Flowering Season

Summer Flowering

387 plants

Edward Goucher Abelia · Abelia x grandiflora 'Edward Goucher' An arching, semi-evergreen abelia smothered in lilac-pink trumpet flowers from summer into autumn, much loved by bees. Hardy, adaptable and good for informal hedges.
Francis Mason Abelia · Abelia x grandiflora 'Francis Mason' A golden-leaved abelia with yellow-margined foliage flushing orange in cold, topped by pink-white bells through the warmer months. Brings warm colour to hedges and borders.
Glossy Abelia · Abelia x grandiflora 'Grandiflora' The classic vigorous glossy abelia, with arching canes carrying masses of fragrant white-flushed-pink bells over a long season. An easy, drought-tolerant screening shrub.
Kaleidoscope Abelia · Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope' A low, spreading abelia grown for kaleidoscopic foliage that shifts from gold-and-green in spring to fiery orange-red in cold weather, set off by white tubular flowers. Tough, sun-loving and bee-friendly.
Moonshine Yarrow · Achillea 'Moonshine' Flat heads of soft sulphur-yellow flowers float above ferny silver foliage all summer. An award-winning, drought-hardy yarrow that bees and butterflies flock to and that dries well.
Terracotta Yarrow · Achillea 'Terracotta' Broad flat heads open burnt-orange and fade through terracotta to soft buff-yellow over ferny grey foliage. A drought-hardy yarrow giving warm, shifting colour and excellent for drying.
Paprika Yarrow · Achillea millefolium 'Paprika' Flat clusters of cherry-red flowers with gold eyes age to soft salmon over ferny green foliage. A tough, spreading yarrow excellent for dry banks and pollinator borders.
Yarrow · Achillea millefolium Flat-topped flower plates over ferny aromatic foliage, exceptionally tough in poor dry soils and a haven for beneficial insects. Vigorous and spreading, so give it room.
Flannel Flower · Actinotus helianthi A soft grey-felted wildflower bearing daisy-like cream flowers with green-tipped petals that feel like flannel. A treasured short-lived perennial for sandy coastal gardens and cut flowers.
Urn Plant · Aechmea fasciata A striking bromeliad with arching silver-banded grey-green leaves forming a water-holding vase, topped by a long-lasting pink bract studded with blue flowers. A classic indoor and shade-garden feature.
Agapanthus · Agapanthus praecox Spheres of blue or white flowers on tall stems above strappy clumps — a tough, drought-proof mass-planting staple. Choose sterile forms, as the species can self-seed into bushland.
Sweet Lili Hyssop · Agastache 'Sweet Lili' Tall spikes of rose-pink and lilac flowers rise over liquorice-scented foliage, humming with bees and visited by honeyeaters. Drought-tolerant and long-flowering through the warm season.
Century Plant · Agave americana A massive architectural rosette of thick blue-grey leaves armed with sharp spines and a vicious terminal spike, crowned after decades by a towering branched flower stalk. A bold drought-proof sculptural plant.
After Dark Peppermint · Agonis flexuosa 'After Dark' A striking small weeping tree with deep burgundy-purple aromatic foliage and tiny white flowers in spring. A dramatic, colourful feature and screen for coastal gardens.
Silk Tree · Albizia julibrissin A spreading umbrella-shaped tree with feathery ferny foliage and fluffy pink powderpuff flowers through summer that draw butterflies and bees. Gives light, elegant dappled shade.
Giant Bromeliad · Alcantarea imperialis A magnificent giant bromeliad forming a broad sculptural rosette over a metre across, often flushed wine-red, eventually throwing a towering branched flower spike. A dramatic architectural feature plant.
Ornamental Onion · Allium hybrid Perfect spheres of starry flowers float on tall stems, magnets for bees and superb fresh or dried. The oniony foliage deters browsing animals and dies back as the flowers open.
Shell Ginger · Alpinia zerumbet A robust clumping ginger with arching leafy canes and drooping sprays of waxy shell-pink buds opening to yellow-and-red flowers. A lush, fragrant screening and feature plant for warm, sheltered gardens.
Smooth-barked Apple · Angophora costata A magnificent large tree with sculptural, twisting limbs and smooth pink-to-orange bark that sheds to reveal salmon tones. Clusters of creamy summer flowers feed bees and birds.
Dwarf Apple · Angophora hispida A gnarled small tree or large shrub of Sydney sandstone with bristly new growth and showy creamy-white summer blossom rich in nectar. A characterful bird-attracting feature.
Tall Kangaroo Paw · Anigozanthos flavidus The hardiest and most adaptable kangaroo paw — tall fans of strappy leaves topped by furry, nectar-rich flowers that birds adore. Tougher and longer-lived than the smaller hybrids.
Amber Velvet Kangaroo Paw · Anigozanthos 'Amber Velvet' A tall kangaroo paw with rich amber-orange velvety paw flowers on dark stems through spring and summer. A dramatic, bird-attracting cut-flower and feature.
Bush Gold Kangaroo Paw · Anigozanthos 'Bush Gold' A compact kangaroo paw with bright golden-yellow paw flowers on slender stems through spring and summer. Disease-resistant, bird-attracting and long-flowering.
Bush Tango Kangaroo Paw · Anigozanthos 'Bush Tango' A compact kangaroo paw bearing warm orange paw flowers through spring and summer. Disease-resistant, long-flowering and a magnet for nectar-feeding birds.
Landscape Lilac Kangaroo Paw · Anigozanthos 'Landscape Lilac' A tall robust kangaroo paw with unusual purple-lilac paw flowers on long stems through spring and summer. Vigorous, bird-attracting and striking as a mass planting.
Snapdragon · Antirrhinum majus Spires of pouched flowers that children love to snap open, a superb cut flower in the cool seasons. Pinch young plants for bushy, well-branched spikes.
Heartleaf Iceplant · Aptenia cordifolia A fast spreading trailing succulent with heart-shaped glistening green leaves and bright magenta daisy-like flowers through the warm months. A vigorous water-wise groundcover and basket plant.
Columbine · Aquilegia vulgaris Nodding, intricately spurred flowers in blues, purples and pinks dance above ferny grey-green foliage in spring. A charming, self-seeding cottage perennial; seeds and roots are toxic if eaten.
Bishop's Cap Cactus · Astrophytum myriostigma A distinctive spineless cactus shaped like a star of broad ribs, dusted with tiny white woolly scales over a grey-green body, opening yellow flowers from its crown. An elegant, geometric collector's plant.
Coast Spear Grass · Austrostipa stipoides A coastal Australian native tussock grass forming dense clumps of wiry green-grey foliage with feathery flowering plumes. Salt- and wind-tolerant, it suits exposed seaside and erosion-prone sites.
Lemon Myrtle · Backhousia citriodora A rainforest tree whose glossy leaves release an intense lemon fragrance and are prized as a bush-tucker culinary herb, topped with fluffy cream flowers in summer. A useful aromatic feature and screen.
Baxter's Banksia · Banksia baxteri A rounded WA shrub with deeply lobed holly-like leaves and squat lime-yellow flower domes nestled among the foliage. A drought-hardy feature and long-lasting cut flower.
Old Man Banksia · Banksia serrata A gnarled, characterful small tree with serrated leathery leaves, thick warty bark and large grey-green flower spikes that age to the woody 'big bad banksia men' cones. Tough and long-lived.
Wax Begonia · Begonia semperflorens Compact mounds of glossy green or bronze leaves dotted with flowers from spring to frost, in sun or shade. Tidy, weather-proof and self-cleaning bedding; mildly toxic to pets.
Bluebell Creeper · Billardiera heterophylla A dainty Western Australian native twiner hung with nodding clusters of bright blue bell flowers through the warmer months, followed by blue berries. Pretty and hardy, but a weed risk outside its native range.
Paper Flower · Bougainvillea glabra A thorny, vigorous evergreen climber celebrated for its dazzling, long-lasting papery bracts in vivid magenta and purple surrounding tiny white true flowers. Thrives in heat and revels in poor, dry soils.
Great Bougainvillea · Bougainvillea spectabilis A robust, large-growing climber armed with stout thorns and clothed in showy crimson, red and orange bract clusters over a very long season. A spectacular subtropical screen for hot, sunny positions.
Illawarra Flame Tree · Brachychiton acerifolius A spectacular Australian native that drops its leaves to reveal a blaze of bell-shaped scarlet flowers smothering the bare branches in early summer. A stunning feature shade tree.
Kurrajong · Brachychiton populneus A hardy, drought-tolerant Australian native with a swollen trunk, glossy poplar-like leaves and cream bell flowers. An iconic, long-lived shade and shelter tree for tough conditions.
Angel's Trumpet · Brugmansia x candida A dramatic large shrub hung with enormous pendulous trumpet flowers that pour out a heady perfume in the evening. Spectacular but extremely toxic in all parts; handle and site with care.
Yesterday Today and Tomorrow · Brunfelsia pauciflora 'Floribunda' A fragrant evergreen whose flowers open deep purple, fade to lavender then white, so all three colours appear at once. Beautiful but all parts are poisonous to pets and people if eaten.
Ivory Curl Tree · Buckinghamia celsissima A Queensland rainforest tree with glossy foliage and long, fragrant cream flower spikes that cascade over the canopy in summer. A spectacular feature and street tree for warm climates.
Feather Reed Grass 'Karl Foerster' · Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' A strongly vertical clumping grass with stiff upright stems carrying feathery flower spikes that mature to golden wheat tones. Sterile and non-seeding, it makes an architectural, low-care exclamation point in borders.
Captain Cook Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Captain Cook' A compact weeping bottlebrush with bright red brushes in spring and summer and attractive pink new growth. A neat screening and feature native for small gardens.
Endeavour Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Endeavour' An upright medium bottlebrush bearing large vivid red brushes through spring and summer. A robust, bird-attracting screen and feature shrub.
Great Balls of Fire Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Great Balls of Fire' A dense rounded bottlebrush grown chiefly for its brilliant red and pink new foliage flushes, with occasional red brushes. A colourful, hardy low hedge.
Slim Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Slim' A very narrow upright bottlebrush bred for tight spaces, with red brushes in spring and summer. Ideal for slim hedges and screening along fences and driveways.
White Anzac Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'White Anzac' A low spreading bottlebrush with soft white brushes through spring and summer. A hardy, bird-attracting groundcovering screen useful for banks and coastal sites.
Weeping Bottlebrush · Callistemon viminalis (Sol. ex Gaertn.) G.Don · from $3.95 A fast-growing, tough Australian native with weeping branches and brilliant red bottlebrush flowers — a reliable screening and bird-attracting plant for almost any soil.
China Aster · Callistephus chinensis Showy double daisies in cool jewel tones, long-lasting in the vase and flowering late summer into autumn. Rotate to fresh soil each year to avoid aster wilt.
Trumpet Vine · Campsis radicans A vigorous, self-clinging deciduous climber bearing bold clusters of orange-red trumpet flowers through summer that draw nectar-feeding birds. Robust and showy, but suckering and best given firm support.
Canna 'Bengal Tiger' · Canna 'Bengal Tiger' A bold bog-tolerant canna grown for dramatic green leaves boldly striped in yellow and edged maroon, topped by vivid orange flowers. Thrives in rich, wet soil at the pond margin or in borders.
Canna Lily · Canna indica Bold paddle-shaped leaves, often bronze or striped, topped by vivid tropical flowers all summer. Lush and fast in warmth, but the rhizomes can become invasive near waterways.
Pigface · Carpobrotus glaucescens A hardy coastal succulent forming a fleshy mat that sprawls over dunes and rocks, bright with magenta-pink flowers and edible salty-sweet fruit. Superb for sandy, salt-blasted sites.
Indian Bean Tree · Catalpa bignonioides A bold shade tree with very large heart-shaped leaves and showy upright panicles of frilled white flowers in summer, followed by long slender bean-like pods. Dramatic and fast-growing.
Celosia · Celosia argentea Flamboyant plumes or velvety brain-like crests in fiery colours that thrive in summer heat and humidity. Striking fresh or dried; loves warmth and resents cold, wet feet.
Albany Pitcher Plant · Cephalotus follicularis A rare carnivorous plant from south-west Western Australia, forming a low rosette of intricate ribbed, lidded pitchers that flush deep red in good light. A prized, slow-growing collector's species.
Peruvian Apple Cactus · Cereus repandus A tall columnar blue-green cactus with prominent ribs and spined areoles, opening large fragrant white night flowers followed by edible red fruit. A bold vertical accent and living hedge in dry gardens.
Kangaroo Vine · Cissus antarctica A lush evergreen rainforest climber with glossy toothed leaves that quickly clothes a fence or pergola in deep green and tolerates shade. A hardy screening vine and popular indoor plant.
Silver Torch Cactus · Cleistocactus strausii A slender columnar cactus densely clothed in fine white spines giving a silvery silken sheen, sending out horizontal deep-red tubular flowers from mature stems. A graceful upright accent for hot dry spots.
Large-flowered Clematis · Clematis hybrid Showy deciduous to semi-deciduous garden hybrids prized for their large, flat, saucer-shaped blooms in jewel tones of purple, blue, pink and white. They reward a cool root run with shade and sun on top.
Early Sunrise Tickseed · Coreopsis grandiflora 'Early Sunrise' An award-winning tickseed bearing semi-double golden-yellow daisies from late spring, often flowering in its first year from seed. Compact, free-flowering and bee-friendly.
Tickseed · Coreopsis grandiflora Bright golden daisies in non-stop succession over a long season, thriving on heat and poor soil. Deadhead to keep the cheerful display coming until autumn.
Zagreb Tickseed · Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb' Masses of golden-yellow star flowers cover a fine, thread-leaved mound all summer long. Drought-hardy and spreading, it makes a low, pollinator-rich carpet.
Coriander · Coriandrum sativum · from $3.50 A fast cool-season herb whose pungent leaves and citrus-flavoured seeds are staples of Asian, Mexican and Indian cuisine. Best direct-sown and grown quickly, as it bolts in heat.
Red Flowering Gum · Corymbia ficifolia One of the most spectacular flowering trees in the world, smothered in summer with huge corymbs of scarlet, orange or pink blossom alive with birds and bees. A rounded shade tree for warm gardens.
Summer Snow Flowering Gum · Corymbia 'Summer Snow' A grafted flowering gum producing large trusses of pure white blossom through summer that draw birds and bees. A compact, reliable feature tree for most climates.
Summer Beauty · Corymbia ptychocarpa 'Summer Beauty' A grafted tropical bloodwood with large glossy leaves and enormous pendulous trusses of soft pink flowers in summer. A spectacular feature tree for warm gardens.
Cosmos · Cosmos bipinnatus Airy ferny plants topped by simple daisies that wave on tall stems and adore poor, dry soil. One of the easiest cut flowers from seed, loved by bees and butterflies.
Spiral Ginger · Costus barbatus A tropical spiral ginger with leafy stems that twist as they grow, topped by a red cone-shaped bract emitting yellow tubular flowers. A lush, exotic feature for warm, moist, sheltered positions.
Cotoneaster · Cotoneaster glaucophyllus A hardy evergreen with grey-green leaves, sprays of white summer flowers and heavy crops of orange-red autumn berries loved by birds. Tough and drought-proof, but bird-spread seedlings can become weedy.
Pig's Ear · Cotyledon orbiculata A robust shrubby succulent with broad rounded grey-white leaves rimmed in red, bearing tall stems of nodding orange bell flowers loved by sunbirds. A tough, sculptural water-wise feature.
Billy Buttons · Craspedia globosa A clumping native perennial sending up slender stems topped with perfectly round golden flower balls in spring and summer. A quirky, long-lasting cut flower beloved by florists.
String of Pearls · Curio rowleyanus A delicate trailing succulent strung with rows of round pea-like green beads, each with a translucent window, spilling in long curtains and producing small fragrant white brush flowers. A favourite hanging plant.
Blue Chalksticks · Curio talinoides var. mandraliscae A spreading groundcover succulent of upright finger-like blue-grey leaves with a chalky bloom, forming a cool silvery carpet ideal for mass planting and erosion-prone slopes. Tough and water-wise.
Dwarf Papyrus 'King Tut' · Cyperus papyrus 'King Tut' A more compact selection of papyrus with the same green firework heads on slender stems, ideal for tubs, pots and small water features. Grows happily in saturated soil or shallow water.
Papyrus · Cyperus papyrus A tall, architectural marginal sedge with triangular stems topped by spherical bursts of fine green thread-like bracts. Dramatic at the edge of large ponds or in bog gardens.
Dahlia · Dahlia hybrid Tuberous summer stars in an astonishing range of forms and colours, from pompons to dinner-plate blooms. Lift or mulch the tubers in cold districts; deadhead for months of cut flowers.
Matted Dampiera · Dampiera diversifolia A spreading WA groundcover forming a dense low mat that becomes a sheet of intense violet-blue flowers in spring and summer. A striking colour carpet for well-drained gardens.
Pacific Giant Delphinium · Delphinium 'Pacific Giants' Towering spires densely packed with blue, purple, white or mauve flowers, each with a contrasting central 'bee'. A classic seed strain for the back of the border; all parts are toxic if eaten.
Blue Flax-Lily · Dianella caerulea A clumping strappy native with starry blue flowers followed by glossy violet berries that draw birds. Tough, tidy and at home in mass plantings or pots.
Blue Flax Lily 'Little Jess' · Dianella caerulea 'Little Jess' A compact, clumping strap-leaved flax lily with airy sprays of blue starry flowers followed by glossy purple berries. A tough, low-care mass-planting and border grass for sun or shade.
Breeze Flax Lily · Dianella caerulea 'Breeze' A fine-leaved flax lily forming a soft fountain of bright green foliage with blue flowers and purple berries. Hardy and versatile for borders and mass plantings.
Cassa Blue Flax Lily · Dianella caerulea 'Cassa Blue' A compact Australian native flax lily with upright blue-grey strappy foliage, sprays of small blue flowers and shiny purple berries. A versatile, hardy choice for borders, mass plantings and pots.
Little Jess Flax Lily · Dianella 'Little Jess' A compact, clumping flax lily with deep green strappy leaves, sprays of blue starry flowers and purple berries. A neat, tough small native for borders, pots and mass planting.
Lucia Flax Lily · Dianella 'Lucia' A compact flax lily with blue-green foliage that develops purple tints, plus blue flowers and berries. Tough, frost-hardy and tidy for borders and mass plantings.
Tas Red Flax Lily · Dianella tasmanica 'Tas Red' A flax lily prized for the red-burgundy tones in its strappy foliage during cooler months, with blue flowers and purple berries. Hardy and colourful in mass plantings.
China Pink · Dianthus chinensis Compact bedding pinks with fringed flowers, often bicoloured with a contrasting eye, blooming over a long season. Easy, tidy and reliable for borders, pots and edging.
Tiny Rubies Pink · Dianthus 'Tiny Rubies' A dense, ground-hugging mat of fine blue-grey foliage studded with masses of tiny double rose-pink flowers in spring. Spicy-scented and tough, perfect for rockeries and edging.
Doris Pink · Dianthus 'Doris' An award-winning, deliciously clove-scented pink with semi-double salmon-pink flowers over silvery foliage. Long-flowering, repeat-blooming and a classic for cottage borders.
Memories Pink · Dianthus 'Memories' A clove-scented pink bearing double pure-white flowers in flushes over neat blue-grey foliage. Compact and richly fragrant, ideal for edging, pots and cutting.
Cottage Pink · Dianthus plumarius Low cushions of blue-grey foliage topped by clove-scented, fringed flowers in shades of pink and white. A classic cottage edging plant that loves a sunny, gritty bed.
Yellow Wild Iris · Dietes bicolor Pale yellow iris flowers, each petal blotched maroon-brown at the base, are carried over slender evergreen foliage through the warm months. A hardy, low-care clumping perennial for tough spots.
Large Wild Iris · Dietes grandiflora Strappy evergreen iris from southern Africa with elegant white flowers marked yellow and violet, opening in fortnightly flushes. Almost indestructible, though it can naturalise.
Gymea Lily · Doryanthes excelsa A massive rosette-forming lily of the Sydney region throwing up flower stems to 4m topped with a head of large red blooms. A bold architectural feature and bird magnet.
Spoonleaf Sundew · Drosera spatulata A small carnivorous sundew, native to Australia, forming rosettes of spoon-shaped leaves studded with glistening sticky tentacles that trap tiny insects. An easy, charming bog plant for sunny pots.
Geisha Girl Duranta · Duranta erecta 'Geisha Girl' A fast warm-climate shrub bearing sprays of two-tone purple-and-white flowers followed by golden berry clusters. Popular as a colourful clipped hedge; the berries and leaves are toxic if eaten.
Perle von Nurnberg · Echeveria 'Perle von Nurnberg' A sought-after hybrid rosette flushed in dusky lavender-pink and grey with a fine powdery bloom, intensifying to deeper purple tones in bright light. A signature feature plant for containers and arrangements.
Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower · Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' An award-winning seed strain producing a warm mix of red, orange, gold, cream and rose flowers on compact plants. Drought-hardy and a magnet for pollinators.
Green Envy Coneflower · Echinacea purpurea 'Green Envy' An unusual coneflower whose petals open lime-green and flush rose-pink toward the centre as they age. A striking, long-lasting cut flower that bees adore.
Magnus Coneflower · Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' An award-winning coneflower with large rose-purple flowers whose petals are held flatter and more horizontally than most. A robust, pollinator-rich border perennial with sturdy stems for cutting.
PowWow Wild Berry Coneflower · Echinacea purpurea 'PowWow Wild Berry' A compact, award-winning coneflower covered in vivid rose-magenta blooms that hold their colour without fading. Free-flowering from seed and tidy enough for pots and small borders.
Purple Coneflower · Echinacea purpurea Big daisy flowers with drooping rose-purple petals around a bristly copper cone, a magnet for bees and butterflies. Seed heads feed finches if left standing into winter.
White Swan Coneflower · Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan' Pure white daisy flowers with drooping petals around a golden-bronze cone, blooming all summer. A reliable seed-grown coneflower beloved by bees and butterflies.
Golden Barrel Cactus · Echinocactus grusonii A magnificent globular cactus forming a ribbed ball clad in fierce golden-yellow spines, slowly broadening with age into a glowing sphere. A prized sculptural specimen, now rare in the wild.
Water Hyacinth · Eichhornia crassipes A free-floating aquatic with glossy rounded leaves on inflated buoyant stalks and showy lavender-blue flower spikes. A declared noxious weed across much of Australia and illegal to keep in many states.
Queen of the Night · Epiphyllum oxypetalum An epiphytic cactus with long flattened leaf-like stems that produce enormous fragrant white flowers opening for a single night. A spectacular, fragrant nocturnal basket and patio plant.
Seaside Daisy · Erigeron karvinskianus 'Profusion' A carpet of tiny daisies opening white and ageing to pink, flowering almost year-round in mild climates. Self-sows charmingly into walls and paving and shrugs off drought and salt.
Escallonia · Escallonia 'Apple Blossom' A glossy-leaved evergreen covered in dainty pink-and-white apple-blossom flowers through the warmer months. Wind- and salt-tolerant, it makes an excellent flowering coastal hedge.
Torch Ginger · Etlingera elatior A tall tropical ginger with lush leafy canes and dramatic waxy torch-like flower heads of red or pink rising on separate stems. A spectacular feature and exotic cut flower for warm, moist gardens.
Baby Orange Flowering Gum · Eucalyptus 'Baby Orange' A grafted dwarf flowering gum producing large clusters of vivid orange blossom through summer that attract nectar-feeding birds. Compact enough for small gardens and large containers.
Euky Dwarf · Eucalyptus 'Euky Dwarf' A compact, fast-growing gum reaching only 5-6m with smooth pinkish-grey bark and a neat rounded canopy. Bred as a tidy small shade and street tree for confined gardens.
Summer Red Flowering Gum · Eucalyptus 'Summer Red' A compact grafted flowering gum bred for masses of large deep red to coral blooms through summer and autumn. A small, reliable feature tree that performs across most of Australia.
Mottlecah · Eucalyptus macrocarpa A sprawling silver-leaved mallee famous for the largest flowers of any eucalypt - huge red-pink blooms followed by giant gum nuts. A striking arid-zone collector's feature.
Coral Gum · Eucalyptus torquata A small, hardy goldfields gum smothered in coral-pink to red lantern-shaped flowers for much of the year. An excellent drought-tough feature and street tree.
Blue Barrel Cactus · Ferocactus glaucescens A handsome barrel cactus with a powdery blue-green ribbed body armed with golden-yellow spines, opening a ring of pale yellow flowers at its crown in summer. A striking, slow sculptural specimen.
Blue Fescue 'Elijah Blue' · Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' A compact evergreen tufting grass forming tidy hemispherical mounds of fine steel-blue foliage. Excellent for edging, rockeries and containers in well-drained, sunny spots.
Knobby Club-rush · Ficinia nodosa A tough, tufting coastal sedge with wiry dark green stems tipped by little knobby seed heads. Salt-, wind- and waterlogging-tolerant, it excels in coastal and rain-garden plantings.
Fuchsia · Fuchsia 'Swingtime' A shade-loving shrub dripping with pendulous red-and-white double flowers like tiny ballerinas through the warmer months. Perfect for hanging baskets and shady patios; nectar draws birds.
Arizona Sun Blanket Flower · Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' An award-winning, compact blanket flower bearing red daisies tipped with golden-yellow all season. Heat- and drought-hardy, flowering in its first year and loved by bees and butterflies.
Florida Gardenia · Gardenia augusta 'Florida' A compact rounded gardenia carrying intensely perfumed, waxy double white flowers above glossy emerald foliage from spring into summer. One of the most popular fragrant shrubs for warm gardens and pots.
Professor Pucci Gardenia · Gardenia augusta 'Professor Pucci' A robust gardenia producing very large, full double white flowers with a rich perfume over a long autumn season. Vigorous and reliable as a feature or informal hedge.
Creeping Gardenia · Gardenia jasminoides 'Radicans' A low, spreading dwarf gardenia with small glossy leaves and miniature fragrant white double flowers. Ideal as a perfumed groundcover, border or trailing pot plant.
Gardenia · Gardenia jasminoides Intensely perfumed white blooms against dark glossy leaves — the scent of a subtropical summer. Give it warmth, acidic soil and steady moisture and it flowers for months.
Grandiflora Star Gardenia · Gardenia jasminoides 'Grandiflora Star' A free-flowering gardenia with glossy dark leaves and large, intensely perfumed double white blooms from spring through summer. A favourite for pots, low hedges and fragrant feature planting.
Magnifica Gardenia · Gardenia jasminoides 'Magnifica' A larger gardenia bearing big, heavily perfumed double white blooms later in the season than 'Florida'. Excellent as a fragrant feature shrub or for cutting.
Butterfly Bush · Gaura lindheimeri Airy wands of white-to-pink flowers dance on wiry stems like a cloud of butterflies for months on end. Drought-proof and self-cleaning, it brings movement to any sunny border.
Siskiyou Pink Gaura · Gaura lindheimeri 'Siskiyou Pink' Deep rose-pink flowers open from dark buds on wiry stems above bronze-tinted foliage, swaying in the lightest breeze. A long-flowering, water-wise butterfly favourite.
Whirling Butterflies · Gaura lindheimeri 'Whirling Butterflies' Airy wands of white, pink-flushed flowers dance on slender stems like a cloud of butterflies all season. Heat- and drought-tolerant, weaving beautifully through other plantings.
Rozanne Cranesbill · Geranium 'Rozanne' An award-winning, sterile cranesbill that flowers non-stop with violet-blue, white-centred saucers from spring to autumn. Spreading and weed-suppressing, it is one of the longest-flowering perennials grown.
Bloody Cranesbill · Geranium sanguineum A tough true geranium forming spreading mounds of finely cut leaves smothered in magenta flowers. Foliage flushes red in autumn and the plant copes admirably with dry shade.
Mrs Bradshaw Geum · Geum 'Mrs J. Bradshaw' An award-winning avens with semi-double scarlet flowers waving on wiry stems above a low rosette of hairy leaves. Long-flowering and a cheerful favourite of cottage gardens.
Gladiolus · Gladiolus hybrid Tall one-sided spikes of funnel flowers, a staple of the summer cutting patch, grown from corms planted in succession. Stake in windy spots; some species are environmental weeds.
Hop Goodenia · Goodenia ovata 'Gold Cover' A prostrate form of hop goodenia spreading into a glossy green mat dotted with bright yellow flowers for most of the year. A fast, hardy groundcover for sun or shade.
Bronze Rambler Grevillea · Grevillea 'Bronze Rambler' A tough fast prostrate groundcover with deeply lobed foliage that flushes bronze-red, and toothbrush red flowers. Ideal for slope stabilising and weed suppression.
Poorinda Royal Mantle Grevillea · Grevillea 'Poorinda Royal Mantle' A vigorous flat groundcover that roots as it spreads, carrying deep red toothbrush flowers against dark green foliage. A classic erosion-control native.
Chin Cactus · Gymnocalycium mihanovichii A small ribbed globular cactus, famous in its chlorophyll-free red, pink or yellow grafted 'moon cactus' form, producing delicate pink flowers. A colourful, compact novelty for bright windowsills.
Cooper's Haworthia · Haworthia cooperi A jewel-like rosette of plump translucent blue-green leaves with glassy 'windowed' tips that glow when backlit, allowing light into the buried plant body. A coveted collector's miniature.
Zebra Plant · Haworthiopsis fasciata A small slow-growing rosette of stiff dark green pointed leaves banded with raised white tubercle stripes like zebra markings. A tough, pet-safe windowsill gem that tolerates lower light than most succulents.
Sunflower · Helianthus annuus Giant golden heads track the sun on towering stems, feeding bees in flower and finches in seed. One of the most rewarding and fast plants to grow from seed with children.
Hanging Lobster Claw · Heliconia rostrata A clumping tropical perennial with paddle-shaped leaves and spectacular pendent flower spikes of red claw-like bracts tipped yellow and green. A bold feature and cut flower for warm, sheltered gardens.
Daylily · Hemerocallis hybrid Each trumpet lasts a single day but the clumps churn out wave after wave through the warm months. Adaptable and tough; note that daylilies are toxic to cats.
Caramel Coral Bells · Heuchera 'Caramel' A heat-tolerant coral bells with ruffled apricot-amber leaves that turn rich caramel and warm toward autumn. A glowing foliage perennial for shaded beds and containers.
Coral Bells · Heuchera hybrid Grown for mounds of ruffled foliage in caramel, burgundy, lime and silver that hold colour all year. Slender wands of tiny bell flowers rise above in spring.
Lime Marmalade Coral Bells · Heuchera 'Lime Marmalade' A vivid coral bells with ruffled chartreuse-lime foliage that brightens shady corners and containers year-round. Compact and grown chiefly for its glowing leaves.
Plum Pudding Coral Bells · Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' Glossy, silver-veiled plum-purple leaves form a neat mound topped by wispy cream flower stems. A reliable foliage perennial for shaded borders and pots.
Palace Purple Coral Bells · Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple' An award-winning coral bells grown for its mounds of deep bronze-purple maple-shaped leaves, with airy sprays of tiny cream flowers in summer. Thrives in shade as foliage colour.
Snake Vine · Hibbertia scandens A scrambling coastal climber and groundcover with glossy leaves and large bright yellow buttercup-like flowers through much of the year. A tough, versatile cover for banks, fences and dunes.
Hibiscus · Hibiscus rosa-sinensis The quintessential tropical flowering shrub, producing a non-stop succession of huge, flamboyant trumpet flowers in every warm colour. Loves heat and sun; frost-tender but spectacular in warm gardens.
Hippeastrum · Hippeastrum hybrid Huge trumpet flowers on stout stalks make a spectacular pot or border display in warm climates. The large bulbs are easy and long-lived but toxic to pets and people.
Plantain Lily · Hosta hybrid The premier foliage plant for shade, forming bold clumps of ribbed leaves in blue, gold, green and variegated forms. Lily-like flowers appear in summer; protect new shoots from snails.
Chameleon Plant · Houttuynia cordata 'Chameleon' A spreading bog groundcover with heart-shaped leaves splashed red, cream, yellow and green, and small white flowers. Vigorous and can be invasive in damp ground, so often best contained in a pot.
Annabelle Hydrangea · Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' Famous for enormous rounded heads of pure white sterile florets up to 30 cm across, carried on new wood so it can be cut hard each winter. Extremely hardy and reliable.
Bluebird Hydrangea · Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bluebird' A serrata-type lacecap with flat heads of fertile inner florets ringed by sterile blue or mauve-pink sepals. Compact and elegant, with reddish autumn foliage.
Endless Summer Hydrangea · Hydrangea macrophylla 'Endless Summer' A reblooming mophead that flowers on both old and new wood, giving a long display of large rounded heads through summer. Blooms blue in acid soils and pink in alkaline soils.
Hydrangea · Hydrangea macrophylla The beloved cottage-garden hydrangea with huge rounded flower heads whose colour shifts blue in acid soil and pink in alkaline. A shade-loving deciduous shrub spectacular through summer.
Renate Steiniger Hydrangea · Hydrangea macrophylla 'Renate Steiniger' A classic German mophead renowned for its intense gentian-blue heads on acid soil. One of the most reliably deep-blue cultivars for cool gardens.
Limelight Hydrangea · Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' A sun-hardy panicle hydrangea with large conical flower heads opening lime-green, ageing to creamy white then rosy pink. More cold- and sun-tolerant than mopheads and excellent for cutting.
Little Lime Hydrangea · Hydrangea paniculata 'Little Lime' A dwarf sport of 'Limelight' with the same lime-green to pink conical heads on a compact frame. Ideal for smaller gardens, borders and large pots.
Pinky Winky Hydrangea · Hydrangea paniculata 'Pinky Winky' A vigorous panicle hydrangea whose two-tone conical heads open white at the tip while the base ages to deep pink, giving a striking bicolour effect. Tough, sun-tolerant and flowering on new wood.
Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea · Hydrangea paniculata 'Vanilla Strawberry' Large panicles open creamy white then age through soft pink to strawberry-red, often showing all three tones at once. A striking, hardy summer-to-autumn feature shrub.
Oakleaf Hydrangea · Hydrangea quercifolia A handsome deciduous hydrangea with bold oak-shaped leaves that flame burgundy in autumn and conical white flower panicles ageing to pink. Offers multi-season interest in light shade.
Snow Queen Oakleaf Hydrangea · Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen' An oakleaf hydrangea with bold lobed leaves that turn rich burgundy in autumn and upright white conical panicles ageing to pink. Valued as much for its foliage as its flowers.
Bluebird Mountain Hydrangea · Hydrangea serrata 'Bluebird' A refined mountain hydrangea bearing delicate lacecap heads of blue to mauve-pink sepals over a central cluster of fertile florets. Compact, cold-hardy and good for smaller spaces.
Autumn Joy Sedum · Hylotelephium spectabile Fleshy grey-green clumps build all summer to flat heads of dusky pink that deepen to rust in autumn, swarming with butterflies. The seed heads stand handsomely through winter.
Busy Lizzie · Impatiens walleriana The go-to bedding plant for shade, smothering itself in flat flowers all the warm months in moist soil. Frost-tender and thirsty, it rewards regular water with non-stop colour.
Blue Morning Glory · Ipomoea indica A fast, twining climber that opens a daily flush of large azure-blue to purple funnel flowers. Striking but highly invasive, it is a serious environmental weed that smothers bushland and gardens.
Japanese Water Iris · Iris ensata An elegant moisture-loving iris with large flat-faced blooms in shades of purple, blue and white over slender upright foliage. Loves wet ground in spring and summer but prefers drier feet in winter.
Drumsticks · Isopogon anemonifolius A compact eastern shrub with finely divided leaves and yellow flower clusters that mature into woody, drumstick-like seed cones. A tough, tidy feature for sandstone gardens.
Jacaranda · Jacaranda mimosifolia A spreading subtropical tree famed for its haze of violet-blue trumpet flowers in late spring, carpeting the ground beneath. Fine fern-like foliage gives dappled summer shade.
Arabian Jasmine · Jasminum sambac A tender, scrambling evergreen jasmine bearing intensely fragrant waxy white flowers that age to pink, blooming through the warmer months. Beloved for perfume, garlands and scenting tea.
Pale Rush · Juncus pallidus A hardy Australian native rush forming dense clumps of stiff, upright pale-green stems, thriving in wet ground and pond margins. Excellent for bog gardens, rain gardens and bank stabilisation.
Dusky Coral Pea · Kennedia rubicunda A tough, fast Australian native climber and groundcover bearing dusky red pea flowers in spring that attract honeyeaters. Hardy and adaptable, it is excellent for binding banks and quick cover.
Red Hot Poker · Kniphofia uvaria Bold pokers of tubular flowers glow red, orange and yellow above grassy clumps, brimming with nectar for honeyeaters. Tough, drought-hardy and dramatic in the summer border.
Golden Rain Tree · Koelreuteria paniculata A tough, rounded shade tree carrying large airy sprays of yellow summer flowers followed by ornamental papery lantern-like seed capsules, with bright yellow autumn foliage.
Tick Bush · Kunzea ambigua A soft, arching shrub with fine aromatic foliage smothered in fluffy honey-scented white flowers in late spring that hum with bees and insects. A fast, hardy screen for coastal sites.
Crepe Myrtle 'Acoma' · Lagerstroemia 'Acoma' A low, semi-weeping Indian Summer hybrid with white summer flowers, smooth grey-tan bark and purple-red autumn colour. Mildew-resistant and ideal as a small multi-stemmed feature.
Crepe Myrtle 'Biloxi' · Lagerstroemia 'Biloxi' A tall, upright Indian Summer hybrid with soft pale-pink summer flowers, dark mildew-resistant foliage and orange-red autumn colour. One of the larger crepe myrtles, suiting avenue and shade use.
Crepe Myrtle 'Lipan' · Lagerstroemia 'Lipan' A medium Indian Summer hybrid with lavender-pink summer flowers, striking near-white exfoliating bark and orange-red autumn colour. Mildew-resistant and well suited to feature planting.
Crepe Myrtle 'Muskogee' · Lagerstroemia 'Muskogee' A large, vigorous Indian Summer hybrid with long-lasting light lavender summer flowers, smooth mottled bark and red-orange autumn colour. One of the tallest and most disease-resistant crepe myrtles.
Crepe Myrtle 'Natchez' · Lagerstroemia 'Natchez' A vigorous Indian Summer hybrid crepe myrtle with abundant pure white summer flowers and outstanding cinnamon-brown exfoliating bark. Mildew-resistant with orange-red autumn foliage.
Crepe Myrtle 'Sioux' · Lagerstroemia 'Sioux' A medium Indian Summer hybrid with vivid mid-pink summer flowers, mildew-resistant foliage and rich maroon-red autumn colour. An upright, manageable feature tree for smaller gardens.
Crepe Myrtle 'Tuscarora' · Lagerstroemia 'Tuscarora' A popular Indian Summer hybrid bearing large trusses of coral-pink summer flowers above mildew-resistant foliage, with mottled tan bark and orange-red autumn colour. A reliable feature tree.
Crepe Myrtle 'Yuma' · Lagerstroemia 'Yuma' A medium Indian Summer hybrid crepe myrtle with bright lavender-lilac summer flowers, mildew-resistant foliage and orange-red autumn colour. A multi-stemmed feature for smaller gardens.
Crepe Myrtle 'Zuni' · Lagerstroemia 'Zuni' A compact Indian Summer hybrid with medium-lavender summer flowers, mildew-resistant foliage and orange-red to maroon autumn colour. A long-flowering choice for smaller gardens and screens.
Crepe Myrtle · Lagerstroemia indica A reliable summer-flowering tree bearing big crinkled trusses of pink, mauve, red or white bloom for months, with mottled peeling bark and rich autumn tones. A heat-tolerant favourite.
English Lavender · Lavandula angustifolia Silvery, fragrant and alive with bees all summer — the classic low hedge for a sunny, free-draining spot. Cut the flowers for drying or the kitchen.
Hidcote English Lavender · Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' A compact English lavender prized for its deep violet-purple flowers and dark buds on tidy grey bushes. Award-winning, cold-hardy and ideal for low formal hedging.
Munstead English Lavender · Lavandula angustifolia 'Munstead' An early-flowering, compact English lavender with soft blue-purple spikes and excellent culinary buds. Reliable, cold-hardy and one of the best for cool-climate gardens.
Grosso Lavender · Lavandula x intermedia 'Grosso' The world's most widely grown oil lavandin, with long-stemmed deep violet spikes and intense fragrance on big silver bushes. Superb for drying, oil and hedging.
Provence Lavender · Lavandula x intermedia 'Provence' A large lavandin with long, slender pale-violet spikes and a sweet, clean fragrance prized for drying and oil. Vigorous and silver-leaved, it makes an outstanding scented hedge.
Madrid Blue Spanish Lavender · Lavandula stoechas 'Madrid Blue' A compact, very early-flowering Spanish lavender from the Madrid series with rich blue-purple bracts over a long season. Neat and floriferous, perfect for containers and edging.
Princess Spanish Lavender · Lavandula stoechas 'Princess' A Spanish lavender topped with long, vivid candy-pink bracts above a dense flower head from winter into summer. Free-flowering, compact and excellent in pots.
Spanish Lavender · Lavandula stoechas Instantly recognised by the rabbit-ear bracts perched atop chubby flower heads. Free-flowering and showy, though it can self-seed and is a declared weed in some districts.
The Princess Lavender · Lavandula stoechas 'The Princess' An improved, award-winning Spanish lavender carrying large rose-pink bracts in profusion from late winter to summer. Showy, weather-tolerant and quick to flower from young plants.
Lemon-scented Tea Tree · Leptospermum petersonii A tall tea tree with aromatic lemon-scented foliage and white spring blossom, often grown as a fragrant informal hedge. The leaves can be steeped for a citrus bush tea.
Lily · Lilium hybrid Stately stems crowned with large, often heavily perfumed trumpet flowers, prized for cutting. Note that lilies are highly toxic to cats, causing kidney failure even in tiny amounts.
Lilly Pilly · Syzygium australe · from $3.95 Australia's favourite native screen — glossy evergreen leaves flushed coppery-red when new, clipping into dense hedges and topiary, followed by edible magenta berries the birds love.
Tulip Tree · Liriodendron tulipifera A stately fast-growing tree with uniquely shaped saddle-cut leaves that turn clear gold in autumn and curious greenish-orange tulip-like flowers in early summer. Needs room to spread.
Evergreen Giant Lilyturf · Liriope muscari 'Evergreen Giant' A large, robust lilyturf forming upright clumps of broad dark-green strappy leaves with tall spikes of pale violet flowers. Excellent as a low informal hedge, border or mass planting in sun or shade.
Lilyturf 'Just Right' · Liriope muscari 'Just Right' A clumping strappy-leaf perennial forming tidy tufts of arching deep-green foliage topped with spikes of violet-purple flowers in late summer. A reliable, low-care border and mass-planting plant.
Matted Pratia · Lobelia pedunculata A creeping, mat-forming groundcover with tiny leaves studded with starry pale blue flowers, tolerant of light foot traffic. An excellent lawn substitute and paving filler for moist spots.
Sweet Alyssum · Lobularia maritima A low carpet of tiny honey-scented flowers that hum with bees and hoverflies, perfect for edging and baskets. Tough, quick and self-seeding in mild climates.
Gold Flame Honeysuckle · Lonicera x heckrottii A well-behaved deciduous honeysuckle hybrid producing showy whorls of pink-and-yellow tubular flowers that attract nectar-feeding birds over a long season. Less invasive than its Japanese relative.
Japanese Honeysuckle · Lonicera japonica A vigorous twining climber valued for its intensely sweet-scented white flowers that age to yellow through summer. Beautiful and nectar-rich, but a declared environmental weed that smothers native vegetation.
Brush Box · Lophostemon confertus A robust evergreen Australian native with a dense rounded canopy of glossy leaves, peeling reddish-brown bark and fluffy white summer flowers. A tough, widely planted street and shade tree.
Russell Lupin · Lupinus 'Russell Hybrids' Bold, densely packed flower spikes in a brilliant range of colours and bicolours rise over palm-shaped leaves in late spring. A nitrogen-fixing cottage classic; seeds are toxic if eaten.
Dwarf Magnolia 'Teddy Bear' · Magnolia grandiflora 'Teddy Bear' A compact, densely upright evergreen magnolia with glossy dark green leaves backed in rich rust-brown felt, and large fragrant white summer flowers. Excellent as a screen or small feature.
Little Gem Magnolia · Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem' A compact, narrow magnolia with glossy dark leaves backed in rich rust felt and large, lemon-scented creamy-white flowers borne over a long season. A versatile screening and feature shrub-tree.
Magnolia 'Kay Parris' · Magnolia grandiflora 'Kay Parris' A compact evergreen magnolia with narrow wavy-edged glossy leaves heavily felted rust-brown beneath, and large fragrant white flowers over a long summer season. A versatile screen and feature tree.
Chilean Jasmine · Mandevilla laxa A vigorous twining climber bearing clusters of fragrant white trumpet flowers through summer, hardier than its tropical relatives. The sweet evening perfume makes it a charming choice for warm pergolas.
Dipladenia · Mandevilla sanderi A glossy-leaved twining climber producing a continuous show of large trumpet flowers in vivid red, pink and white through the warm months. Compact and free-flowering, it is ideal for pots and patio trellises.
Rose Grape · Medinilla magnifica A spectacular tropical shrub-like perennial with large leathery leaves and huge pendent panicles of pink flowers shrouded in showy pink bracts. A luxurious feature for warm, humid, shaded positions.
Snow in Summer · Melaleuca linariifolia 'Claret Tops' · from $17.95 A compact form of the popular paperbark with striking burgundy new growth maturing to green, and fluffy white summer flowers. Hardy and adaptable for hedges, screens and feature planting.
Thyme Honey-myrtle · Melaleuca thymifolia A small, dainty paperbark with fine blue-green leaves and curious fringed mauve-purple claw flowers through the warmer months. Tolerates wet feet and suits damp or boggy spots.
Spearmint · Mentha spicata Vigorous, fragrant and almost impossible to kill — best grown in a pot to keep its running roots in check. A few leaves transform drinks, salads and lamb.
Min-a-min Murraya · Murraya paniculata 'Min-a-min' A compact, fine-leaved orange jessamine bred for tidy low hedges, bearing flushes of intensely fragrant white flowers after warm rain. Glossy and dense, thriving in warm frost-free gardens.
Orange Jessamine · Murraya paniculata · from $16.95 A glossy-leaved evergreen famed for flushes of intensely fragrant white flowers resembling orange blossom, followed by red berries. A popular dense hedge in warm-climate gardens, but frost-tender.
Creeping Boobialla · Myoporum parvifolium A fast, dense prostrate native that hugs the ground with succulent green foliage and tiny white star flowers in summer. An outstanding weed-suppressing cover for banks and verges.
Dwarf Sacred Bamboo · Nandina domestica 'Nana' A compact mounding shrub grown for fine ferny foliage that turns brilliant red and burgundy in cold weather. Tough and low, it makes a colourful mass planting or low border. Berries are toxic to pets.
Mexican Feather Grass · Nassella tenuissima A fine-textured grass forming flowing tufts of needle-thin green foliage that turn blonde, with airy seed heads that ripple in the breeze. Now a declared weed in parts of Australia and prohibited in some states.
Sacred Lotus · Nelumbo nucifera A striking aquatic perennial with large blue-green leaves held high on stems above the water and fragrant pink to white bowl-shaped flowers followed by distinctive seed pods. Best in full sun in warm climates.
Blushing Bromeliad · Neoregelia carolinae A broad rosette of glossy green strap leaves whose centre flushes brilliant crimson as the plant prepares to flower. A reliable, showy bromeliad for shaded patios and tropical gardens.
Fireball Bromeliad · Neoregelia 'Fireball' A small clustering bromeliad whose narrow rosettes blaze deep red in bright light and multiply freely on stolons to form a dense mat. Superb in containers, hanging displays and as a tropical groundcover.
Catmint · Nepeta faassenii Soft grey-green mounds froth with lavender-blue flowers loved by bees, releasing a minty scent when brushed. Shear after the first flush and it rebounds for a second show.
Walker's Low Catmint · Nepeta x faassenii 'Walker's Low' A billowing mound of grey-green aromatic foliage smothered in lavender-blue flowers from spring into summer. Award-winning, tough and a superb low edging that bees swarm over.
Six Hills Giant Catmint · Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' A larger catmint forming a big, sprawling mound of grey aromatic foliage drenched in lavender-blue flowers. Long-flowering, drought-hardy and irresistible to bees and cats alike.
Oleander · Nerium oleander An extremely tough, heat- and drought-proof shrub flowering all summer in pink, white or red. Ideal for hot, dry and coastal screens, but every part is highly toxic to people and animals.
Bird's Nest Bromeliad · Nidularium innocentii A shade-loving rosette of dark, often maroon-backed leaves whose centre forms a nest of bright red bracts cradling white flowers. Excellent groundcover bromeliad for deep shade under trees.
Love-in-a-mist · Nigella damascena Sky-blue flowers nestled in a ruff of feathery foliage, followed by inflated horned seed pods loved by flower arrangers. Sow direct where it is to grow; it resents transplanting and self-seeds.
Waterlily 'Attraction' · Nymphaea 'Attraction' A vigorous hardy waterlily bearing large deep garnet-red cup-shaped blooms flecked with white, held just above floating green pads. A classic, reliable choice for medium to large ponds.
Waterlily 'Colorado' · Nymphaea 'Colorado' A free-flowering hardy waterlily with warm salmon-peach blooms that deepen as they age, held above mottled pads. Compact enough for tubs and small ponds.
Water Snowflake · Nymphoides indica A dainty floating aquatic with small heart-shaped leaves and frilly white star-flowers fringed with delicate hairs. Quickly covers the surface of warm ponds.
Sweet Basil · Ocimum basilicum · from $3.50 The essential summer herb — pinch it often for bushy growth and a steady supply of fragrant leaves. Fast and rewarding from seed in warm weather.
Mondo Grass · Ophiopogon japonicus A tough evergreen strappy-leaf groundcover forming a dense carpet of fine dark-green grassy foliage. A hard-wearing, low-care lawn alternative for shade and a favourite for pathways and edges.
Black Mondo Grass · Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' A striking strappy-leaf groundcover forming spreading tufts of near-black arching foliage, with small mauve flowers and black berries. A dramatic contrast plant for edging, pots and pebble gardens.
Prickly Pear · Opuntia ficus-indica A large segmented cactus of flat oval green pads armed with spines and fine barbed glochids, bearing yellow flowers and edible red-purple fruit. A declared weed in much of Australia, so plant with care.
Bower Vine · Pandorea jasminoides · from $16.95 A vigorous evergreen climber with glossy foliage and large trumpet-shaped pink flowers with deep rose throats through the warmer months. Ideal for covering pergolas, fences and arbours.
Lady Di Bower Vine · Pandorea jasminoides 'Lady Di' A vigorous evergreen climber with glossy foliage and large pure white trumpet flowers with pale yellow throats through spring and summer. Ideal for fences and pergolas.
Blue Passionflower · Passiflora caerulea An ornamental evergreen to semi-deciduous climber bearing intricate blue-and-white flowers with a striking filament crown, followed by ornamental orange fruit. Hardier than the edible passionfruit but prone to suckering.
Passionfruit · Passiflora edulis A vigorous evergreen tendril climber grown for its exotic fringed purple-and-white flowers followed by aromatic, tangy purple fruit. A productive backyard favourite for warm, sheltered fences and pergolas.
Native Iris · Patersonia occidentalis A tufted native iris with strappy leaves producing a succession of delicate purple-blue three-petalled flowers in spring and summer. A hardy, grassy clumper for borders and damp spots.
Native Pelargonium · Pelargonium australe A hardy native geranium forming a low clump of softly hairy scalloped leaves topped with clusters of pink, veined flowers in the warmer months. A tough, drought-tolerant groundcover perennial.
Big Red Zonal Geranium · Pelargonium x hortorum 'Big Red' Bold ball-shaped heads of vivid scarlet flowers smother this zonal geranium for most of the year over rounded, faintly aromatic leaves. Sun-loving and drought-hardy, perfect for pots; toxic to pets.
Zonal Geranium · Pelargonium hortorum The indestructible pot geranium, flowering almost year-round in mild climates with rounded, often zoned leaves. Thrives on neglect, heat and a sunny windowsill or balcony.
Lord Bute Regal Geranium · Pelargonium 'Lord Bute' A regal pelargonium with sumptuous deep blackcurrant-purple flowers edged in wine-red over crinkled aromatic leaves. Showy in pots and warm borders; toxic to pets.
Purple Fountain Grass · Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum' A showy fountain grass with arching burgundy-purple foliage and soft furry pink-purple flower spikes that nod gracefully. Frost-tender and usually grown as a feature or container highlight.
Dwarf Fountain Grass 'Hameln' · Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' A dwarf, compact fountain grass forming neat mounds of fine green foliage topped with creamy bottlebrush plumes. Lower-seeding and well-mannered, it suits borders, edging and containers.
Nafray Fountain Grass · Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Nafray' An Australian-bred selection of the native swamp foxtail forming neat green clumps topped with fluffy purple-bronze bottlebrush plumes. Tough, low-care and sterile-flowering, making it a safer choice than the weedy species.
Swamp Foxtail · Pennisetum alopecuroides A clumping grass with arching green foliage and showy purplish foxtail plumes in summer and autumn. Self-seeds readily and is regarded as an environmental weed in parts of Australia.
Husker Red Beardtongue · Penstemon 'Husker Red' An award-winning beardtongue grown for its deep maroon-red foliage topped by airy spires of white, pink-flushed flowers. Cold-hardy, drought-tolerant and a striking foliage-and-flower combination.
Firebird Penstemon · Penstemon 'Firebird' Tall spires of tubular scarlet flowers borne over a long season above slender green foliage. Drought-tolerant once settled and a favourite of nectar-feeding birds.
Garnet Penstemon · Penstemon 'Garnet' An award-winning, hardy penstemon bearing slender spires of deep wine-red tubular flowers over a long season. One of the toughest beardtongues, loved by bees and nectar-feeding birds.
Penstemon · Penstemon hybrid Spires of tubular bells in jewel tones rise above clumps through the warmer months, beloved by bees and birds. Quick to flower and easy in any sunny, well-drained spot.
Petunia · Petunia hybrida Trumpet flowers in a dazzling colour range smother trailing or mounding plants all season long. Superb in baskets and pots; deadhead and feed for a non-stop show.
Mock Orange · Philadelphus 'Virginal' An upright deciduous shrub that erupts in early summer with double pure-white flowers carrying an intense orange-blossom perfume. A classic fragrant cottage-garden shrub.
Turkish Sage · Phlomis russeliana Tiered whorls of soft-yellow hooded flowers stack up sturdy stems above big felted leaves. The architectural dried seed heads earn their keep right through winter.
Pink Rice Flower · Pimelea ferruginea A compact, rounded WA coastal shrub with neat glossy leaves smothered in dense pink pom-pom flower heads in spring. A tidy, hardy feature and cut flower for well-drained gardens.
Water Lettuce · Pistia stratiotes A free-floating aquatic forming rosettes of soft, velvety pale-green leaves resembling a floating lettuce. A declared weed in Australia and prohibited in several states.
Plumbago · Plumbago auriculata A sprawling, scrambling shrub awash with phlox-like sky-blue flower clusters from summer to autumn. Drought-hardy and butterfly-friendly, it makes a soft informal hedge or bank cover in warm climates.
Royal Cape Plumbago · Plumbago auriculata 'Royal Cape' A deeper-blue selection of cape plumbago, smothered in phlox-like sky-blue flowers from summer well into autumn. Fast, drought-hardy and coastal-tolerant, good as an informal hedge or scrambler.
Singapore Frangipani · Plumeria obtusa A near-evergreen frangipani with glossy rounded leaves and clusters of highly fragrant white flowers with yellow centres over a long warm season. A lush feature for frost-free gardens; toxic to pets.
Frangipani · Plumeria rubra A sculptural deciduous tropical tree with thick branches and clusters of intensely fragrant waxy flowers in pink, red, white and yellow through summer. A beloved feature; all parts are toxic to pets.
Common Tussock Grass · Poa labillardierei A handsome large tussock grass with fine blue-green foliage forming soft fountain-like clumps topped by airy summer seed heads. A movement-rich native for mass planting and erosion control.
Sweet Pea Bush · Polygala myrtifolia A fast, hardy shrub almost permanently dotted with purple-pink pea-shaped flowers brushed with a fringed keel. Excellent in dry coastal gardens, though it can self-seed and naturalise.
Pickerel Weed · Pontederia cordata A hardy marginal aquatic with glossy spear-shaped leaves and showy spikes of violet-blue flowers through summer that attract bees. Excellent for pond edges and bog gardens.
Elephant Bush · Portulacaria afra A bushy succulent with reddish-brown stems and small round glossy green leaves, edible and tangy, favoured for bonsai and hedging in warm climates and grazed by elephants in its native South Africa.
Pink Mulla Mulla · Ptilotus exaltatus 'Joey' A compact selection of the arid-zone mulla mulla with silvery foliage and showy conical spikes of feathery silver-pink flowers all summer. A heat-loving container and cut flower star.
Cosmic White Indian Hawthorn · Rhaphiolepis indica 'Cosmic White' A spreading Indian hawthorn with leathery dark leaves and abundant pink-budded white flowers in spring. Tough, drought- and coastal-tolerant, ideal for low hedges and mass planting.
Snow Maiden Indian Hawthorn · Rhaphiolepis indica 'Snow Maiden' An Indian hawthorn smothered in pure white spring flowers above neat evergreen foliage, followed by blue-black berries. Hardy, low-care and well-suited to coastal hedging.
Abraham Darby Rose · Rosa 'Abraham Darby' A robust English rose with large, deeply cupped blooms in a glowing blend of apricot, peach and pink. Strongly fruity fragranced, it forms a big arching shrub or can be trained as a climber.
Apricot Nectar Rose · Rosa 'Apricot Nectar' A classic floribunda bearing big clusters of pinkish-apricot blooms with a fruity, sweet fragrance. Robust and floriferous, an enduring favourite for warm-toned borders.
Bewitched Rose · Rosa 'Bewitched' An award-winning hybrid tea with large, high-centred clear rose-pink blooms and a strong damask fragrance on long cutting stems. Vigorous and prolific.
Black Boy Rose · Rosa 'Blackboy' A famous Australian-bred heritage climber raised by Alister Clark, with deep velvety crimson-maroon blooms and a strong old-rose fragrance. Vigorous and mostly spring-flowering.
Bonica Rose · Rosa 'Bonica' A landscape floribunda producing arching sprays of soft pink double blooms over a long season, followed by orange hips. The first rose inducted into the Rose Hall of Fame for shrub roses, tough and almost care-free.
Brilliant Pink Iceberg Rose · Rosa 'Brilliant Pink Iceberg' A colourful Iceberg sport with cerise-pink blooms often marbled and streaked with cream. Carries the same reliable, disease-resistant and prolific nature as its parent.
Burgundy Iceberg Rose · Rosa 'Burgundy Iceberg' A sport of Iceberg sharing all its toughness and free-flowering habit, but with rich deep wine-purple blooms that reverse to silvery mauve. Striking massed or as a hedge.
Cecile Brunner · Rosa 'Cecile Brunner' A dainty heritage polyantha known as the Sweetheart Rose, bearing perfectly formed miniature pale-pink buds with a light, sweet fragrance. Charming, healthy and almost continuously in bloom.
Climbing Iceberg Rose · Rosa 'Climbing Iceberg' The climbing sport of the famous Iceberg, draping pillars, arches and pergolas in cascading clusters of lightly fragrant pure-white blooms. Vigorous, nearly thornless and extremely reliable.
Crepuscule Rose · Rosa 'Crepuscule' A heritage Noisette climber flowering almost year-round in warm climates, with soft apricot-orange blooms and a light tea fragrance. Few thorns and remarkably tough.
Crown Princess Margareta Rose · Rosa 'Crown Princess Margareta' A vigorous English climbing rose with large, full rosettes of rich apricot-orange and a fruity tea fragrance. Healthy and tolerant, it can be grown as a big shrub or trained upward.
Double Delight Rose · Rosa 'Double Delight' A striking bicolour hybrid tea with creamy-white blooms vividly edged in strawberry-red, the colour deepening in sun. Richly spicy fragrant and a perennial show-bench winner.
Double Knock Out Rose · Rosa 'Double Knock Out' A fuller-flowered form of the Knock Out shrub rose, with double cherry-red blooms over a long season. Shares the same exceptional disease resistance and low-care, self-cleaning habit.
Eden Rose · Rosa 'Pierre de Ronsard' An immensely popular climber bearing heavy, old-fashioned cupped blooms of creamy white flushed with rose-pink at the centre. A Rose Hall of Fame inductee, beautiful on pillars and arbours.
Flower Carpet Amber Rose · Rosa 'Flower Carpet Amber' A carpet rose from the next-generation Flower Carpet series, with warm amber-apricot blooms that age to soft cream. Heat-tolerant, disease-resistant and exceptionally free-flowering.
Flower Carpet Coral Rose · Rosa 'Flower Carpet Coral' A compact spreading carpet rose with clusters of warm coral-pink blooms above glossy foliage. Disease-resistant and drought-tolerant, perfect for the front of borders and containers.
Flower Carpet Pink Rose · Rosa 'Flower Carpet Pink' The original Flower Carpet carpet rose, smothering the ground in clusters of bright pink blooms over glossy disease-resistant foliage. Extremely tough, drought-tolerant and almost care-free.
Flower Carpet Red Rose · Rosa 'Flower Carpet Red' A spreading carpet rose covered in vivid red clusters of single to semi-double blooms above healthy glossy foliage. Tough, drought-tolerant and ideal for banks, borders and mass planting.
Flower Carpet White Rose · Rosa 'Flower Carpet White' A spreading carpet rose massed with clean white blooms above glossy green foliage. Disease-resistant, drought-tolerant and excellent for groundcover or trailing over walls and containers.
Fragrant Cloud Rose · Rosa 'Fragrant Cloud' A hybrid tea celebrated for its powerful, classic rose perfume and large coral-red to orange-scarlet blooms. A Rose Hall of Fame inductee and one of the most fragrant roses ever bred.
Gertrude Jekyll Rose · Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll' An English rose renowned for its quintessential old-rose perfume, often cited as the strongest of any Austin variety. Rich pink rosette blooms on an upright shrub that can also be trained as a climber.
Gold Bunny Rose · Rosa 'Gold Bunny' A compact floribunda producing a long, generous display of bright unfading golden-yellow blooms. Reliable, healthy and available in both bush and climbing forms.
Graham Thomas Rose · Rosa 'Graham Thomas' One of David Austin's most celebrated English roses, with cupped rosettes of glowing warm yellow and a fresh tea-rose fragrance. Vigorous and free-flowering, it can be grown as a shrub or short climber.
Heritage Rose · Rosa 'Heritage' An English rose with beautifully cupped, soft shell-pink blooms of great delicacy and a lemony myrrh fragrance. Healthy and repeat-flowering on a graceful, rounded shrub.
Hybrid Tea Rose 'Mister Lincoln' · Rosa 'Mister Lincoln' The classic long-stemmed florist's rose — one large, high-centred, velvety-red bloom per stem with a powerful old-rose perfume. Upright and made for cutting.
Iceberg Rose · Rosa 'Iceberg' The world's most popular floribunda, producing masses of lightly fragrant pure-white blooms almost continuously. Tough, disease-resistant and nearly thornless, it is the backbone of countless Australian gardens.
Julia Child Rose · Rosa 'Julia Child' A rounded floribunda bearing buttery golden-yellow blooms with a sweet liquorice-anise fragrance. Exceptionally healthy and free-flowering, it earned multiple international awards.
Just Joey Rose · Rosa 'Just Joey' A much-loved hybrid tea with large, loosely ruffled coppery-apricot blooms and a fruity fragrance. Voted the World's Favourite Rose, it flowers freely and reliably.
Knock Out Rose · Rosa 'Knock Out' The landmark landscape shrub rose that revolutionised low-care roses, with cherry-red single blooms produced continuously. Outstanding disease resistance and self-cleaning, needing almost no spraying or deadheading.
Lady of Shalott Rose · Rosa 'Lady of Shalott' One of the toughest and most weather-tolerant English roses, bearing chalice-shaped blooms of warm salmon-orange with golden undersides. A warm tea fragrance with hints of spiced apple and clove.
Lamarque Rose · Rosa 'Lamarque' A heritage Noisette climber prized for its near-thornless canes and nodding clusters of creamy-white, lemon-tinted blooms with a soft tea fragrance. Vigorous and warm-climate friendly.
Mary Rose · Rosa 'Mary Rose' A reliable, bushy English rose bearing loose rose-pink rosettes almost continuously, with a light old-rose fragrance. One of the most dependable and free-flowering of all Austin shrubs.
Mister Lincoln · Rosa 'Mr Lincoln' A vigorous hybrid tea bearing huge, velvety deep-red blooms on long stems, prized for one of the most powerful damask fragrances of any rose. An enduring favourite for the cutting garden.
Mme Alfred Carriere · Rosa 'Madame Alfred Carriere' A robust heritage Noisette climber tolerant of shade and poor soils, bearing loosely double blush-white blooms with a rich, sweet fragrance. Excellent for north or shaded walls.
Munstead Wood Rose · Rosa 'Munstead Wood' An English rose with sumptuous deep velvety crimson blooms ageing to dark wine, opening from rich red buds. Carries a strong old-rose fragrance with fruity notes of blackberry and damson.
Nancy Hayward Rose · Rosa 'Nancy Hayward' A vigorous Alister Clark Australian-bred climber with large, single carmine-rose blooms that glow against bright green foliage. Heat-tolerant and reliable in warm climates.
New Dawn Rose · Rosa 'New Dawn' A shade-tolerant climber with abundant, lightly fragrant pearly blush-pink blooms held over glossy disease-resistant foliage. The world's first patented plant and a Rose Hall of Fame member.
Oklahoma Rose · Rosa 'Oklahoma' A hybrid tea bearing enormous, near-black deep crimson blooms with a heavy, intoxicating perfume. A sister seedling of Mr Lincoln, ideal for dramatic cut flowers.
Olivia Rose Austin Rose · Rosa 'Olivia Rose Austin' Considered one of the healthiest and most reliable of all English roses, with soft pink cupped rosettes and a fruity fragrance. Early to flower and remarkably resistant to disease.
Pal Joey Rose · Rosa 'Pal Joey' An Australian-bred rose with large, ruffled blooms in soft russet-apricot tones and a pleasant fragrance. A relaxed, free-flowering shrub for the cutting garden.
Papa Meilland Rose · Rosa 'Papa Meilland' A hybrid tea with large, velvety dark crimson blooms and one of the strongest, most intense damask fragrances of any rose. A Rose Hall of Fame inductee prized by perfume lovers.
Pascali Rose · Rosa 'Pascali' A classic white hybrid tea producing high-centred, weather-resistant creamy-white blooms on long straight stems. A Rose Hall of Fame inductee regarded as one of the best white cutting roses.
Peace Rose · Rosa 'Peace' The world's most famous hybrid tea, with large globular blooms of soft yellow edged in rose-pink and glossy dark foliage. Robust, free-flowering and historically released as WWII ended.
Pink Knock Out Rose · Rosa 'Pink Knock Out' A pink-flowered member of the Knock Out family, bearing single bright pink blooms continuously through the warm months. Robust, disease-resistant and undemanding in the landscape.
Pope John Paul II Rose · Rosa 'Pope John Paul II' A modern white hybrid tea with large, high-centred pure-white blooms and a strong sweet citrus fragrance. Exceptionally clean glossy foliage and excellent disease resistance.
Queen Elizabeth Rose · Rosa 'Queen Elizabeth' The original grandiflora, a tall, upright rose with high-centred clear pink blooms on long stems. A Rose Hall of Fame inductee, robust and excellent at the back of a border or as a flowering hedge.
Seduction Rose · Rosa 'Seduction' A free-flowering floribunda with creamy-white blooms edged in rose-pink, popular grafted as a standard or weeping standard. Healthy, prolific and excellent in formal plantings or containers.
Sexy Rexy Rose · Rosa 'Sexy Rexy' A New Zealand-bred floribunda carrying large trusses of camellia-like soft pink blooms in such profusion they almost hide the foliage. A multi-award winner valued for its sheer flower power.
Smooth Prince Rose · Rosa 'Smooth Prince' A thornless hybrid tea bearing well-formed bright cherry-red blooms on smooth, prickle-free stems. Healthy and free-flowering, a favourite for cutting without the scratches.
Smooth Velvet Rose · Rosa 'Smooth Velvet' A thornless hybrid tea from the Smooth series, bearing large velvety deep-red blooms with a light fragrance on stems free of prickles. Ideal where smooth, snag-free canes are valued.
Souvenir de la Malmaison Rose · Rosa 'Souvenir de la Malmaison' A treasured heritage Bourbon rose with large, flat quartered blooms of pale blush-pink and a spicy, intense old-rose fragrance. Best in drier climates where the quartered flowers open cleanly.
Sunsprite · Rosa 'Friesia' A compact floribunda smothered in clusters of bright golden-yellow blooms that hold their colour without fading. One of the most fragrant of all yellow roses.
The Fairy Rose · Rosa 'The Fairy' A tough, spreading polyantha groundcover rose smothered in dense sprays of tiny soft-pink rosettes from summer into autumn. Disease-resistant, undemanding and lovely cascading from pots and low walls.
The Generous Gardener Rose · Rosa 'The Generous Gardener' An English climbing rose with delicate, soft pink cupped blooms and a delicious fragrance blending old rose, musk and myrrh. Healthy and vigorous, ideal trained on a wall or arch.
The Pilgrim Rose · Rosa 'The Pilgrim' An English rose with beautifully formed flat rosettes of soft yellow that pale to cream at the edges. Fragrant and free-flowering, it grows as a large shrub or short climber.
Wedding Day Rose · Rosa 'Wedding Day' A rampant rambler that smothers itself in huge sprays of small single white blooms opening from yellow buds, with a strong fruity fragrance. Ideal for scrambling through large trees or over sheds.
Black-eyed Susan · Rudbeckia fulgida Golden-yellow daisies with a near-black central cone blaze through late summer and autumn on sturdy stems. Reliable, long-flowering and superb in massed plantings.
Goldsturm Black-eyed Susan · Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm' An award-winning black-eyed Susan smothered in golden-yellow daisies with dark cones from summer to autumn. Reliable, long-flowering and a feast for bees, butterflies and finches.
Arrowhead · Sagittaria platyphylla A marginal aquatic with broad lance-shaped emergent leaves and whorled spikes of small white flowers. Note this species is a declared weed in parts of southern Australia.
Heatwave Salvia · Salvia greggii 'Heatwave Glimmer' A compact, heat-bred Salvia greggii from the Heatwave series, smothered in pink-toned flowers through the warm months. Exceptionally drought- and heat-tolerant once established.
Anise-scented Sage · Salvia guaranitica Deep cobalt-blue flowers on tall stems, irresistible to nectar-feeding birds, over anise-scented leaves. Vigorous and free-flowering from early summer to the first frosts.
Black and Blue Sage · Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' Cobalt-blue flowers emerge from near-black calyces on tall anise-scented stems, irresistible to honeyeaters. Vigorous and free-flowering through the warmer months.
Amistad Sage · Salvia 'Amistad' Tall stems carry deep amethyst-purple flowers in near-black calyces from spring to the first frosts. A vigorous, award-winning guaranitica hybrid loved by birds and bees.
Ember's Wish Salvia · Salvia 'Love and Wishes' x 'Ember's Wish' Part of the Australian 'Wish' series, with glowing coral-orange flowers in burgundy calyces carried almost year-round. Nectar-rich, compact and a magnet for honeyeaters.
Kisses and Wishes Salvia · Salvia 'Love and Wishes' Group Another in the Australian 'Wish' series, with soft icy-pink flowers in deep maroon calyces flowering almost continuously. Compact, nectar-rich and excellent in pots and mixed borders.
Love and Wishes Salvia · Salvia 'Love and Wishes' An Australian-bred sibling of 'Wendy's Wish' with burgundy calyces and magenta-purple flowers carried almost continuously. Compact, nectar-rich and excellent in containers.
Mystic Spires Sage · Salvia 'Mystic Spires Blue' A compact, free-branching selection of Salvia 'Indigo Spires' smothered in deep violet-blue spikes from spring to autumn. Tidy and floriferous, ideal for borders and large pots.
Wendy's Wish Salvia · Salvia 'Wendy's Wish' An Australian-raised sterile hybrid with magenta-pink tubular flowers held in maroon calyces, flowering almost year-round. Nectar-rich and a favourite of honeyeaters; a portion of sales supports the Fairy Garden charity.
Hot Lips Salvia · Salvia 'Hot Lips' A bushy Salvia microphylla selection whose bicolour red-and-white flowers shift with the seasons, sometimes all red, all white or lipstick-marked. Tough, long-flowering and bee-friendly.
Caradonna Woodland Sage · Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' Striking violet-blue flower spikes held on near-black upright stems above neat clumps of aromatic foliage. An award-winning, cold-hardy sage that draws bees and rebloms if cut back.
Woodland Sage · Salvia nemorosa Dense spikes of violet-blue flowers held over neat clumps of aromatic foliage, alive with bees from late spring. Cutting back spent spikes triggers repeat flushes through summer.
Scarlet Sage · Salvia splendens Blazing spikes of scarlet bracts make this a bold bedding annual that nectar-feeding birds visit. Quick from seed and reliable for hot, sunny summer colour.
May Night Sage · Salvia x sylvestris 'Mainacht' An award-winning sage with deep indigo-violet spikes from near-black buds, flowering early and reblooming if cut back. Compact, cold-hardy and a reliable magnet for bees.
Fairy Fan-flower · Scaevola aemula 'Purple Fanfare' A spreading native groundcover smothered in fan-shaped mauve-purple flowers from spring through autumn. A fast, hardy carpet and trailing container plant for sun.
Autumn Joy Stonecrop · Sedum 'Autumn Joy' Fleshy grey-green clumps topped with broad flower heads that open dusky pink and deepen to rusty-red in autumn. Bees and butterflies cover the blooms; seed heads stand through winter.
Gold Mound Sedum · Sedum 'Gold Mound' A low mounding succulent with fleshy chartreuse to golden-yellow leaves that glow in bright light, dotted with small yellow star flowers. A bright easy filler for pots and rockeries.
Matrona Stonecrop · Sedum 'Matrona' An award-winning stonecrop with purple-tinged stems and grey-mauve fleshy leaves topped by soft pink flower heads. Strongly upright, drought-hardy and alive with pollinators in autumn.
Ruby Glow Stonecrop · Sedum 'Ruby Glow' Low, spreading stems of blue-purple fleshy leaves carry flat heads of glowing ruby-red flowers in late summer. A compact, drought-hardy stonecrop alive with bees and butterflies.
Burro's Tail · Sedum morganianum A trailing succulent forming long ropes densely packed with plump blue-green teardrop leaves coated in a chalky bloom, tipped with red-pink flowers in summer. Perfect tumbling from a hanging basket.
Blue Spruce Stonecrop · Sedum rupestre A hardy creeping groundcover succulent with needle-like blue-green foliage resembling tiny spruce shoots, lighting up with flat heads of bright yellow star flowers in summer. Tough and frost-tolerant.
Hens and Chicks · Sempervivum tectorum An extremely hardy alpine succulent forming tight rosettes that cluster into colonies of offsets, the leaves often blushed red at the tips. Famously frost-proof and ideal for rockeries and troughs.
Potato Vine · Solanum laxum A fast, scrambling evergreen climber that produces near-constant clusters of starry white flowers with golden centres. A quick, soft screen for fences, though all parts are mildly toxic if eaten.
Tomato · Solanum lycopersicum · from $3.95 The backbone of the summer veggie patch — sprawling or staked, sweet or tart, there's a tomato for every garden. Sow from seed for the widest choice of varieties.
Anthony Waterer Spiraea · Spiraea japonica 'Anthony Waterer' A reliable mounding spiraea bearing flat heads of deep carmine-pink flowers through summer, loved by bees. Hardy and easy, with leaves sometimes flecked cream and good autumn tones.
Goldflame Spiraea · Spiraea japonica 'Goldflame' A compact deciduous spiraea with new growth flushing coppery-orange over gold foliage, topped by flat pink flower heads in summer. Brilliant autumn colour and very hardy.
Madagascar Jasmine · Stephanotis floribunda A tender evergreen twiner with thick waxy leaves and clusters of pure white, powerfully fragrant tubular flowers prized in bridal bouquets. It needs warmth, humidity and a sheltered, frost-free spot.
Giant Feather Grass · Stipa gigantea A clumping evergreen grass forming a low mound of fine foliage from which tall airy stems carry shimmering golden oat-like flower heads. A see-through feature that catches the light in borders.
Sturt's Desert Pea · Swainsona formosa An iconic arid-zone trailing annual bearing spectacular blood-red pea flowers with a glossy black boss over silvery foliage. A challenging but breathtaking wildflower and floral emblem of South Australia.
Resilience Lilly Pilly · Syzygium australe 'Resilience' A psyllid-resistant lilly pilly selection with dense glossy foliage, bronze new growth and white flowers followed by red berries. An excellent low-care hedge and screen.
Dwarf Lilly Pilly · Syzygium smithii 'Minor' A compact lilly pilly with flushes of coppery new growth, fluffy white flowers and edible mauve berries. A versatile, hardy hedge and screen for most gardens.
French Marigold · Tagetes patula Cheery, pungent-leaved marigolds that flower for months and are a classic companion plant in the vegie patch. Quick and foolproof from seed, thriving in heat.
Powdery Thalia · Thalia dealbata A bold marginal aquatic with large blue-green canna-like leaves dusted with white bloom and tall stems of purple flowers. A statuesque feature for the edge of ponds.
Kangaroo Grass · Themeda triandra An iconic native grassland species with blue-green tufts that turn russet-bronze in summer and nodding rusty seed heads. Drought-hardy, it suits meadows and low-water plantings.
Black-eyed Susan Vine · Thunbergia alata A cheerful, fast twining climber covered in bright orange, yellow or cream flowers each with a dark chocolate eye through the warmer months. Quick to cover a trellis but can self-seed readily.
Blue Trumpet Vine · Thunbergia grandiflora A rampant, large-leaved evergreen climber hung with pendulous clusters of pale blue to mauve trumpet flowers. Spectacular over big pergolas in the tropics, but a serious environmental weed in warm regions.
Fringe Lily · Thysanotus tuberosus A delicate native perennial bearing exquisite purple flowers with finely fringed petals on wiry stems over grassy foliage in late spring. A dainty bush-tucker tuber and collector's wildflower.
Small-leaved Lime · Tilia cordata A neat, pyramidal shade tree with heart-shaped leaves and clusters of intensely fragrant cream flowers in summer that are loved by bees. A classic European avenue and parkland tree.
Pink Quill · Tillandsia cyanea An air plant with a fountain of grassy leaves and a flat pink quill of bracts that opens a succession of vivid violet-blue flowers. Easily grown in a pot of bark or mounted as a feature.
Star Jasmine · Trachelospermum jasminoides A reliable evergreen twining climber smothered in masses of intensely fragrant, white pinwheel flowers through late spring and summer. The dense glossy foliage makes it a favourite for screening fences, pergolas and walls.
Luscious Water Gum · Tristaniopsis laurina 'Luscious' A selected water gum with large glossy leaves, smooth orange-brown bark and clusters of fragrant yellow flowers in summer. A handsome, well-behaved shade and street tree.
Water Gum · Tristaniopsis laurina An adaptable evergreen Australian native with glossy leaves, smooth peeling orange-brown bark and fragrant yellow summer flowers. A popular, well-behaved street and feature tree.
Nasturtium · Tropaeolum majus Trailing or mounding plants with round lily-pad leaves and edible peppery flowers that thrive on neglect and poor soil. Both leaves and blooms spice up a salad; it self-seeds and can naturalise.
Cumbungi · Typha orientalis A vigorous native marginal reed with strappy upright leaves and the familiar brown cigar-shaped seed heads. Spreads strongly, so best confined to large dams and natural wetlands.
Purpletop Vervain · Verbena bonariensis Tall see-through stems carry clusters of mauve-purple flowers that butterflies adore, perfect for weaving through a border. Self-seeds freely and is a weed risk in some regions.
Plumed Featherflower · Verticordia plumosa A small WA shrub bearing dense heads of feathery, fringed pink flowers that hold their colour for weeks. A delicate, drought-hardy feature and prized native cut flower.
Sweet Viburnum · Viburnum odoratissimum 'Dense Fence' A vigorous large-leaved viburnum selected for upright, dense growth that makes a fast tall privacy hedge. Lightly fragrant white flower clusters appear in warm weather above lush green foliage.
Flaming Sword · Vriesea splendens A neat rosette of dark green leaves cross-banded in purple-brown, sending up a flattened sword of vivid red bracts with yellow flowers. A bold foliage-and-flower feature for warm, shaded positions.
Native Bluebell · Wahlenbergia stricta A dainty native perennial sending up wiry stems topped with nodding sky-blue bells from spring to autumn. A charming, self-seeding filler for cottage and meadow plantings.
Weeping Lilly Pilly · Waterhousea floribunda A graceful evergreen Australian native with gently weeping branches of glossy ripple-edged leaves and fluffy cream flowers. Excellent as a tall screen, shade tree or feature.
Bristol Ruby Weigela · Weigela florida 'Bristol Ruby' A vigorous, upright weigela hung with masses of ruby-red to deep rose trumpet flowers in late spring that draw bees and nectar-feeding birds. Hardy and easy in sun or light shade.
Variegated Weigela · Weigela florida 'Variegata' An arching weigela with green leaves neatly edged creamy white, hung with rose-pink tubular flowers in late spring. A bright, hardy shrub that attracts bees and nectar-feeding birds.
Weigela · Weigela florida 'Wine and Roses' A deciduous shrub combining deep wine-purple foliage with masses of rosy-pink trumpet flowers that attract birds. The dark leaves give strong contrast all season in a mixed border.
Grass Tree · Xanthorrhoea glauca An iconic slow-growing Australian grass tree forming a stout dark trunk topped with a fountain of blue-green foliage and a tall flower spear after fire. A sculptural living feature.
Golden Everlasting · Xerochrysum bracteatum 'Cockatoo' A perennial everlasting daisy bearing masses of papery golden-yellow flowers over grey-green foliage through the warmer months. A long-flowering bee-friendly cut flower and border plant.
Strawflower · Xerochrysum bracteatum · from $3.95 A cheerful Australian daisy with crisp papery petals in gold, orange, pink and white that hold their colour when dried. A favourite for cottage borders, containers and cut or everlasting flowers.
Calla Lily · Zantedeschia aethiopica Elegant white spathes curl around a yellow spadix above glossy arrow-shaped leaves, thriving in boggy ground. A serious environmental weed in parts of Australia and toxic to pets and people.
Zinnia · Zinnia elegans Vibrant, long-stemmed daisies in hot colours that bloom relentlessly through summer heat. The more you cut, the more they flower; a butterfly magnet and cutting-garden staple.