Plant selection is very important if you want a low maintenance garden. Some plants are high maintenance nightmares. At the top of the list is lawn, which needs regular mowing, fertilising and edging (paving is a much better low maintenance choice). Azaleas need...
There are many new forms of Geraldton wax available, which are hardier than the species and vary in height, flower colour and flower size. Don looked at a beautiful new variety called ‘Dancing Queen’. Plant details Common name: ‘Dancing Queen’...
Agave If you want bold, architectural plants in your garden, Peter Valder thinks that it’s hard to go past agaves. This fascinating group of perennial succulents occurs naturally in southern USA and Mexico. There are over 300 species, and many have dramatic,...
English daisies are trouble free and easy to grow, which is why they have been garden favourites since the early 16th century. Long ago they were given the name ‘day’s eye’, because the flowers close at dusk and open again at dawn. ‘Day’s...
Don looked at Eremophila nivea, an emu bush with silvery stems and leaves, and purple tubular flowers in spring and summer. This attractive, upright shrub grows to around 2m (6′) tall and 1.5m (5′) wide. Although perfectly adapted to survive in the drier...
Many people have been disappointed by Australian native plants in the past, but there is enormous potential to create superb gardens with natives. Don met nurseryman and author, George Lullfitz, who used spectacular Western Australian natives to demonstrate that you...
Don looked at a new variety of hardenbergia called Bushy Blue. Plant details Common name: Bushy Blue Botanic name: Hardenbergia violacea ‘Bushy Blue’ Description: Developed from a selected seedling of the native climber Hardenbergia violacea, Bushy Blue is...
Heliotrope or cherry pie (Heliotrope arborescens) is an evergreen shrub from tropical Peru. It grows to around 1m (3′) tall and 1.5m (5′) wide. The foliage is dark green and crinkled, with golden (‘Aurea’) or purple leaved (‘Lord...
The Hibiscus Although widely known as Hawaiian hibiscus, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis was probably native to Southern China and south-east Asia, then spread to the Pacific Islands long before Europeans reached that part of the world. Today it is very popular as an...
Don looked at holly, a native of Europe, north Africa and western Asia. In the Northern Hemisphere holly is associated with Christmas time, because it produces bright red berries around December. In the Southern Hemisphere the berries are produced between May and...