Few plants equal hippeastrums when it comes to a cheerful, flamboyant display in the garden. They are big, bold and brassy, and they come in a dazzling range of colours. However, many gardeners make the mistake of planting just one hippie, or a few small clumps....
There are a number of Australian native orchids which flower in the later months of winter and early spring. In the bushland surrounding his home Don came across a Greenhood orchid (Pterostylis concinna) growing amongst some weeds. He successfully replanted it in a...
Japanese Iris These beautiful irises are not as popular in Australia as they deserve to be, probably because they have very particular cultural requirements. However, if you grow them in an acid soil and give them the right amount of water you’ll be rewarded...
Daphne This large genus of evergreen and deciduous shrubs was named after a nymph in Greek mythology called Daphne. After being chased by the sun god Apollo, Daphne prayed to her father, who was a river god, to save her. The river god changed her into a bay tree!...
This curious Mexican succulent makes an ideal hanging basket specimen for a hot, sunny balcony. It will thrive on neglect, even if you go on holidays or forget to water it for weeks at a time. Hanging baskets of Donkey’s Tails, each with a cover like a Chinese...
Dwarf Murraya Murrayas are evergreen shrubs from south-east Asia and Australia. They produce fragrant, creamy white flowers in abundance in spring then again in late summer or early autumn, and also after heavy rain. They have glossy green foliage and a dense,...
Dwarf Sacred Bamboo This plant is not a bamboo but a dwarf form of Nandina domestica, which grows naturally in Japan, China and south-east Asia through to eastern India. This little shrub is very tough and hardy – it almost seems to thrive on neglect! Plant...
Edgeworthia This unusual and interesting plant is closely related to the daphne, and has clusters of perfumed flowers which look similar except they’re yellow. Its tough bark is used in Japan for making Washi, a fine quality hand-made paper, and an insecticide...
Peter Valder is particularly fond of the williamsii camellias. These are hybrids between Camellia japonica and a wild camellia from Western China, Camellia saluenensis. They are named after John Charles Williams, who planted seeds of C. saluenensis in his Cornwall...
Don looks at one of his all time favourite camellias, ‘Yuletide’. In Australia this plant produces stunning red flowers from March to July, but in the northern hemisphere its flower display coincides with the Christmas season. Plant details Common name:...