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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…
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The oh so fun Leptospermum ‘outrageous’
Leptospermum ‘Outrageous’ puts on a show of brilliant pink-red flowers in Spring, and it absolutely covers itself as the weeks go on. This medium shrub has delicate weeping branches and it can be pruned into a low hedge or border plant. It is also showy enough to be a great feature shrub even when not…
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Spillover for the pollinators: Leptospermum ‘vertical drop’
Most of us know how wonderful Tea trees are for our pollinators and honey bees, and Leptospermum polygalifolium is up there with some of the most floriferous. This gorgeous low growing and cascading form is Leptospermum polygalifolium ssp. cismontanum ‘Vertical Drop’. This sub species naturally grows on the east coast of Australia in sandy and…
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The unique Viminaria juncea
There aren’t many plants which you could get this species confused with, especially when it is in full flower. Viminaria juncea is a stand out feature shrub or small tree which is quite common in our bushland but not so often seen in cultivation. Shrub to 5mts tall The yellow pea flowers located on long,…
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Bee Friendly Grevillea: Grevillea sericea
This is a local spider flower Grevillea which has huge ornamental potential and is a master at attracting native pollinator and honey bees to your garden. It is quite a common species on the east coast of NSW and can be found growing naturally from Toronto in the north to Heathcote in the South of…
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Tough as nails: Actinotus helianthi
I’ve learnt my lesson, plant them and leave them alone! I planted 5 potted Actinotus helianthi last year in my garden, 1 remains, the others were over loved and over watered I think, or there may have been some trampling going on courtesy of kids playing on the swing. Actinotus helianthi are wildflowers, it can…
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Pimelea nivea: A shrub of contrasts
Pimeleas are wonderful species, they grow quickly and flower often, for long periods of time. However this particular Pimelea is my favourite of all time, forever. This is Pimelea nivea and hails from my home state of Tasmania, I have seen it growing on rocky headlands and gravely Eucalyptus under storey and it is a very…
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Happy Wattle Day: Acacia aphylla
Happy National Wattle Day and the official first day of Spring, although the weather where I live has been behaving more like Summer, which is extremely concerning. Nevertheless I am always happy to celebrate our Acacia species and this one I have been so patiently waiting for it to flower, and finally starting in Autumn…
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Calothamnus quadrifidus grey: texture and toughness
I thought I had already dedicated a blog post to this steadfast native shrub but have just realised it has featured a few times but hasn’t been praised individually yet. Very strange as this is a staple in many of my screening plantings or used as a feature shrub, especially as it will quite happily…
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The multifaceted Eremophila oppositifolia
Eremophila oppositifolia is very deceiving , it appears delicate and a little fussy but in actual fact it is one of the hardiest native shrubs around. Most Eremophila or Emu bush grow naturally in Western and Southern Australia and although they come from area with a Mediterranean climate many of them are quite adaptable in…
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The little known Banksia ericifolia ‘Little Eric’
Banksias all over Australia are hitting their flowering stride this season, from Autumn until Spring is when most Banksia species will be covered in nectar rich flower spikes. Most people are familiar with the Dwarf Banksia spinulosa cultivars like ‘Birthday Candles’ and ‘Coastal Cushions’. This post is a little shout out to a lesser know…
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The Invaluable Grevillea ‘Dorothy gordon’
I struggle a little with some of the Large flowering Grevilleas, they tend to attract the more aggressive nectar feeding birds like Rainbow Lorikeets and Noisy Miners. These birds then tend to dominate the garden scaring away the smaller more timid birds. However I do make an exception for a hand full of large flowering…
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Soft and Foamy Grevillea’Seaspray’
Generally I am drawn to plants which are tactile and gentle, whether that be a weeping habit, furry leaf or light breezy foliage. By nature many of our Australian native plants have a grey or silver leaf, which helps them withstand extreme heat or salty sea air, this type of leaf I love as it…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Kangaroo Paw Care – Get the Pruners Out!
The Kangaroo Paws in this Bundeena garden are a rainbow of colour, they were planted three years ago in a swathe to test Angus Stewarts ‘Anigozanthos ‘Landscape series’ range. They have a striking effect mass planted and it was a delight to go back and visit them in full bloom a couple of weeks ago.…
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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…
Category: Feature shrub