-
The multifaceted Eremophila oppositifolia
I am returning to a challenge I set myself over a year ago to increase my knowledge of the many beautiful and useful Eremophila species, I am quite behind the time line I set myself, but better late than never! This stunning Emu bush is Eremophila oppositifolia, I have been on the look out for one…
-
Something different: Allocasuarina crassa and monilifera
Casuarinas and Allocasuarinas can be a funny bunch, I love them dearly: trees, cultivars and dwarf species alike. I use the groundcover form of Casuarina glauca often and Casuarina ‘Green Wave’ is one of my all time favourite shrubs. But there are so many more once you begin exploring especially in the southern states and…
-
Happy Wattle Day! Acacia ‘Little Nugget’: Foliage before flowers
It’s the first of August again and so Happy Wattle Day! along with all the historic connotations of this wonderful day I do truly rejoice in the wonderful genus that is the Acacia, and not only for its flower but the foliage of the Acacias are equally diverse and interesting. The wattle in these images…
-
I went walking in Bouddi National Park
I went walking last week along the stunning coastal track in Bouddi National Park, and was blown away by the winter flowers in the bush. The track winds along the sandstone cliffs, dipping into moist forest and creeks providing a varied glimpse of the different plant communities in the Bouddi National Park. This blog post is…
-
Portfolio: Garden Design Bulli
Yesterday I spent a sunny winter morning pruning and shaping in this coastal garden in Bulli, I love returning to one of my designs to do a little maintenance and tweaking, and this is one of my favourites đ This garden is roughly 4 years old you can see how it has filled out by…
-
Tasmanian Winter Correas
Ohhh my pretties! Correas are so, so sweet… sometimes I catch myself speaking to them using my special voice reserved for babies, dogs and small birds đ Correas were out everywhere in Tasmania when I was there last month, they are used on council verges, carparks and kids playgrounds and they look spectacular! The pink…
-
Another furry leaved beauty: Lasiopetalum baueri
This is commonly known as Slender Velvet Bush, which is a most apt description of this interesting under-storey shrub. Lasiopetalum baueri has rusty coloured , furry new growth and pretty delicate pink flowers in Winter. The dried flowers are long-lasting and have potential as a cut flower and the attractive foliage lasts for ages in…
-
Brilliant Banksia ‘Orange Glow’
I have written a lot about the dwarf varieties of Banksia spinulosa but virtually nothing about the dwarf forms of Banksia ericifolia, I must rectify this! They are also prolific flowerers and have a wonderful dense habit and are equally bird attracting. There are several varieties, however the one in these images is Banksia ericifolia ‘Orange…
-
Hot Tea-trees: Leptospermum ‘Pageant’ and ‘Outrageous’
I love tea trees but don’t often think of them as particularly showy when in flower, except for ‘Cardwell’ of course which almost flowers until on the verge of collapse đ Leptospermums for me are a super useful and beautiful screening plant, often with scented foliage and pretty bark. They can have leaves in colours…
-
The much anticipated Hakea ‘Burrendong Beauty’
This Hakea always gets me, it seems to bud up “forever” in late Summer and Autumn and then after much anticipation and waiting it does this! Each branch bursts open with hundreds of pink ball like flowers. Hakea myrtoides x petiolaris ‘Burrendong Beauty’ has stunning dense masses of red flowers with pink stamens that cover…
-
Rambling bank covering Grevillea banksii prostrate
There are many, many Grevillea ground covers, and most of them cover a large area and have either a toothbrush or spider flower. Not this one! this is Grevillea banksii prostrate and it not only has a large showy flower spike it also has the large leaves associated with the northern sub tropical Grevilleas and it…
-
The resurgence of the Bottlebrush: Callistemon pachyphyllus Green
I feel like there needs to be a a resurgence in the planting of Callistemon species in home gardens, they have been given a bad name through thoughtless street planting and gardeners overlooking their pruning needs. There are a handful of Callistemons that I think are worthy of pride of place in a native garden,…
-
Beginner Friendly: Banksia paludosa ‘Little Pal’
There are many, many dwarf forms of Banksias around now, most of them are Banksia spinulosa, a few are ericifolia. Â You can never have enough Banksias and if all these dwarf cultivars mean more Banksias are being planted in gardens then I’m all for it. Sometimes the Banksia spinulosa Dwarfs can be a little tricky…
-
My Favourite Paper Daisy: Bracteantha ‘Diamond Head’
Bracteantha ‘Diamond Head’ is a hardy ground cover paper daisy, it is a natural form of Bracteantha bracteata which was found at Diamond Head on the NSW coast just south of Port Macquarie. I love it for its compact mounding habit, it doesn’t get sparse and leggy like some of the taller Bracteatas and it flowers profusely…
-
Portfolio: Bundeena Garden Design Revisit
I visited one of my favourite gardens today and it did not disappoint, I haven’t seen this coastal Bundeena garden for 18 months and many of the trees and shrubs have really filled out in that time. I feel so lucky to be able to keep track of this gardens progress and check in when…
-
Another top Paperbark: Melaleuca viridiflora ‘Burgundy Weeper’
This October has been  paperbark appreciation month for me, I love melaleucas as they will grow so easily in difficult heavy soils and their flowers are rich in nectar for birds and bees alike. Melaleuca viridiflora ‘Burgundy Weeper’ is no exception, it covers itself in deep reddish purple flowers attracting honey eaters and bees. Melaleuca viridiflora…
-
Some plants are just plain tough: Melaleuca âUlladulla Beaconâ
I seem to be on a bit of a Melaleuca tangent of late so I am just going to go with it, Melaleucas are tough and perform beautifully under a range of conditions especially in a heavier clay soil, this is one of the many reasons I love Melaleuca hypericifolia âUlladulla Beaconâ. Melaleuca ‘Ulladulla Beacon’ is…
-
Purple Shades: Anigozanthos ‘Landscape Violet’
The subtle purple shades in Anigozanthos ‘Landscape Violet’ are quite striking when on mass, the flowers on purple stems open to reveal bright orange and yellows on the inside adding even more contrast. Anigozanthos ‘Landscape Violet’ is part of Angus Stewart’s tall and tough series of Kangaroo paws, he has bred up some great colours in…
-
Tugarah Gunya’marri: Cold and Windy
During the Tugarah Gunya’marri the days are getting noticeably longer, but the weather is still cold. Then with the blooming of the Marrai’uo (Acacia floribunda) comes the cold, southwesterly winds; the children become cranky and the adults become bad-tempered. It is not a good time of year for anyone. Frances Bodkin ‘D’harawal: Climate and Natural…
-
Marvellous Banksia ‘Mini Marg’!
This is another form of Banksia marginata, a dwarf form that grows dense and low but still covers itself with bright yellow insect and bird attracting flowers in Summer through to Autumn. Banksia ‘Mini Marg’ is quite variable in height growing to between 1 and 3 metres, however it responds very well to pruning as…
-
Sooooo many Emu Bush: Eremophila maculata
There are soooo many Eremophilas and I only know of and use a handful, I would like to rectify this situation, I am going to set myself a challenge to be able to recognise and utilise at least a dozen Eremophila species in the next 12 months. These images are of Eremophila maculata ssp. maculata, which…
-
Grevillea ‘Billy Bonkers’ and his Big Sister
I used to  have a very small appreciation for Grevilleas, especially the larger flowering species but I have mellowed and now am finding more and more of them appealing. I tend to go for the rarer flower shapes  often  from WA or South Australia but  often now I am drawn towards a Grevillea with a…
-
Bulli Grevillea Park: Banksia ‘Bush Candles’
This is an amazing mass planting of Banksia spinulosa ‘Bush Candles’ at Bulli Grevillea Park which I re-visited last weekend. I remember when these were planted and how truly underwhelming this garden bed appeared, so it was so lovely to see them all beginning to fill out and flowering their heads off. Like most…
-
My Favourite Native Hibiscus
Many people are not aware of the range of native hibiscus species that grow here in Australia, they are often not seen in cultivation or mistaken for exotics. I have a few favourites that I like to incorporate in my gardens and at the moment these are my top three, however everything is subject to…
Tag: wind tolerant