A wonderful Australian native is the native iris which has beautiful, tiny flowers and soft foliage that would be suitable in a cottage garden. Plant details Common name: Native Iris, Purple Flag Botanic name: Patersonia occidentalis Climate: Will grow in all areas of...
Autumn colour is a wonderful sight, yet many associate this season’s colour with changes in tree foliage. Flowering plants do make an impact with autumn colour and Peter Valder recently looked at some autumn flowering bulbs which were named after Nereis, a sea...
Queensland grower Richard Tomkin has produced a spectacular new range of hybrid grevilleas. Although not available to the public for another two years, they promise to be the best grevillea varieties of the future. Grevillea ‘Billy Bonkers’, named after...
An ornamental grape is a great climber to go over a pergola or fence. It is the same species as the wine making grape but the ornamental variety aborts its fruit so that it doesn’t make a mess. Details Common name: Ornamental grape. Botanic name: Vitis vinifera....
Pansies are annuals which are generally planted in autumn for flowers through winter and spring. In cooler climates pansies can also be planted in late winter and spring for flowering into summer. Today we take pansies and violas for granted in our gardens but the...
Peonies with their large blowsy, rose-like, fragrant flowers are among the most romantic plants in the world. There are two forms, tree and herbaceous species. Peter Valder, who has a special interest in Chinese plants, recently looked at herbaceous peonies. At around...
The sweet scented jonquil is the most indestructible and easy to grow of all garden bulbs, often surviving in abandoned gardens. In China the jonquil is a New Year good luck symbol. The Chinese grow them in a dish filled with water and create extraordinary figures,...
Kangaroo paws are among the most striking of all Australian native plants. They are native to Western Australia and can be difficult to grow in more humid east coast gardens. There is a range of hybrids, known as Bush Gems that is suited to domestic gardens and...
Lambley Nursery at Ascot in Victoria is run by plantsman David Glenn. The nursery has a wide variety of perennials that have been selected for their suitability to Australian garden conditions. Many are not as yet well known in gardens including the cranesbills or...