Category: Butterfly attracting

  • Hide it with Hibbertia scandens

    Hide it with Hibbertia scandens

    Hibbertia scandens or Guinea Flower is one of the most hardy and useful native plants I know of. It can be used as a ground cover, a low shrub, climber or it can even be pruned and shaped into lovely topiary shapes. In the images of this post I used it as a screening species…

  • 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…

  • Happy Wattle Day: The Ever useful Acacia fimbriata

    Happy Wattle Day: The Ever useful Acacia fimbriata

    The 1st of September is not only the first day of Spring, but it is also National Wattle Day! So if you have any flowering in your garden, cut off a sprig for a jar or pin it to your chest with pride. It has been a very mild Winter so welcoming Spring doesn’t feel…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Light it up: Grevillea lanigera ‘Mellow Yellow’

    Light it up: Grevillea lanigera ‘Mellow Yellow’

    I have mass planted Grevillea ‘Mellow Yellow in a semi shaded position in my garden and have been surprised at its tenacity and ability to cover its self in blooms for an extended period of time. The small striking spider like flowers appeared in Summer and are showing no sign of slowing down as we…

  • 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…

  • Walks for winter-spring flowering plants on Dharawal Country

    Walks for winter-spring flowering plants on Dharawal Country

    In our temperate climate the winter wildflower season is magnificent making it one of the best times for walking in and around the escarpment – or at least when it’s not too muddy! – and many of the winter flowerers continue to bloom through spring. Fingers crossed La Niña doesn’t hit too us too hard…

  • Native flowers in the deepest dark of Winter

    Native flowers in the deepest dark of Winter

    It has been a long cold, wet Winter here on the southern NSW coast, off and don’t forget windy! In fact my garden experienced a mini tornado a month ago, a micro weather event which sent someones garden shed and contents flying into my garden and uprooted apparently wind break natives. So a couple of…

  • 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…

  • Summer Scents: Hymenosporum flavum

    Summer Scents: Hymenosporum flavum

    The scent of a frangipani marks Summer for many people, when I used to live in Sydney the frangipanis and jasmine filled the inner city streets in Summer giving off a potent scent in the warm weather. What many people don’t know is that there is a native equivalent, yes a native Frangipani! The native…

  • Habitat Gardening

    Habitat Gardening

    My eye is repeatedly drawn to this delightful photo of a father Tawny Frogmouth and his hatchling. Tawny Frogmouth fathers look after their baby birds until they fledge and require wide branches or large forks in old trees to nest. The photo was taken by Darren Broughton from BIBY TV, a Youtube channel with many…

  • Portfolio: St Ives Landscape Design

    Portfolio: St Ives Landscape Design

    This garden in the leafy north shore suburb of St Ives was designed last year and built only 7 months ago, by Ash from ‘Living on the Hedge’. Part of the brief for this garden was to have plenty of year round flowers for bees and birds and given these photos have been taken in…

  • The little purple pea that could: Indigofera australis

    The little purple pea that could: Indigofera australis

    This is a common medium sized shrub that really can do anything…..it can fill a dark boring corner, it can flower profusely, it can provide lots pf nectar rich flowers for bees and butterflies, it can grow extremely quickly and it can look amazing! Indigofera australis or Native Indigo is a common 2 metre shrub…

  • Happy Eucalypt Day! Eucalyptus pulverulenta ‘Baby Blue’

    Happy Eucalypt Day! Eucalyptus pulverulenta ‘Baby Blue’

    National Eucalypt Day is an initiative of Eucalypt Australia that aims to raise awareness of Eucalypts and celebrate the important place that they hold in the hearts and lives of Australians.  I have taken some photos of one of my favourite Mallee Eucalypts, flowering in my garden for the first time this month, luckily coninciding…

  • The very versatile Lomatia myricoides

    The very versatile Lomatia myricoides

    I have been wanting to tell you all about the River Lomatia for some time but have been waiting to find some fully grown shrubs to photograph and I finally found them on my recent Summer trip to  Mount Kosciuszko. And here it is! Lomatia myricoides is a large shrub which grows naturally on a…

  • As delicate as a rose: Archirhodomyrtus beckleri

    As delicate as a rose: Archirhodomyrtus beckleri

    This small feature tree really would fit in nicely in a garden full of roses, lavender and other English cottage style plants. The tiny flowers remind me of the blooms on climbing rose bushes and this pretty rainforest tree has the sweetest common name of ‘Rose Myrtle’. Archirhodomyrtus beckleri flowers profusely with plenty of pale pink…

  • Something a little different: Stenanthemum scortechinii

    Something a little different: Stenanthemum scortechinii

    This little low growing native shrub has many common names Cotton Bush, Snow Balls, Corroboree, salt and pepper to name a few …. it is also known as Stenanthemum scortechinii or Cryptandra scortechinii or even Spyridium whatever the name it is a native plant which has a lot to offer. Stenanthemum scortechinii covers itself in…

  • Try something exotic! Tecomanthe hillii

    Try something exotic! Tecomanthe hillii

    How non native does this spectacular flower look?! It is the flower of the Fraser Island Vine or Tecomanthe hillii a gentle climber which is endemic to North Eastern Queensland. Tecomanthe hillii enjoys fun sun to part shade in a warm sheltered position. The specimen in these photos is growing on a post underneath a…

  • The Partying Pea: Chorizema cordatum

    The Partying Pea: Chorizema cordatum

    This outrageous little pea flower is growing in my daughters primary school, it thinks it is unassuming and doing its own thing, little does it realise what a show off it is! Chorizema cordatum is a wonderful South West Australian species which grows in moist gravelly well drained soil. It will grow in full sun…

  • Dainty and Delightful Fringe Myrtle: Micromyrtus ciliata

    Dainty and Delightful Fringe Myrtle: Micromyrtus ciliata

    This sweet little native shrub is in full bloom at the moment, it started in late Winter and can continue until Summer in some cases. Micromyrtus ciliata is one of those species which gets so covered in flowers that you can barely see the leaves! The shrub only reaches half a metre high by upto…

  • An oldie but a goodie: Thryptomene saxicola ‘FC Payne’

    An oldie but a goodie: Thryptomene saxicola ‘FC Payne’

    This is a classic 70’s native garden plant, a WA species which doesn’t need to be grafted to grow elsewhere in Australia and for good reason it has stood the test of time. Thryptomene saxicola ‘FC Payne’ is hardy and tough, growing and flowering through shade, frost, drought and a harsh prune. It enjoys a…

  • Pink and Grey: Guichenotia ledifolia

    Pink and Grey: Guichenotia ledifolia

    As a colour combination pink and grey is one of my favourites, especially on a plant, grey leaves and a soft pink flower win me over every time! Luckily for me it is a fairly common combination in native Australian plants, look at this Guichenotia ledifolia I photographed in Canberra Botanic Gardens last weekend. Guichenotia’s are…

  • A must have in your habitat garden: Bursaria spinosa

    A must have in your habitat garden: Bursaria spinosa

    All hail sweet Bursaria! this native plant is a superstar performer in a native habitat garden fulfilling so many critters requirements and needs. I have been collecting images of Bursaria spinosa for about 10 years now, always looking for a flattering angle and light, it is not a particularly showy plant if not in flower,…