Flowers in Focus

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.

Flower farm: Winter jobs

Here Linda gives advice and plans for winter; planting sunflowers, ranunculus, and spring bulbs; admiring the pansies, and picking winter flowers.

How to prune roses

Jaws were on the floor at one of our rose pruning demonstrations last year, when

members watched Finbar O’Leary from Swanes Nursery pruning a rose the right way!

How to: arrange flowers

I love the look of flowers picked straight from the garden and casually arranged in a charming jug, jar, urn, vase - even a bucket. But when I pick a posy from my garden and aim for a natural aesthetic with casual grace, my arrangement looks not so much just-picked as just-plonked! So I asked Sonya Gardiner for help and these are her tips - the 5 Fs of Fabulous Flower Arranging.

How to: create a dazzling basket

No one does a hanging basket of summer flowers quite like the English, and, inspired by a recent trip, we’re determined to give it a good shake this summer. We’ve included here some favourite basket-happy plants with the right cascading habit - and some options for really hot spots. The thing is to design an arrangement like a posy, with a mix of textures and colours. Have fun, be bold, try something new, and toss it all at the end of the season.

How to: fix geraniums

We recognise that these are properly pelargoniums, but as most gardeners know them and love them as geraniums, that’s fine by us. The most popular type are the zonals, identified by the ‘zones’ or patterns on their leaves. We also love ivy-leafed types for their indestructible nature and perfect hanging basket habit; and the scented geraniums whose foliage exhibits such a wealth of different fragrances. No matter which you choose to grow, keep them in tip-top shape with this handy guide to common problems and remember to refresh your collection every few years with fresh cuttings.

How to: Grow hoya

This shining beauty is undemanding and rewards even the most off-hand gardener with gorgeous globes of scented flowers that last and last.

Know your Daisies

Choose wisely and sunny daisies can be cheering up your garden all year. There are
daisies for garden beds and for containers in warm colours and cool. Here are a
handful of favourites.

Meet: Marjan Medhat, NSW Government House florist

When Marjan Medhat needs something interesting for a flower arrangement she takes her secateurs into Sydney’s Botanic Gardens. We spoke to her about the challenges of creating flower arrangements for Government House.

Meet: Saskia Havekes, florist

Saskia Havekes is the owner of Grandiflora. Her recent book, Grandiflora Celebrations is a behind-the-scenes look at 60 themed events, from weddings to fashion shows.

Queen of the Night, a very special kind of Orchid Cactus

If you are an early riser and usually early to bed - this plant is not for you! The queen of the night cactus flowers between dusk and dawn - for us she is the highlight of the party season.

Star of the season Dwarf Banksia

Dwarf Banksias prove that no space doesn’t mean no impact. These low-growing banksias have full-sized flowers that are shining beacons all through winter, drawing nectar-loving big birds as well as tiny little insect-eaters.

Woolmers Estate, Tasmania

Woolmers Estate, in northern Tasmania was home to six generations of the Archer family. For the past decade it has housed the National Rose Garden. Libby Cameron renewed her love of the rose on a recent visit.