Plants

Australia’s First Camellia?

Her journey and namesake, has criss-crossed the oceans and lands from Australia, China, England and Europe for four centuries creating one of gardening’s most intriguing stories. But is she Australia's first camellia? Graham Ross finds out.

Winter Fragrance

Linda Ross steps into the winter garden for aromatherapy of the botanical kind.

Star of the season: the Magnolia

​Banksia spinulosa 'Birthday Candles'

This prostrate banksia hugs the ground to a height of about 50cm. It bears pale yellow flower heads with lilac styles from late summer to winter. These are held above the foliage and provide much-needed food for birds when there is little else in flower.

​Camellia ‘Desire’

Is this the prettiest camellia of all?

​Canna ‘Australia’

The popularity of cannas is due to their long display of bold foliage and vibrant flowers. This hybrid is one of a new series called ‘Show Off’, which has been bred for resistance to disease and for clean, sculptural foliage.

​Geraldton Wax

The unerringly fake-looking flowers of Geraldton wax appear now and emphasise the beauty that can be found outdoors in winter.

​Native bluebell

Spring sees the stunning blues of our native bluebell appearing in the bush and in gardens. The blue becomes electric when it’s teemed with an acacia ‘Limelight’ in a rockery or garden bed.

​Pink Waratah

New cultivars of pink waratahs have been developed by plant breeders to offer better garden performance than the wild flower.

​Queensland firewheel tree

These stately trees brighten autumn with their wheel-like inflorescence, aflame in reds, yellows and oranges.

​Rhodanthe ‘Paper Stars’

This pretty daisy is covered in tiny white paper flowers with a yellow centre. It’s ideal for gardens with a cottage feel.

​Showy Honey Myrtle

The contrast of the pinkish/purple flower heads, the deep green shiny foliage and the light-coloured, almost-smooth paperbark makes this an excellent feature for the bush garden. 

A story about the breeding of grafted gums

Graham Ross tells the inspiring story of Queensland nurseryman Stan Henry’s determination to create a flowering gum that anyone could grow.

Acacia cognata 'Limelight'

We have successfully grown the shrub form of ‘Limelight’ in Sydney for ten years – through drought and flooding rains! – and love its waterfall of luminous lime leaves.

Agapanthus

The sparkling blue and white flowers of agapanthus cool the summer garden, and new colours are a real thrill.

Ajuga

This reliable blue spring carpet deserves its go-to reputation. Let’s take a closer look.

Algerian iris

Also called the winter iris, this plant originates from the Mediterranean and North Africa and consequently enjoys impoverished soils. It produces flowers on and off throughout the winter.

Alyogyne huegelii

This gorgeous plant will stop you in your tracks in a garden of either native or exotic plants. It’s a spectacular new form of the native hibiscus, or ‘blue hibiscus’ with attractive blue-green foliage, and masses of deep mauve flowers.

Angel's Trumpet, Brugmansia

It’s easy to see why the common name for the dramatic Brugmansia is angel’s trumpet. These sub-tropical beauties offer months of flowers and fragrance, all in an easy-care package.

Arno's South East QLD Report

The days are starting to cool off and it's a very pleasant time to get stuck into the garden. Before you know it, the day has gone. We’ve been waiting patiently for the ‘wet’ to finally arrive and, and moisten the soil. Now that it’s started to rain, there has been a great surge of growth.

Arnos Subtropical Kitchen Garden

Looking for herbs and vegies that are well suited to the subtropics? Arno has you covered.

Autumn crocus

This tough little bulb flowers in profusion after rain – hence its sometime alias, the storm lily. It has shiny evergreen foliage and the flowers are white and open, like fragile crocuses.

Autumn-toned Climbers

Leafy deciduous climbers give fabulous summer shade when trained to cover a pergola, and some of these colour in a dramatic way once temperatures drop in autumn.

Banksia

Visitors to Empress Josephine’s garden at Malmaison outside Paris were wowed by her banksia collection. Two hundred years later gardeners still thrill to these bold and beautiful flowers, but have cold feet about growing them. Graham Ross explains why, and reports on the new cultivars now available.

Beautiful Bamboo

Bamboozled over whether bamboo is a garden pest or a garden saviour? Graham explains why this lovely group of plants can be both – and how to choose the right one for your needs.

Beauty Bush

A vase-shaped deciduous shrub, grown for its outstanding purple berries, which cluster along the stems in autumn, following the tiny lilac flowers.

Begonias

You might be most familiar with the sun-hardy bedding begonias, the ‘wax flowers’ whose red and white blooms shine on through hot weather. But there are many other types of begonias, some with beautiful patterned leaves as well as those simple, charming, waxy flowers.

Best bulbs for...

Follow our guide on what to plant.

Blooms and Brushstrokes

In their floral history of Australian art, mother and daughter team Peneloep and Tansy Curtin uncover the stories behind some of our favourite floral artworks.

Blue Ginger

There is no blue quite like the cobalt of Blue Ginger. And the good news? It's a cinch to grow and loves the company of frangipani, hibiscus and angels trumpets. Hello holiday at home.

Boab Tree

A mature boab tree is a majestic sight. Though it doesn't grow exceptionally tall, just up to 15 metres, the trees appear huge because of their swollen trunks. These can reach 20 metres in diameter.

Boongala

An inspiring native garden rings bells for Linda Ross and to the sound of birdsong she changes her tune about the best plants to create pretty gardens.

Bootlace Oak

The common name of this hakea describes its long, thin leaves, which grow up to 70cm long. We think it must have been named when not in flower as the stunning 12cm long, pendulous blooms in shades of yellow, orange, white or green would surely have distracted its discoverer from the lovely, lace-like foliage.

Bottlebrush

You can use bottlebrush as a feature tree to attract birds and bees; in a regularly spaced row to screen neighbourly views; as a groundcover over an embankment; or as a low hedge at hip-height.

Brachyscome multifida

The pretty hybrids of this groundcover daisy are the result of years of development in native plant breeding.

Bromeliads

Graham has discovered the brilliance of bromeliads. Now he's keen to make up for lost time and introduce you to the all-year-round splendour of these easy care show-stopping sensations.

Brown Boronia

All boronias have fragrant foliage and flowers, but not all share the sweet scent of the brown boronia.

Bulb Time

Plant these time bombs in autumn for an explosion of colour in late winter and spring. Linda says they are bulbalicious!

Bulbs: Buried Treasure

There are few gems in the garden as reliably dazzling as bulbs. Buy now, plant soon and in spring your reward, for barely any effort at all, is a garden bejewelled with colour. 

Cabbage Palm

Cabbage palms are a stunning native palm indigenous to Sydney. Captain Cook noted them on his first excursion onto land at Botany Bay. Livistona grow in moist, sheltered gullies along the coast. They were common around Sydney Harbour and can still be seen in remnant bushland along the coastal fringe.

Camellia japonica

The Camellia japonica is the queen of winter, unrivalled for glamour, yet she is down to earth, easy to manage and long-lived. Graham Ross has the details.

Camellia reticulata

If Camellia japonicas are the stately queens of winter then Camellia reticulata are the cheer girls that dance us into spring. They are hard to find, but by no means shy, with gorgeous flowers like big ruffled skirts. Linda Ross takes a peep.

Camellia reticulata favourites

Our favourite Camellia reticulata 

Camellia sasanqua

An evergreen shrub from Japan with subtly fragrant autumn flowers.

Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’

This small, deciduous shrub or tree has bright pink, pea-shaped flowers that open on bare stems. The flowers are followed by interesting, flattened, purple pods like long beans. And the leaves? Well they speak for themselves!

Cherry Blossom

It’s no wonder the Japanese dedicate a whole month of ‘Hanami’ celebrations to the beautiful blossoms of the cherry. You know spring’s arrived when their pink-hued blooms blanket these perfectly shaped trees.

Chinese Lanterns, Abutilon

These versatile shrubs with their charming bell-like flowers are commonly called Chinese lanterns, even though all 1000 species are native to South America!

Climbing ‘Pierre de Ronsard’

The Meilland family in the south of France created this beloved climbing rose in 1987. They named it after the 16th century French poet, whose sensuous, romantic and musical poems were highly regarded during his life.

Climbing Frangipani

The yellow-centred, white pinwheel flowers of the climbing frangipani vine really do look exactly like the frangipani tree!

Climbing Roses

Climbing roses give height, floral interest and elegance to a garden. They can tumble over fences, cascade from pergolas or screen water tanks and dunnies. Here are some of my favourite ways with climbing roses.