Gardening Australia

We’re here! And look at this sumptuousness! That’s what I was thinking, standing in this avenue of silver birches and oak-leafed hydrangeas at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. After two years of cancellation, it was wonderful to finally be rubbing shoulders with fellow gardeners, and drinking in the designs and artistry of plant whisperers. More than 100,000 people attended across the five days of the show, and it felt great to be out and about again. As always, there were obvious trends in garden design and plant use, and some good ideas to steal. You’ll find a selection of what caught our eye on page 30. And for a different kind of whispering – chook whispering – check out the tales and tips from Costa and the gang on wrangling…

Instantly recognisable, kangaroo paws are highly popular because of their unique and spectacular flowers. The Anigozanthos Bush Gems Celebrations range contains five varieties that are setting more than just the bees abuzz! Bred by Kings Park and Botanic Garden in Western Australia, the new cultivars have a compact, bushy habit reaching 40cm wide, and flower prolifically in vibrant colours – even blue, which has never been seen before in a kangaroo paw. This range suits coastal gardens, is drought tolerant, has light frost tolerance, and grows best in pots in full sun. Flowers appear throughout the year and are highly attractive to nectivorous insects and birds. They also make a long-lasting cut flower. The following cultivars are shown above (from left). ‘Masquerade’ is 50cm tall with blooms in breathtaking iridescent teal…

100 AUSTRALIAN WILDFLOWERS Mel Baxter Hardie Grant Explore A compilation of 100 native Australian wildflowers, this visually appealing book is a helpful field and planting guide. Author Mel Baxter’s fun, informative text complements her colourful illustrations, with a description of each plant, where you can find it, special features and flowering seasons. There is a strong conservation focus throughout the book as you discover the plants’ stories, including their cultural, historical and spiritual significance, traditional and edible uses by First Nations people, and how to grow some of the species in suitable conditions to help tackle environmental issues. FEATHER AND BRUSH: A HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN BIRD ART Penny Olsen CSIRO Publishing Blending history, art and a love of birds, this beautifully presented book documents bird art in Australia. More than 400 full-colour illustrations, including some…

Lots of our favourite plants peak in one brief but wonderful show. That can be fun if you’ve planned your garden carefully so there’s a succession of starring moments from different plants throughout the year – and if you have plenty of space for them. But what about plants that have more than one string to their bow, and can themselves generate a variety of pleasures across the year? Including a few of these in your garden is a clever way to get more for less. Here are a few of the best. OAK-LEAFED HYDRANGEA Hydrangea quercifolia Oak-leafed hydrangeas have handsome large leaves that provide great texture; the lobed shape is similar to pin oak leaves. They also turn a bronze to reddish-purple shade in autumn, often staying on the bush until new…

Flamboyant, large-flowered grevilleas are showstoppers when in bloom and, considering that’s for most of the year, it’s a no-brainer to include at least one in your garden! Growing to 1–5m tall, these shrubs to small trees have deeply toothed leaves, and display their exquisite flowers on the tips of branches so that you – and every honeyeater within cooee – can’t help but rush to appreciate them. And it’s not just the flower size that makes them special; it’s their cylindrical shape and rich colours, too. It was a chance crossing in the late ’60s between the Western Australian Grevillea bipinnatifida and the subtropical G. banksii var. forsteri that produced ‘Robyn Gordon’, and started all the fuss. Nowadays, we’re spoilt for choice, with an array of cultivars being developed by clever…

Grevillea ‘Misty Pink’ Finely lobed, dark green foliage and masses of soft pink flowers with cream styles. Grows up to 3–5m tall and wide. G. ‘Sylvia’ Bronze new growth and multiple clusters of reddish-pink flowers. An excellent cut flower. Grows to 3–5m tall and wide. G. ‘Bush Lemons’ Fast-growing, 3m x 3m shrub with vibrant yellow upright flowers, which are loved by honeyeaters. G. ‘Honey Barbara’ A wonderful feature plant with prolific, rich orange flowers all year. Grows to 2–3m tall and 1.5–2m wide. G. ‘Lollypops!’ Vibrant pink flowers. Grows to 1.5m tall and wide, making it perfect for small gardens. G. ‘Billy Bonkers’ A fabulous groundcover, it grows 80cm–1m tall and 1.5–3m wide. Pink blooms. G. ‘Soopa Doopa’ This compact plant has peach flowers, and is the perfect choice for pots. It’s fast growing, to…