Most spring-flowering bulbs are practically mug proof as the leaves and flowers are already formed and in the bulb. How well you succeed with bulbs depends on your climate and the types of bulbs you select. Daffodils – There are many colours, shapes and forms...
Many gardeners love searching for those plants which soldier on no matter what. Agapanthus and hydrangea fit into this no-fuss category as does the lesser known Serbian bellflower (Campanula poscharskyana), a ground cover plant. Details Botanical name: Campanula...
An interesting new plant is the dwarf Alstroemeria ‘Peruvian Princess’ which has ruby red flowers with yellow throats. Plant details Common name: Dwarf Alstroemeria Botanic name: Alstroemeria ‘Peruvian Princess’ Description: A compact, dense...
In spring, many gardens are filled with azaleas in colours such as pink, white, mauve or red. However, a wider range of colours can be found in some cool climate gardens. Peter Valder explores several different colours. Colourful Azaleas The ‘Mollis’...
Burke’s Backyard receives letters about confusing flowering plants that have two different coloured flowers on the one bush. For example an azalea may have magenta purple flowers with one branch of whitish flowers with a magenta purple edge. The different...
Plants growing on the coast or in windblown sites may adapt to the harsh conditions by becoming low growing. A low growing plant which is increasing its share of the market is Banksia spinulosa ‘Coastal Cushion’. This Australian native is a coastal form of...
An interesting rare perfumed plant is Herald’s Trumpet (Beaumontia grandiflora) which has wonderful large white flowers with a sweet tropical perfume. It is a vigorous woody climber which is native to the region from India to Vietnam and belongs to the same...
Spanish Shawl Something that covers the ground and gives you a bit of colour and stops the weeds is welcome in any garden. Spanish shawl (Heterocentron elegans) is a colourful ground cover native to Central America, that will brighten up a sunny spot in the garden....
Succulents In Australia cacti and succulents are often grown as novelty plants for kids, and although they can be a bit garish and over the top they’ve given many children enormous joy for years. However, there is much more to cacti and succulents than meets the...
The use of purple foliage in the garden is one of the more difficult things to get right. But it can be a breath of fresh air from the straight green gardens and the key to using purple is to plant more of it. If you only plant one Berberis or Purple Japanese maple in...