Dichroa febrifuga looks extremely like a Hydrangea macrophylla in leaf, habit and flower. However its USP is that it always has blue flowers and these can be followed by blue berries. It is semi-evergreen but the leaves turn bronze/gold through the winter. The downside is that is not hardy - surviving outside in only the most favoured of sites (which have been rare in previous two winters). Therefore it is best suited to patio culture with winter protection.
Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata' needs no introduction as a garden plant, but it is not the easiest of plants to grow. We pot in a less acid compost and they seem happier under light shade (20% netting is what we use). They are ridiculously prone to root-rotting Phytoptheras and whatever measures are adequate for most of what you grow more care is needed with Daphnes. If you can keep the conditions exactly correct and unchanging then there will be no problem but if they get too dry or too wet, or one then the other, the roots will start to rot. The aerial parts of the plant will yellow and although they can survive like this for a long time they won't grow again. We are now successfully overcoming this by drenching with Subdue at critical times - particularly before we start picking from the batch. There are other agents available but do consider using something to keep them healthy, unless you always can keep them unstressed.
Eleutherococcus sieboldii Variegatus is a hardy deciduous, suckering shrub. Its variegated leaves are particularly bright when they first appear fading a little as they mature. The stems are slightly spiny and can eventually reach 2.5m but 1.5m is more normal. Flowers are not significant. It has been known under a variety of names but Acanthopanax sieboldii Variegatus is probably the most well known.
Unlike Eleutheroccus Holodiscus discolor is grown for its flower but it is another completely hardy shrub. It grows as dense multi-stemmed plant to 2m and has small oak-like leaves. The flowers are creamy white plumes, like Astilbe, carried in late spring. Tolerant of hard-pruning.
Chimonanthus praecox is another hardy, flowering shrub which is just finishing flowering here. Commonly known as Wintersweet the yellow waxy flowers are reasonably showy but the scent is what it is grown for, although the still conditions necessary for it to be at its most noticeable have been missing this year. There are named forms but they are slow from cuttings so we raise the species from seed. It is said that it needs a good summer to encourage flowering but our experience is that once a plant starts flowering it will do so every year regardless of the summer (which is just as well).
Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata' needs no introduction as a garden plant, but it is not the easiest of plants to grow. We pot in a less acid compost and they seem happier under light shade (20% netting is what we use). They are ridiculously prone to root-rotting Phytoptheras and whatever measures are adequate for most of what you grow more care is needed with Daphnes. If you can keep the conditions exactly correct and unchanging then there will be no problem but if they get too dry or too wet, or one then the other, the roots will start to rot. The aerial parts of the plant will yellow and although they can survive like this for a long time they won't grow again. We are now successfully overcoming this by drenching with Subdue at critical times - particularly before we start picking from the batch. There are other agents available but do consider using something to keep them healthy, unless you always can keep them unstressed.
Eleutherococcus sieboldii Variegatus is a hardy deciduous, suckering shrub. Its variegated leaves are particularly bright when they first appear fading a little as they mature. The stems are slightly spiny and can eventually reach 2.5m but 1.5m is more normal. Flowers are not significant. It has been known under a variety of names but Acanthopanax sieboldii Variegatus is probably the most well known.
Unlike Eleutheroccus Holodiscus discolor is grown for its flower but it is another completely hardy shrub. It grows as dense multi-stemmed plant to 2m and has small oak-like leaves. The flowers are creamy white plumes, like Astilbe, carried in late spring. Tolerant of hard-pruning.
Chimonanthus praecox is another hardy, flowering shrub which is just finishing flowering here. Commonly known as Wintersweet the yellow waxy flowers are reasonably showy but the scent is what it is grown for, although the still conditions necessary for it to be at its most noticeable have been missing this year. There are named forms but they are slow from cuttings so we raise the species from seed. It is said that it needs a good summer to encourage flowering but our experience is that once a plant starts flowering it will do so every year regardless of the summer (which is just as well).
Not everything we grow is reliably hardy, but our gardens
would be the poorer if we did not try and grow things that are on the edge.
Australasian plants can come from colder climate than we experience here, but
it will be drier. Also Phytopthera cinnamoni which is one our most
common root-rotting pathogens does not naturally occur in Australia and the
flora has no resistance to it. Therefore the secret of success is to keep them
dry on the nursery and recommend well-drained planting positions. We offer a
good range of evergreen labiate shrubs - mint bushes - mostly Prostanthera
but also Westringia. The most well known are P. cuneata which is
small-growing with slightly lilac flowers and P. rotundifolia with lilac
flowers and we have a variant of this. P.r. Rosea which is a pinker
shade of lilac. Then there is P. Poorinda Ballerina with larger pale
pink flowers, while P. Poorinda Petite (small leaves, not small plant)
has strongly coloured lilac/purple flowers as does P. 'Mint Royale' TM. P. 'Badja Peak' also has purple flowers and is particularly
floriferous. P. ovalifolia Variegata
is white variegated with small leaves and lilac flowers though it does not
flower as readily as the rest. Westringia 'Wynabbie Gem' has more
leathery, narrow leaves and pale lilac flowers. From similar habitats is Kunzea
'Badja Carpet', a low-growing myrtle with typical white flowers and small
leaves.
Itea 'Henry's Garnet' has two seasons of interest. In
summer it has long panicles of white flowers and then it has red autumn colour.
It is hardy and will grow to 2m. Unlike I. illicifolia it is not difficult as a
nursery plant.
Zauschnerias are small but vigorous grey-leaved
shrubs with bright red tubular flowers.
Z. 'Ed Carmen' has wider leaves while Z. 'Dublin' has more showy
flowers. These are Californian in origin but can overwinter here in a
well-drained position.
Look out for our surplus stock plant list - coming soon.
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