In the Garden

Orchids are lovely flowers that are widely admired but most orchids require very special orchid mixes for successful growth. Bletillas are a genus of perennial orchids that grow in soil (terrestrials) and die down to ground level during winter. Plant details Common...

The sweet scented jonquil is the most indestructible and easy to grow of all garden bulbs, often surviving in abandoned gardens. In China the jonquil is a New Year good luck symbol. The Chinese grow them in a dish filled with water and create extraordinary figures,...

Kangaroo paws are among the most striking of all Australian native plants. They are native to Western Australia and can be difficult to grow in more humid east coast gardens. There is a range of hybrids, known as Bush Gems that is suited to domestic gardens and...

Lambley Nursery at Ascot in Victoria is run by plantsman David Glenn. The nursery has a wide variety of perennials that have been selected for their suitability to Australian garden conditions. Many are not as yet well known in gardens including the cranesbills or...

Lewisias are small, colourful flowering plants which are native to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Named after the US explorer Lieutenant Meriwether Lewis, these plants are wonderful for providing colour in rock crevices in a cool climate. Plant details Common name:...

Lomandra is a native plant that has been overlooked in the past but is great for foliage in the garden. It is a grass-like plant belonging to the Black Boy family (Xanthorrhoeacea). Its flowers are yellow and perfumed. Plant details Common name: Lomandra Botanic name:...

Grassy plants are popular these days but true grasses can be hard work to keep trimmed and looking good. Lomandra is an Australian native plant that is grass-like but is not a grass and belongs to the Black Boy family (Xanthorrhoeacea). Plant details Common name:...

Many gardeners enjoy collecting obscure and unusual plants and a new native which is not a common sight in nurseries is a grevillea – Grevillea decora. It is a particularly showy shrub or small tree with a mass display of flowers in early autumn. Don recently...

A new subtropical grevillea variety has just become available. It is a hybrid between Grevillea ‘Honey Gem’ and the species Grevillea formosa. It is called Grevillea ‘Golden Lyre’. Of its parents, ‘Honey Gem’ is one of the...