These beautiful plants have a botanical name that is difficult to pronounce: schlumbergera. They are named after Frédéric Schlumberger, a collector of cacti who lived in a château near Rouen in France in the mid-nineteenth century. Although they are cacti, they are...
Pink Trumpet Vine Surprisingly, the pink trumpet vine has been out of fashion in Australian gardens for a long time. As well as pink trumpet vine, this showy plant is also commonly known as Port St. John creeper, after its place of origin in South Africa. Its genus...
Sasanqua Camellia Are you tired of plants that tend to drop dead on you, even though you seem to spend half your life mollycoddling them? If so, Don suggests you consider planting sasanqua camellias (Camellia sasanqua). These wonderful plants are hardy, versatile, and...
Silver Nugget Leucophyta brownii ‘Silver Nugget’ or dwarf cushion bush is a small Australian native member of the daisy family. It has tiny hairs growing all over its leaves, giving the plant a silver appearance. The hairs reflect heat, reduce the rate of...
Spanish Moss This strange ‘air plant’ occurs naturally from Argentina to the southern United States, including the Louisiana bayous. It is not a moss at all, but a member of the pineapple family (Bromeliaceae), which is often found hanging on the branches...
Although not very well known in Australia, Spathoglottis plicata is the most common terrestrial (ground dwelling) orchid in Singapore, where it is often used for landscaping. There are two species of spathoglottis in Australia, and they belong to a group of over 40...
Spring flowers Many plants are starting to flower now that spring is in the air. Don looked at Grevillea ‘Little Miss Muffet’. It is a hybrid between G. sericea and G. speciosa, and has very pretty pink spider-like flower clusters. The native...
Standard Azaleas Azaleas are among the most popular flowering shrubs in the world, and are a feature of many spring gardens. There are thousands of varieties and most of them do well when grown in pots. However, when planted in the garden some azalea varieties are...
Standard Roses Roses are probably the world’s most popular plants, which is not surprising when you consider that they come in a fantastic range of colours, shapes and forms, and many have beautiful perfumes. The way roses are being used in gardens has changed...
For a long time succulents have been unfashionable and considered to be almost bad taste, but they are now back in a big way! They’re colourful, easy care and well suited to living in pots or troughs. When planted in some of the beautiful pots that are now...