then is covered in decorative fruit in Autumn. When flowering the scent permeates the whole garden and is often commented on by visitors. In the bush it grows as an understory plant and often gets quite leggy, but pruning…

  • 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…

  • Lucious, Shade-loving: Trochocarpa laurina

    Lucious, Shade-loving: Trochocarpa laurina

    Note: The photos on this post were originally misidentified as Decaspermum humile. Thanks to @nightjarnatives who corrected the id on instagram! Trochocarpa laurina or ‘Tree Heath’ is a large shrub to small tree which loves the shade. I have recently spotted it growing under large Eucalyptus in full shade, it also enjoys dappled light. It…

  • Who can resist ? Melaleuca ‘Candy Sparkles’

    Who can resist ? Melaleuca ‘Candy Sparkles’

    Some plants are blessed with fantastic common or cultivar names, this is one such species which I would almost buy for the label alone. ‘Candy Sparkles’ promised to be vibrant, attractive and showy without me even seeing it in the ground! I have been snapping up this cultivar whenever I see it and popping it…

  • Try hedging with something a bit different: Lomatia myricoides

    Try hedging with something a bit different: Lomatia myricoides

    I have already written about this large native shrub Lomatia myricoides or River or Long-leaf Lomatia, please see the link below. This post is not so much about this Lomatia as a specimen plant but about its potential as a fabulous tall screening shrub. I have found Lomatia myricoides to be extremely versatile in the…

  • The constantly evolving beauty of Ozothamnus diosmifolius

    The constantly evolving beauty of Ozothamnus diosmifolius

    This small to medium native shrub is a hard one to capture both in an image and in words, I have been documenting these three specimens in my garden since they were planted a couple of years ago. It never seemed the right time to photograph them as the flowers are always changing colour and…

  • Emu Bush Challenge No. 10: Eremophila ‘Meringur Crimson’

    Emu Bush Challenge No. 10: Eremophila ‘Meringur Crimson’

    And so it continues … documenting my Eremophila discoveries, I will get to 12 one day! As we approach the end of another La Niña Summer, where heavy downpours are common and the humidity is high, it is a great chance to reflect on hardy, flexible native plants. Amongst the surprises are many species of Eremophilas…

  • Merry NSW Christmas Bush: Ceratopetalum gummiferum

    Merry NSW Christmas Bush: Ceratopetalum gummiferum

    I am a bit of a Grinch when it comes to Christmas and often one of the things which pulls me our of my un-festive slump is our Ceratopetalum gummiferum or native Christmas Bush. This year I was a little late, as many have finished thier show by the time Christmas actually arrives. However, I…

  • Chorilaena quercifolia: Another WA toughie

    Chorilaena quercifolia: Another WA toughie

    I can’t help myself, I seem always to be drawn to the unique foliage and flowers of the native plants which grow naturally in Western Australia. Which then leads me to buy many grafted native plants or grow them in pots or try the ‘see how she goes’ test in my garden. This is Chorilaena…

  • Try not to dismiss Callistemon ‘White Anzac’

    Try not to dismiss Callistemon ‘White Anzac’

    I have often included this hardy little shrub as one of my least favourite native plants, it can be spotted unkempt in the gardens of petrol stations or nature strips, languishing leggy and forgotten. But if given a little attention it can become a stunning floriferous show stopper! Callistemon ‘White Anzac’ is a low mounding…

  • The purple punch of Prostanthera ovalifolia

    The purple punch of Prostanthera ovalifolia

    There is something about this particular shade of purple that is both eye catching and calming at the same time, it’s a lovely vibrant lilac which covers the entire shrub and lights up a shady corner. This native Mint Bush also does well in full sun as well as part shade, making it quite a…

  • Most Memorable Planting Combinations at the National Arboretum

    Most Memorable Planting Combinations at the National Arboretum

    Every time I visit our nations lovely Capital I seem to find myself at the National Arboretum, by default I manage to eke out at least half an hour to check in on some of my favourite plantings. I have posted previously about two of these species but when I was looking over my photos…

  • What to Plant for Poorly Drained Soils

    What to Plant for Poorly Drained Soils

    Wet Weather Gardening After yet more rain on the east coast many plants in many gardens are suffering water-logging. Even in reasonably well drained soils the inundation has been too much for some plants. Physically, the force of rain, streams and puddles of water have caused their own damage and with the increased humidity comes…

  • Luscious, Dense and Green: Xanthostemon chrysanthus

    Luscious, Dense and Green: Xanthostemon chrysanthus

    This showy small to medium tropical tree was flowering its head off on my recent trip to Brisbane and northern NSW. It was such a welcome sight after the damp, soggy Summer we have had, finally a species revelling in all the rain! Xanthostemon chrysanthus is also known as ‘Golden Penda’ and comes in a…

  • White or Pink? How do you like your Blueberry Ash?

    White or Pink? How do you like your Blueberry Ash?

    Elaeocarpus reticulatus is one of the Spring flowering native tree species which really knocks itself out during its flowering season. It consistently covers itself in the little white fairy skirt like flowers to the point that it gives the whole tree a light hue. There are two flower colours in the Blueberry Ash and as…

  • Powerful Pollinators: Leptospermums

    Powerful Pollinators: Leptospermums

    We are mid the Australian Annual Pollinator Week and I have been admiring our our native tea trees all Spring so I thought I would bring them to your attention this week as they are wonderful plants to grow for our native pollinators. “Australian Pollinator Week acknowledges our important and unique insect pollinators during our…