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The exploding Leptospermum ‘Starry Night’
I have been monitoring these Leptospermum obovatum ‘Starry Night’ shrubs (that I planted in a neighbours garden) closely, waiting, waiting for them to flower and BOOM! last week they exploded! I love reddish or burgundy foliage and there are several species of Leptospermum with a red tinge to the leaf however ‘Starry Night’ is…
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Two toned toughie: Eremophila racemosa ‘Peaches and Cream’
This hardy little shrub is aptly named for its two toned flowers, this Emu bush has yellow flower buds which once open change colour to white…get it peaches and cream … boom ching! Anyway cliche plant breeder names aside this is number seven in my memorable Eremophila line up. Eremophila racemosa ‘Peaches and Cream’ is…
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The most weeping of the weeping: Myoporum floribundum
I am obsessed with plants with a weeping habit or drooping foliage, some people find them sad and depressing looking but they are my favourite. There are many native plants with soft long leaves or gently falling branches, they can create dense screens, focal points or backdrops. Weeping foliage in a garden gives a relaxed informal…
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The many colours of Eucalyptus ficifolia grafted
I have been taking photos of grafted flowering gums for the last 10 years and have been meaning to make a colour comparison between some of my favourites. It can be very confusing deciphering the different pinks and reds, not to mention the size variance and habits, so here goes…. This is Eucalyptus ‘Summer Red’…
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Some like it hot! Buckinghamia celsissima
All this hot weather has certainly been of benefit to the Ivory Curl trees in and around Sydney, they are blooming themselves silly! This photos in this blog post are of a specimen in my mums garden in Wollongong, the scent is intoxicating and the bees are having a major harvest. Buckinghamia celsissima or Ivory…
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My obsession with Breynia ‘Ironstone’
Technically this is Breynia cernua ‘Ironstone Range’ and I absolutely adore it, these images are taken in a friends garden, he is a very talented “master” gardener and treats his Breynia ‘Ironstone’ mean….and it loves him for it 😉 I have written about Breynia ‘Ironstone’ before and have been patiently waiting to photograph a fine specimen like…
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My Favourite Paper Daisy: Bracteantha ‘Diamond Head’
Bracteantha ‘Diamond Head’ is a hardy ground cover paper daisy, it is a natural form of Bracteantha bracteata which was found at Diamond Head on the NSW coast just south of Port Macquarie. I love it for its compact mounding habit, it doesn’t get sparse and leggy like some of the taller Bracteatas and it flowers profusely…
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The happiest Daisy: Pycnosorus globosus
Billy Buttons is a native daisy with an immense power to make anyone smile, there is something about its large bright yellow ball flowers standing to attention in a showy clump that is irresistable. To top it off it has lovely furry silver grass like leaves and flowers from early spring into late Summer. Billy…
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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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Marvellous Banksia ‘Mini Marg’!
This is another form of Banksia marginata, a dwarf form that grows dense and low but still covers itself with bright yellow insect and bird attracting flowers in Summer through to Autumn. Banksia ‘Mini Marg’ is quite variable in height growing to between 1 and 3 metres, however it responds very well to pruning as…
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My Favourite Native Hibiscus
Many people are not aware of the range of native hibiscus species that grow here in Australia, they are often not seen in cultivation or mistaken for exotics. I have a few favourites that I like to incorporate in my gardens and at the moment these are my top three, however everything is subject to…
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It’s a great Summer for the Grafted Eucalyptus!
The Western Australian Eucalytpus ficifolia have been wonderful this summer, actually they started off dramatically in Spring and are still going strong despite the hot, hot, hot weather. This blog post features two of the grafted species in an attempt to capture their vibrant contrasting colours. The bright red is the flowers from Eucalyptus ‘Dwarf…
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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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Perfect Small Feature Tree: Angophora hispida
I have been waiting for two Angophora hispida that are local to my daily route to start budding up and flowering so I can photograph them. This morning I couldn’t wait any longer and took a few snaps. The reason I say budding up as well as flowering is because these trees have stunning red…
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Eucalyptus ‘Summer Beauty’ and ‘Summer Red’
I know some people think that the Grafted Eucalyptus ficifolia Flowering gums are getting a little bit common, and in some respects I tend to agree. However, it is with very good reason, as whenever I see one in flower it still takes my breath away, they are just so amazingly beautiful! And not only…
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My favourite geebung: Persoonia pinifolia
The geebungs are a wonderful family, have you met them yet? it is hard to pick one to be my favourite, Persoonia levis comes in at a close second for its amazing peeling bark with bright red layers, but pinifolia has that weeping habit and I am always a sucker for something that looks soft…
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The Versatile Spider Lily: Crinum pedunculatum
I have only just realised how very adaptable this plant is after seeing it growing on the beach in Murramarang National Park last week, I had no idea it would grow on sand in a front line coastal position and look so beautiful. In the image below you can see how symmetrical the clumps of the…
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I went walking in the mountains…
I went walking in the mountains and what did I see?…..loads of amazing flowering natives hooray! I have been waiting for months for the summer so I could go to Mt Kosciuszko National Park and check out the wildflowers there. I have only been once before and it was for a very brief ski holiday.…
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Portfolio: Garden Design Ashfield
This garden was in the making for only a few days, the plants went in on a very hot day last week but overall it felt very streamlined and easy to build and I have surprised even myself with the transformation! In the image below you can see what it looked like in November… The…
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Why are Kangaroo Paws so hard to photograph?
I have found photographing Kangaroo Paws to be extremely frustrating, which is a great shame as they are one of my favourite native plants. They are showy, have long lasting flowers, a weeping leaf habit mixed with the striking vertical flower stems making them an excellent feature plant. However when I go to photograph them…
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Extremely fast growing screen: Homalanthus populifolius
You have to love a species that can pop up by itself, grow a couple of metres in a year and will do so in full shade. Well I do anyway, although it may appear uninvited in your garden (it is easy to pull out) I have had the experience of it growing in just…
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Bright, Thick and Floriferous: Banksia marginata ‘Bright’
Check out the flowers on this baby, it was absolutely covered, I have never seen anything like it before and was suitably impressed. This is Banksia marginata ‘Bright’. A compact of the Silver Banksia, it grows as a dense shrub to 2 metres high and 2 metres wide – this one looks like it has…
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One of the Best Street Trees: Buckinghamia celsissima
This is Buckinghamia celsissima or the Ivory Curl tree, it is another small to medium tree that is in flower over the summer months, chances are you have seen it around, it is VERY hard to miss. I saw this one on a street in Mosman, I think it was planted by a resident as there…
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My Favourite Grafted Dwarf Eucalyptus ficifolia
It is summer and we have had a lot of rain so the Grafted Eucalyptus ficifolias are in full swing, everywhere I look they are putting on a wonderful show. I have been slowly trying to collect decent photos of all the different colours and was planning to wait until I had them all covered,…
Tag: summer flowering