Month: September 2014

  • Grafted Grevillea of the moment: Grevillea petrophiloides ‘Wild Beauty’

    Grafted Grevillea of the moment: Grevillea petrophiloides ‘Wild Beauty’

    I am beginning to come around gradually to grafted Grevilleas, it has taken me about 5 years to slowly but surely start including them in my designs. I’m not really sure why I was so reluctant to begin with, maybe it was the local indigenous plant Nazi in me, maybe I just didn’t trust them….but…

  • Exotic looking native: Rhododendron lochiae

    Exotic looking native: Rhododendron lochiae

    There are several native plants that I like to use when either designing a planting that already has some exotic species established or when trying to convince people that not all native plants are straggly, open and dry looking. This is one of them Rhododendron lochiae, isn’t it beautiful? It has dark glossy green leaves and…

  • Tetratheca thymifolia at its best

    Tetratheca thymifolia at its best

    This is a happy little native shrub that exhausts itself come late winter-early spring by covering itself in delicate little purple or white flowers. The white form is not as hardy as the purple mind you, especially in periods of humid weather.   Tetratheca thymifolia is perfect for native cottage gardens and works well as…

  • Native Plants at the Sydney Garden Show 2014

    Native Plants at the Sydney Garden Show 2014

    After a rather long shift at a stall in the Sydney Garden Show yesterday I got to have a very quick scoot around and check out some of the display gardens. I hardly need to say that I was totally biased and basically only the ones containing native plants caught my eye. The main garden…

  • Shade Tolerant Grevillea: Grevillea oleoides

    Shade Tolerant Grevillea: Grevillea oleoides

    There aren’t that many Grevilleas that grow well in shade, let alone also flower in positions with limited sun. Grevillea oleoides is one of them, along with Grevillea sericea,  sherissii and rhyolitica then you have a small group of faithfully. I love the shape of oleo ides the best though, it is un-usual how the…