Don thinks that ‘Iceberg’ is possibly the best garden rose that has ever been bred. It produces clusters of white, fragrant blooms for most of the year, and its disease resistance is legendary. Although we call it ‘Iceberg’ in Australia, it has different names in...
Don looked at a stunningly happy and hardy plant called Portulaca
Each year blossom trees announce the arrival of spring and gaily declare that winter is over. To bring the song of spring into your garden, Don suggests a visit to your local nursery to find a blossom tree which appeals to you. Flowering plum is just one of many...
The kentia palm (Howea forsteriana ) is one of the most beautiful palms in the world, and is suitable for growing either indoors or outdoors. An Australian native palm, the kentia has been grown in Europe since the 1850s. During the 19th and early 20th century it was...
Michelia doltsopa is one of the best ever flowering trees. A new variety has made this tree even more suitable to the home garden as it is more compact and yet flowers more profusely. Details Common name: Silver Cloud Botanic name: Michelia doltsopa ‘Silver...
If you are thinking about having silkworms for your kids then you need access to a mulberry tree to have a ready supply of leaves to feed the silkworms. (See ‘Silkworms’). Details Common name: Mulberry tree, black mulberry Botanic name: Morus nigra. The...
Deciduous magnolias produce their spectacular winter and early spring blooms on naked branches. Although expensive plants to buy they are long-lived, slow growing trees which bring a stunning display to your garden each year. The exciting news about magnolias is that...
Privacy Cypress An important aspect of the backyard is maintaining privacy and one plant that provides good privacy quickly is the Bhutan cypress, (Cupressus torulosa). This plant, a large, dense conifer, will provide good screening to a height of about 7m (20′)...
Wattles, also called acacias, are wonderful native plants. More than 850 species of wattle grow in Australia, ranging from ground covers and charming shrubs to giant trees that provide fine timber and screening. With this number of species and many cultivars there is...
Rhododendrons Rhododendrons with their trusses of flowers and often leathery looking leaves, are a well known flowering plant of cool climate gardens. There are between 800 and 900 different wild kinds of rhododendrons, as well as thousands of hybrids. Rhododendrons...