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The almost native pig face: xDisphyllum ‘Sunburn’
Meet a new addition to the Australian native succulent family, well maybe more a half sibling or cousin, as technically this lovely green pig face is half south African 😳 shock horror! However there are so few Australian succulents I am calling this a native! xDisphyllum ‘Sunburn’ is a cross between two plant genera, one…
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World Bee Day: Plant Three for the Bees!
Today is World Bee Day and the slogan of ‘Plant Three for the Bees’ is like a call to action! Anyone with an outdoor space can plant three bee friendly plants, even if they are in pots or containers. Calling all gardeners, please think of our important pollinators when selecting plants for your outdoor space.…
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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…
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Finger Limes loving the shade – Citrus australasica
My friend has the magic touch when it comes to growing all things edible and so of course her fingers limes are abundant in the Autumn 🤩. She has two varieties one is Citrus australasica ‘Rainforest Pearl’, a grafted form. Which in my humble opinion is the sweetest and juiciest of them all and the…
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Growing Natives Indoors
I love indoor plants, which are known to improve our sense of wellbeing, the quality of the air inside, and give us a connection to nature. Most of us aren’t aware of the array of Australian natives that could be used indoors and replace the bucketloads of exotics commonly marketed at nurseries. Inside, plants generally…
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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…
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Trialling Online Native Nurseries
Well, we are in an extended lockdown again and it of course has resulted in more online shopping than I would normally do🤪 For me this also includes buying plants online again so I have an extra online nursery to tell you about and add to this blog post list. These beautiful Poa ‘Suggan Buggan’…
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Landscaping with Dwarf Kangaroo Paws: Anigozanthos ‘Bush Pearl’
I couldn’t help myself when I was in Canberra last month at the Botanic Gardens, before I even considered what I was doing I was snapping away at these Anigozanthos ‘Bush Pearl’. They just looked so stunning in the foggy morning light, dry out from the Winter frost but punchy as ever. Generally I am…
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Portfolio: West Wollongong Revisit
The images in this blog post were taken of a local garden I designed a few years ago which has been filling out beautifully. The requested privacy is beginning to really take shape, the front garden has been reclaimed as a relaxing outdoor space which can be utilised more often by critters and humans alike.…
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Low and Large: Grevillea ‘Cooroora Cascade’
This Grevillea ground cover always looks optimistic to me, with its large sunny gold flowers and luscious green fine leaves, it scrambles around the garden filling gaps with its happy go lucky stems. Grevillea ‘Cooroora Cascade’ is a prostrate form of ‘Golden Lyre’ with the same large flower spikes yet scrambles along the ground forming a…
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Are native plants really drought tolerant? Casuarina ‘Cousin It’
When someone tells you they want a drought tolerant garden, what comes to mind? or you may be told a certain plant is ‘water wise’ what does this really mean? As the current drought wears on and wears thin and watering your garden becomes something you can only do under strict regulations many people are looking…
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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…
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Expert Grass Tree advice!
My favourite supplier for Grass Trees is located on the Northern NSW coast they are called Bruinsma Grass Trees and stock lovely healthy specimens, however that is not all they do… They also follow up and offer excellent advice through their newsletter and love talking about growing this iconic sometimes mystifying Australian native. Below I…
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Remember daisies make you happy! Xerochrysum ‘Dargan Hill Monarch’
I need a little cheering up today, and although I have hundreds of interesting plant and landscape design photos from my recent Victorian trip I just need to share some sunny happiness in the form of yellow native daisies, bear with me … The paper daisy in the above photos is Xerochrysum ‘Dargan Hill Monarch’…
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Go Drumsticks! Go! Isopogon anemonifolius ‘Little Drumsticks’
Look at this shrub, can it fit anymore flowers on its tightly bunched stems? I think not… it is totally jam packed with intricate lemon yellow Drumstick flowers that last for a couple of months. This is a compact selected form of Isopogon anemonifolius, a dwarf shrub that will only reach half a metre tall and…
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The much anticipated Hakea ‘Burrendong Beauty’
This Hakea always gets me, it seems to bud up “forever” in late Summer and Autumn and then after much anticipation and waiting it does this! Each branch bursts open with hundreds of pink ball like flowers. Hakea myrtoides x petiolaris ‘Burrendong Beauty’ has stunning dense masses of red flowers with pink stamens that cover…
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One for that difficult damp spot: Bauera rubioides
This is Dog Rose one of the few native plants with a likeable common name 😉 Bauera rubioides grows happily in those moist positions in sun or shade where other native plants rot or succumb to fungal diseases. It makes a wonderful low hedge or border plant if pruned, other wise it likes to scramble all…
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Purple Shades: Anigozanthos ‘Landscape Violet’
The subtle purple shades in Anigozanthos ‘Landscape Violet’ are quite striking when on mass, the flowers on purple stems open to reveal bright orange and yellows on the inside adding even more contrast. Anigozanthos ‘Landscape Violet’ is part of Angus Stewart’s tall and tough series of Kangaroo paws, he has bred up some great colours in…
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Silky Emu Bush: Eremophila nivea Grafted
This has to be one of the most tactile of native plants, rivalled closely by Adenanthos sericeus, with its silver white foliage and hundreds of purple flowers it is a coveted specimen for many gardeners. The bees love it too as you can see in the image above. Eremophila nivea is absolutely striking even when…
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What is it with Waratah’s?
There are a handful of Australian native plants that are truly iconic and Waratahs are very high up on this list, possibly in the top 3….whenever I see them in the bush it is easy to see why we are all so captivated by this bold bloom. The beautiful flower heads attract nectar-feeding birds like…
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The spot flowering habits of Hymenosporum ‘Luscious’
It’s no secret that this is one of my all time favourite small shrubs, I love it for it ability to grow in dry shade and still look green and succulent, I love it for its wonderful shape, sometimes lumpy sometimes perfectly mounded and I love the fact that it flowers when and if it…
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Sun loving Moss? Scleranthus biflorus
The common name for this species is ‘Canberra Grass’ even though it has a very un-grass-like appearance, it is commonly mistaken for a moss and makes a wonderful moss substitute in Japanese style gardens. It is happiest in a sunny position and contrasts well with broad-leaved plants. Scleranthus biflorus likes growing in areas with low humidity, it can…
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Keith’s Garden
This is my friend Keith’s native front garden in Bulli, I have wanted to take photos of this garden for a long time and on a recent visit finally remembered my camera. Phew! I had to snap quickly as the sun was setting and the mozzies were out. The garden is located on the escarpment…
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Natives for Pots and Containers 3
I think that this topic will be a continuing theme as I regularly see excellent examples of native species growing in pots or containers everywhere I go. There are many reasons for growing native plants in large pots, one of the main reasons is to increase drainage and therefore be able to successfully grow plants…
Category: Natives for containers