Behind the Scenes in our nursery
We love to see all the photos and videos of your garden plants, that you send to us and share on social media! We we thought we'd share some of ours with you in return. Here's what's flowering at our place right now
Cyclamen are flowering now - these are tubestock plants so you can see you don't have to wait long for flowers!
The autumn-flowering azaleas are still going strong, despite the chilly weather over recent weeks. They are excellent value as they will flower again in spring. Above, Hinode Giri, a new addition to the range.
The autumn-flowering azaleas are still going strong, despite the chilly weather over recent weeks. They are excellent value as they will flower again in spring. Above, Hinode Giri, a new addition to the range.
Three more azaleas in flower, enjoying the late winter sun : White Bouquet, Sweet Nellie, and Orange Delight
Camellias are looking spectacular at this time of year, so glamorous and showy. These three beauties are : Star Above Star, deep red Black Tie - a japonica variety, and the amazing tie-dyed RL Wheeler, with giant blooms.
Sometimes you have to look a little closer to appreciate Mother Nature - she doesn't always work on the grand supersize scale of camellias and azaleas! Take these three natives for instance : hardenbergia - purple coral pea - is starting into flower ready for a big spring burst of colour. Downy zieria adorns herself with subtle pink stars; she looks dainty but she's one tough cookie. And lemon darwinia displays the most unusual flowers, orange and gold.
Equally dainty, not native : PIeris, also known as andromeda or lily of the valley bush, is a valuable plant for long seasons of colour, not least in winter-spring when it grows these huge long tails of delicate shell pink bells. If this is what our tubestock plants can produce, almost 20cm, imagine how many flowers you'll enjoy from a mature plant! Jewel-like labrador violet has exquisite blooms, well worth taking a close-up look. And take a snff of this one, as you take a look - it's the divine peach-scented osmanthus or tea olive. Those flowers are tiny but will fill your garden with fragrance.
Tea trees are always a favourite with our gardeners, and when you see how much Burgundy Queen flowers, you can understand why. She's a stunner. You can leave it to grow loose or clip it regularly for even more blooms. Also drawing all the attention, glowing in the winter sunshine, Leucadendron Cheeky. This South African shrub is a perfect companion to natives - it's closely related to woolly bush, believe it or not!
Indian hawthorns are starting to open their buds ready for their spring thing - this one is Springtime, aptly named as it's the first one floering in our nursery fields.
Indian hawthorns are starting to open their buds ready for their spring thing - this one is Springtime, aptly named as it's the first one floering in our nursery fields.
It's not strictly their time to shine, but don't tell the bottlebrushes that! Captain Cook decided to have a little flowering spell; Scarlet Flame looks ready to go off any minute - have a look at all those buds, it's such a prolific bloomer!; and White Anzac feeds a passing hungry monarch butterfly. Plant flowers, and you'll get wildlife. Our post Butterfly-Friendly Gardening is full of helpful tips.
And speaking of wildlife, the nursery is full of birds right now. Willy wagtails, black cockatoos, butcher birds, and dozens of tiny honeyeaters feeding on the winter grevilleas. If you want more birds in your backyard, our post Bird-Friendly Gardening will help
Our grevilleas are looking fantastic right now, especially with the blue skies and sunshine we've been lacking until recently.
Above : Dusky red Robyn Gordon, a favourite with the honeyeaters; tall Honey Gem, rich deep gold; and Lime Spider, with unusual gold-striped slender leaves.
Above : Dusky red Robyn Gordon, a favourite with the honeyeaters; tall Honey Gem, rich deep gold; and Lime Spider, with unusual gold-striped slender leaves.
Above : Golden Lyre, flowering over a long season; Jester, fruity-scented and vibrant red-orange; and Lemon Baby, a gentle pastel peach-lemon.
Scarlet Sprite's flowers are small but there's hundreds of them, the perfect size for birds' beaks to feed from; and what about the unique amazing Grevillea intricata, with its intricate geometric network of leaves.
But if there was an award for best value plant of all, we think this one would walk off with it. Marmalade bush is almost always in flower, except for a little nap in midsummer when everything else is blooming. And that orange against a deep blue sky? *chef's kiss*
There's always something to see and enjoy in a garden, every day of the year.
We hope this has inspired you to take a fresh look at your outdoor space - and maybe add a new plant or two!
We hope this has inspired you to take a fresh look at your outdoor space - and maybe add a new plant or two!
