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Many gardeners love searching for those plants which soldier on no matter what. Agapanthus and hydrangea fit into this no-fuss category as does the lesser known Serbian bellflower (Campanula poscharskyana), a ground cover plant. Details Botanical name: Campanula...
Canna lilies have been much grown in Australian gardens, particularly when they were all the rage for boggy areas in the garden.Most are tall growing with bold orange or red gladiolus-like flowers. Some have contrasting burgundy leaves. There is a new variety being...
Clivias are wonderful, almost unkillable plants, which brighten the garden during late winter and early spring with clusters of vibrant yellow throated, orange or salmon trumpet flowers.
Cobra Plant Peter Valder recently visited some gardens in Mount Wilson, NSW and found an unusual and quirky plant known as the Cobra Plant. So if you’re into weird and bizarre plants in the garden, the Cobra Plant is an easy one to grow. Plant details Common...
Dampieras are attractive Australian native plants. The best known are from Western Australia and can be difficult to grow in the eastern states. Don Burke recently looked at a hardy cultivar which is native to the Glasshouse Mountains of Queensland and will grow in...
Daphne ‘Star White’ One of the best things about winter in Australia is the fragrance of daphne in flower. Winter daphne (Daphne odora) originally came from China. As well as the green-leafed variety with pink and white flowers, there is also one with a...
These Australian natives were once considered to be very temperamental plants. Today they are much easier to grow as they have been grafted to the hardier understock, Darwinia citriodora. Plant details Botanical name: Darwinia lejostyla hybrid ‘Coolamon...
One of the best garden shrubs is the diosma. It grows as a round tidy plant with masses of pink flowers in late winter and spring. It will grow in all but the most tropical and humid parts of Australia. Plant details Common name: Diosma but also known as confetti bush...
Dwarf Oleander There are few plants which grow almost everywhere in Australia. The humble oleander (Nerium oleander), is such a plant and it is also one of the most useful of all garden plants. If pruned correctly the oleander can be a magnificent plant, its dense...
Cool Climate Palms and Ferns Palms and ferns are often associated with tropical climates but ‘Burke’s Backyard’ recently looked at some palms and ferns which can grow in colder areas. Palms for cool climates Dwarf sugar palm (Arenga engleri): A small...