Plants

Tiny Tim (Euphorbia x martinii ‘Tiny Tim’) is an evergreen perennial with a compact, mounded form, growing about 50cm high and wide. The new foliage is a captivating red hue that gives way to a fresh and vibrant display of lime- green flower spikes appearing in early spring.

Originally from tropical South America, Lasiandras (Tibouchina) are evergreen shrubs or small trees, ranging in height from one to 12 metres.

The Pincushion Flower (Scabiosa columbaria) belongs to a plant family comprising annuals, biennials and perennials. It takes its common name from honey-scented blooms of multiple florets with protruding filaments that produce a pincushion effect and range in colour from white, yellow, red, blue and mauve to deep purple.

The bellflower (Campanula ‘Resholdt’s Variety’) belongs to a plant family of nearly 250 species, consisting mostly of perennial herbs, with a few annuals or biennials. They are widely dispersed over the northern hemisphere, with many originating from the Mediterranean regions.

It’s easy to understand how the Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum) got its name. In early summer, this hardy, clump-forming perennial with mid-green leaves produces beautiful, loose clusters of white flowers at the top of 30cm tall erect stems.

Million Bells (Calibrachoa ‘Million Bells’) is the common name given to a range of quick-growing, tidy, upright, dome-shaped, evergreen perennials growing about 30cm high and spreading up to 50cm.

Originally from southern Europe and the Mediterranean islands, the Winter Rose is sometimes also called the Christmas or Lenten Rose (Helleborus x orientalis). It is an evergreen perennial, renowned for producing beautiful flowers in white and shades of green, red and purple.

Many gardeners may be familiar with Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata), a hardy, evergreen shrub reaching two to three metres high and displaying blue or white flowers from spring to late autumn. Fast growing, it is often seen in gardens as an informal hedge that needs regular pruning to maintain an attractive shape.

“Passion” (Lychnis viscaria ‘Splendens Plena’) is an easy to grow, evergreen perennial reaching about 45cm high and wide.

Thyme is a low-growing and hardy evergreen perennial, native to southern Europe and Asia. It forms a neat, dense carpet reaching up to 25cm and is one of the most commonly grown herbs. Some varieties are used in cooking to flavour meat and vegetable dishes.

Stokes Aster (Stokesia laevis ‘Blue Parasols’) is an herbaceous perennial. This means that during winter months in colder climates, its foliage may die back with fresh growth rising again from the base during early spring.

Perennial Statice or Sea Lavender (Limonium ‘Perezii Blue’) is an evergreen perennial that is perfect for gardens on the northern beaches.

Lamium ‘Orchid Frost’ is a very attractive groundcover, growing about 10cm high and 1m wide. It forms a low mound of delightful foliage, providing year-round appeal with its silvery white leaves, edged in green. From late spring through to autumn, short spikes of pretty, lilac-coloured flowers appear above the foliage to create added interest.

The results of a recent Newspoll survey indicate that more and more people are interested in having an “edible garden”. This is hardly surprising, as nothing beats home-grown for freshness and flavour.

The Willow Bottlebrush (Callistemon salignus) is a small, fast-growing tree reaching five to 12m with papery bark and a slightly weeping canopy. In spring it displays pink new foliage growth and cream or pink flower spikes throughout the warmer months of the year. Planted in a sunny position, it is useful as a screen, specimen plant or windbreak and attracts a wide variety of native birds.