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394 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.
Okra · Abelmoschus esculentus A heat-loving relative of hibiscus with pretty yellow flowers and tender, ridged pods. Pick the pods young and often, before they turn woody.
Korean Fir · Abies koreana A compact, slow-growing fir with dark green needles silvered beneath, producing showy violet-blue cones even on young plants. A prized cool-climate specimen for smaller gardens.
Bower Wattle · Acacia cognata 'Limelight' · from $18.95 A soft, weeping dwarf wattle with fine cascading lime-green foliage that forms a neat mounding feature. Popular in containers and modern landscapes for its graceful fountain-like form.
Japanese Maple · Acer palmatum An elegant, slow-growing deciduous tree with delicate palmate leaves that turn brilliant shades of crimson, orange and gold in autumn. A timeless feature tree for sheltered, dappled positions.
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.
Maidenhair Fern · Adiantum raddianum Delicate, fan-shaped fronds of tissue-thin foliage on fine black stems. Pet-safe and graceful, it demands constant moisture and humidity to stay lush.
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.
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.
Queensland Kauri · Agathis robusta A tall native kauri with a straight trunk, smooth bark and broad, leathery glossy-green leaves unusual for a conifer. A stately feature and shade tree for subtropical and warm-temperate gardens.
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.
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.
Dill · Anethum graveolens Feathery blue-green foliage and flat heads of yellow flowers — both leaf and seed flavour fish, pickles and potatoes. Best direct-sown, as it dislikes root disturbance.
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.
Zebra Plant · Aphelandra squarrosa Striking dark leaves boldly veined in white, topped by bright yellow bracts. Beautiful but fussy, it demands warmth, humidity and steady moisture.
Celery · Apium graveolens Crisp, aromatic stems that demand rich soil and constant moisture but reward the effort. A long-season crop best raised in trays and kept thirsty.
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.
Bunya Pine · Araucaria bidwillii A massive, dome-crowned Australian native conifer with glossy stiff foliage and very large edible-seeded cones, a traditional Aboriginal bush food. A long-lived feature and shade tree for large open spaces.
Hoop Pine · Araucaria cunninghamii A tall native rainforest conifer with a distinctive narrow crown of dark green tufted foliage and characteristic hoop-marked bark. A handsome feature and forestry tree for subtropical and warm gardens.
Norfolk Island Pine · Araucaria heterophylla A tall, symmetrical conifer with regularly tiered branches of soft green, native to Norfolk Island. Highly salt-tolerant, it is an iconic coastal feature tree and is also grown indoors when young.
French Tarragon · Artemisia dracunculus The true French tarragon — aniseed-scented and essential to béarnaise — rarely sets viable seed, so it's grown from divisions or cuttings. Dies back in winter and reshoots in spring.
Cast Iron Plant · Aspidistra elatior Famously indestructible, with broad, upright dark-green leaves that shrug off deep shade and neglect. The go-to choice for difficult, dim corners.
Bird's Nest Fern · Asplenium nidus Broad, glossy, undivided fronds unfurl from a central rosette like a leafy nest. Pet-safe and easy-going, it tolerates lower light than most ferns.
Coast Banksia · Banksia integrifolia · from $5.50 A hardy coastal tree with dark-green leaves silvery beneath and pale-yellow flower spikes through autumn and winter that feed birds. Exceptionally salt- and wind-tolerant for seaside windbreaks.
Hairpin Banksia · Banksia spinulosa · from $5.50 A reliable evergreen shrub bearing golden-yellow flower spikes with distinctive hooked styles through autumn and winter, providing vital nectar for birds. Tough, frost-hardy and bushfire-adapted.
Rose Glow Barberry · Berberis thunbergii 'Rose Glow' A purple-leaved barberry whose new growth is mottled rose-pink and silvery-white over a deep wine base, deepening to scarlet in autumn. Thorny and colourful for hedging, though it can self-seed and is a weed risk in some regions.
Pig Squeak · Bergenia cordifolia Large glossy leathery leaves form a weed-suppressing carpet that flushes burgundy in cold weather. Sprays of pink flowers rise on red stems in late winter.
Beetroot · Beta vulgaris · from $3.50 A cool-season root vegetable yielding sweet, earthy red roots and edible nutritious leaves. Reliable and easy from seed, with each knobbly cluster producing several seedlings.
Beetroot 'Detroit' · Beta vulgaris 'Detroit' The benchmark beetroot, with smooth, round, deep-red roots of sweet, tender flesh. Dependable and adaptable, equally good roasted, pickled or grated raw.
Beetroot 'Golden' · Beta vulgaris 'Golden' A sweet, mild beetroot with glowing golden-orange flesh that does not bleed when cut. Gentle in flavour and beautiful roasted, with edible golden-veined leaves.
Queen's Tears · Billbergia nutans A tough clumping bromeliad with narrow arching leaves and pendent sprays of pink bracts cradling green-and-blue edged flowers. Among the hardiest bromeliads and easy in pots or as a tough groundcover.
Fishbone Water Fern · Blechnum nudum An Australian native fern forming a neat shuttlecock of soft, fishbone-patterned fronds above a short, slowly developing trunk. Ideal massed beside ponds and in moist, shaded ferneries.
Cut-leaf Daisy · Brachyscome multifida · from $4.25 A dainty spreading native daisy carpeted in mauve, purple or white flowers for much of the year above ferny green foliage. Ideal for borders, rockeries, containers and attracting butterflies.
Swede · Brassica napus A hardy winter root with sweet, golden flesh — slower than a turnip but richer and better keeping. Loves cool weather and a long, steady growing season.
Broccoli · Brassica oleracea var. italica · from $3.95 A cool-season brassica producing dense green flower heads followed by tender side shoots after the main head is cut. A rewarding winter crop in fertile, well-limed soil.
Turnip · Brassica rapa Quick, mild roots and tender, edible tops from an easy cool-season crop. Sow direct and pull young for the sweetest, most delicate flavour.
Broad Bean · Vicia faba · from $4.50 A hardy cool-season legume that fixes nitrogen as it grows — sow direct in autumn for a heavy crop of buttery beans through late winter and spring.
Calendula · Calendula officinalis Edible golden and orange daisies that flower through the cool months and self-seed cheerfully. The petals brighten salads and have a long herbal tradition.
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.
White Cypress Pine · Callitris columellaris A hardy Australian native cypress with fine, aromatic blue-green foliage and a neat conical to columnar shape. Extremely drought- and heat-tolerant, it makes a tough native windbreak or feature for inland gardens.
Port Jackson Pine · Callitris rhomboidea A graceful native cypress pine with weeping, fine green foliage and a slender pyramidal habit. Adaptable and low-care, it suits screening and feature use in coastal and temperate native gardens.
Baby Bear Camellia · Camellia 'Baby Bear' A miniature, very slow-growing hybrid with tiny leaves and small single pale-pink blooms. Naturally compact and bun-shaped, it is perfect for small pots, rockeries and bonsai.
Cinnamon Cindy Camellia · Camellia 'Cinnamon Cindy' A fragrant hybrid camellia bearing small, miniature peony-form blooms of pale pink with deeper rose outer petals and a sweet, spicy scent. A delightful perfumed pot and feature plant.
Quintessence Camellia · Camellia 'Quintessence' A low, prostrate fragrant hybrid bearing small single white blooms flushed pink, with a delightful sweet scent. Its trailing habit makes it ideal for hanging baskets and spilling over edges.
Scentuous Camellia · Camellia 'Scentuous' A fragrant hybrid with semi-double white blooms flushed pink on the reverse and a sweet perfume, carried on a loose, slightly pendulous bush. Lovely in pots near paths and entrances.
Wirlinga Princess Camellia · Camellia 'Wirlinga Princess' An Australian-bred Camellia x williamsii type with a graceful weeping habit and masses of small, single soft-pink blooms. Dainty and free-flowering, it is ideal for pots and cascading over walls.
Bob Hope Camellia · Camellia japonica 'Bob Hope' A celebrated japonica with very large, deep blackish-red semi-double blooms accented by a striking boss of golden stamens. Slow and upright, it makes a dramatic shaded feature or cut flower.
Brushfield's Yellow Camellia · Camellia japonica 'Brushfield's Yellow' A distinctive anemone-form japonica whose creamy-white guard petals surround a dense centre of soft primrose-yellow petaloids. Its unusual colouring makes it a collector's feature and cut flower.
C.M. Wilson Camellia · Camellia japonica 'C.M. Wilson' A spreading japonica with large, anemone-form blush-pink blooms whose centre is filled with frilly petaloids. Its low, wide habit suits espalier and informal screening.
Debutante Camellia · Camellia japonica 'Debutante' An early-flowering japonica with full, peony-form blooms of clear light pink that appear from early winter. Vigorous and upright, it is a long-loved feature and cutting camellia.
Desire Camellia · Camellia japonica 'Desire' An exquisite formal-double japonica whose pale blush petals deepen to clear rose-pink at the edges, opening with perfect symmetry. Slow and refined, it is prized as a feature plant and cut flower.
Emperor of Russia Camellia · Camellia japonica 'Emperor of Russia' A vigorous old japonica with large, loose peony-form blooms of deep red, sometimes splashed white, and showy golden stamens. A handsome shaded feature and cut flower.
Great Eastern Camellia · Camellia japonica 'Great Eastern' A vigorous old Australian japonica producing large rose-red semi-double flowers over a long mid-winter to spring season. Tall and reliable, it is excellent for shaded hedging and screening.
Lovelight Camellia · Camellia japonica 'Lovelight' A graceful japonica with large, semi-double pure white blooms whose airy petals frame a generous cluster of golden stamens. Upright and free-flowering, it lights up shaded gardens through winter.
Margaret Davis Camellia · Camellia japonica 'Margaret Davis' A famous Australian-raised japonica with creamy-white peony-form blooms edged in a fine rose-red picotee, each flower uniquely marked. An award-winning, much-admired feature and exhibition camellia.
Moshio Camellia · Camellia japonica 'Moshio' A japonica bearing brilliant scarlet-red semi-double blooms with prominent golden stamens against dark, glossy leaves. Showy and reliable for shaded features and cut flowers.
Nuccio's Gem Camellia · Camellia japonica 'Nuccio's Gem' A celebrated japonica bearing immaculate, formal-double white blooms of geometric perfection against glossy foliage. An award-winning show camellia, it is superb as a feature plant and cut flower.
Roger Hall Camellia · Camellia japonica 'Roger Hall' A compact japonica with glossy foliage and perfectly formal-double bright red blooms of even, rounded form. Its dense, slow habit makes it ideal for pots and small shaded gardens.
Tom Knudsen Camellia · Camellia japonica 'Tom Knudsen' A striking japonica bearing large, formal to peony-form blooms of deep dark red with darker veining and occasional black-red shading. A dramatic feature and exhibition camellia.
Black Lace Camellia · Camellia reticulata 'Black Lace' A reticulata hybrid bearing large, formal-double blooms of deep dark crimson-red with finely imbricated petals. Upright and striking, it makes a bold winter feature and dramatic cut flower.
Captain Rawes Camellia · Camellia reticulata 'Captain Rawes' The original cultivated reticulata, an old and stately camellia bearing very large, semi-double carmine rose-pink blooms. Tall and open, it makes a magnificent woodland feature.
Dr Clifford Parks Camellia · Camellia reticulata 'Dr Clifford Parks' A spectacular reticulata hybrid producing very large, vivid orange-red blooms in semi-double to peony and anemone forms. Vigorous and showy, it is a magnificent feature camellia for sheltered gardens.
Beatrice Emily Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Beatrice Emily' A sasanqua bearing peony-form blooms that open lavender-pink and pale to near-white at the centre, on a neat upright bush. A reliable hedging and feature camellia.
Bonsai Baby Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Bonsai Baby' A dwarf, dense sasanqua with small leaves and miniature formal-double red blooms, naturally compact and slow. Excellent for small pots, low edging and bonsai.
Edna Butler Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Edna Butler' A sasanqua with large, formal-double blooms of soft clear pink, unusually full for the species, on a bushy upright plant. A lovely screening and cutting camellia.
Hiryu Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Hiryu' A compact sasanqua densely covered with small, vivid crimson-red semi-double flowers through the cooler months. Its tight, slightly weeping habit suits low hedges, espaliers and large pots.
Hugh Evans Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Hugh Evans' A graceful sasanqua with single, deep rose-pink blooms borne profusely on slightly pendulous branches. Its arching habit suits espaliers, screens and large containers.
Jennifer Susan Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Jennifer Susan' A graceful sasanqua with soft rose-pink, peony-form blooms whose petals curl and twist prettily. Its slightly weeping habit suits informal hedges, espaliers and containers.
Kanjiro Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Kanjiro' A vigorous, upright sasanqua bearing semi-double rose-pink to red blooms profusely through autumn and winter. Tough and fast, it is one of the most popular camellias for tall hedges and screens.
Marge Miller Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Marge Miller' The first truly weeping sasanqua, with semi-double soft-pink blooms cascading from long trailing branches. Ideal for hanging baskets, raised pots and spilling over retaining walls.
Mine-no-yuki Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Mine-no-yuki' A spreading sasanqua whose name means 'snow on the mountain', bearing masses of white peony-form blooms in autumn. Its low, arching habit makes it excellent for espalier and cascading over walls.
Paradise Little Liane Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Paradise Little Liane' A naturally compact, upright sasanqua from the Australian Paradise series, with small glossy leaves and dainty white rose-form blooms. Its slim, dense habit makes it ideal for narrow hedges and formal pots.
Plantation Pink Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Plantation Pink' A vigorous, free-flowering sasanqua smothered in large single soft-pink blooms through autumn. Its arching, dense growth makes it one of the most popular hedging and screening camellias.
Pure Silk Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Pure Silk' A reliable sasanqua bearing single white blooms delicately edged and flushed with pink, set against glossy dark foliage. Its bushy, upright form suits screening hedges and feature plantings.
Sasanqua Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Setsugekka' A sun-tolerant autumn-flowering camellia bearing large single white blooms with ruffled, wavy petals and a boss of golden stamens. More open and faster than japonica types, making it a favourite for clipped hedges and espaliers.
Yuletide Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide' A compact, upright sasanqua bearing single fiery red flowers with a bright cluster of golden stamens, peaking around mid-winter. Its dense habit and festive timing make it a sought-after Christmas-flowering camellia.
Tea Camellia · Camellia sinensis The plant from which black, green and white tea are made, with glossy evergreen leaves and small, nodding single white flowers in autumn. Clip and harvest the young leaf tips for home-grown tea.
Capsicum · Capsicum annuum · from $3.95 A warm-season vegetable bearing crisp sweet capsicums or fiery chillies that ripen from green to red, yellow or orange. Compact and productive in garden beds or containers in full sun.
Capsicum 'Banana' · Capsicum annuum 'Banana Capsicum' A sweet, mild pepper with long, tapering yellow fruit that ripen to red or orange. Crisp and prolific, lovely raw, grilled or pickled.
Capsicum 'California Wonder' · Capsicum annuum 'California Wonder' A classic blocky sweet pepper with thick, crisp walls, ripening from green to brilliant red. The benchmark capsicum for stuffing, roasting and salads.
Capsicum 'Sweet Bullhorn' · Capsicum annuum 'Sweet Bullhorn' A long, horn-shaped sweet pepper with thick, sugary flesh, superb roasted or grilled. Fruit ripen from green through to deep red on a sturdy bush.
Chilli 'Cayenne' · Capsicum annuum 'Cayenne' Long, slender, fiery-red chillies that dry beautifully for flakes and powder. A heavy-yielding, dependable hot variety for pots or the open garden.
Chilli 'Hungarian Hot Wax' · Capsicum annuum 'Hungarian Hot Wax' A medium-hot wax chilli with smooth, waxy yellow fruit that ripen orange-red. Early and reliable even in cooler areas, good fresh or pickled.
Chilli 'Jalapeno' · Capsicum annuum 'Jalapeno' A plump, medium-hot Mexican chilli picked green or ripened red, perfect for nachos and pickling. Compact and free-fruiting in a hot, sunny position.
Chilli 'Serrano' · Capsicum annuum 'Serrano' A crisp, bright Mexican chilli with clean, sharp heat, eaten fresh in salsas. Slim green fruit ripen to red on a tidy, productive bush.
Chilli 'Habanero' · Capsicum chinense 'Habanero' A searingly hot, lantern-shaped chilli with intense fruity aroma, ripening orange or red. Needs a long, hot season and is well suited to a sunny pot.
Chilli 'Birdseye' · Capsicum frutescens 'Birdseye' Tiny, upward-pointing chillies that pack a fierce, sharp heat, much loved in Thai cooking. An ornamental, prolific bush ideal for a warm courtyard pot.
Carrot · Daucus carota · from $3.50 Crisp, sweet homegrown carrots — sow direct into deep, stone-free soil and thin well for straight roots. A near year-round crop in mild climates.
Cattleya Orchid · Cattleya hybrid The flamboyant corsage orchid, producing large, often fragrant ruffled blooms in vivid lavender, pink and white from stout pseudobulbs. A showpiece orchid for bright, warm, airy positions.
Blue Atlas Cedar · Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca' A majestic cedar with intensely silvery-blue needles and a bold, tiered branching structure. A premier feature tree for large gardens, drought-hardy once established.
Deodar Cedar · Cedrus deodara A large, elegant cedar with gracefully drooping branch tips and soft blue-green needles. A grand specimen and shade tree for parks and larger gardens in temperate climates.
Feelin' Blue Deodar Cedar · Cedrus deodara 'Feelin' Blue' A low, spreading dwarf deodar with soft blue-green weeping foliage, often grown as a cascading mound or trained over rocks and walls. A compact blue feature for pots and small gardens.
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.
Ellwood's Cypress · Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Ellwoodii' A neat, upright columnar conifer with soft feathery blue-grey foliage that deepens in winter. A compact, easy feature for pots, small screens and formal accents.
Dwarf Hinoki Cypress · Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Gracilis' A slow, sculptural dwarf cypress with glossy dark-green fans of foliage arranged in cupped, shell-like sprays. A premium feature for pots, courtyards and bonsai.
Boulevard Cypress · Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Boulevard' A soft, conical conifer with fluffy silvery-blue foliage that gives a plush, woolly texture. A popular feature and container plant for cool gardens, taking light shaping well.
Parlour Palm · Chamaedorea elegans A compact, dainty feather palm that thrives in low light and tight spaces. Pet-safe and undemanding, a long-standing favourite for tabletops and shelves.
Spider Plant · Chlorophytum comosum An effortless classic with arching striped leaves that throws out dangling plantlets on long stems. Pet-safe, fast and endlessly propagated, perfect for hanging baskets.
Aztec Pearl Mexican Orange Blossom · Choisya x dewitteana 'Aztec Pearl' A fine-textured choisya with slender aromatic leaflets and clusters of pink-budded, fragrant white flowers in spring and autumn. An RHS Award of Garden Merit shrub for sun or light shade.
Golden Mexican Orange Blossom · Choisya ternata 'Sundance' A golden-leaved Mexican orange blossom with bright yellow aromatic foliage and fragrant white star flowers in spring and again in autumn. Brightest in good light and an RHS Award of Garden Merit plant.
Watermelon · Citrullus lanatus Long, hot summers reward you with heavy, sweet, thirst-quenching fruit on a sprawling vine. Needs warmth, room and a free-draining sandy bed to ripen well.
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.
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.
Common Correa · Correa reflexa · from $5.50 A versatile small shrub with pendulous red-and-green tubular bells through autumn and winter that supply nectar to honeyeaters when little else flowers. Shade-tolerant and frost-hardy.
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.
Dwarf Japanese Cedar · Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana' A neat, rounded dwarf conifer with soft, feathery blue-green foliage that often takes on bronze tints in winter. A low-care feature for pots, rockeries and small formal gardens.
Fishbone Prayer Plant · Ctenanthe burle-marxii Low, spreading clumps of pale leaves brushed with dark green fishbone bars and burgundy undersides. A lush, pet-safe groundcover-style foliage plant for shaded rooms.
Rockmelon · Cucumis melo Fragrant, netted-skin melons with sweet orange flesh, trailing across a sunny bed. Like watermelon, it craves a long hot season to develop full sweetness.
Cucumber · Cucumis sativus · from $3.50 A fast-growing warm-season climber or trailer producing crisp refreshing fruit through summer. Easy and prolific, best trained up a trellis in full sun with steady moisture.
Cucumber 'Apple' · Cucumis sativus 'Apple' An old favourite bearing round, pale cream-skinned fruit with crisp, mild, refreshing flesh. A heavy-cropping climber, lovely sliced fresh in summer salads.
Cucumber 'Burpless' · Cucumis sativus 'Burpless' A long, slender, mild cucumber bred to be easy to digest with thin, bitter-free skin. A vigorous climbing vine that fruits abundantly through summer.
Cucumber 'Lebanese' · Cucumis sativus 'Lebanese' A smooth, thin-skinned cucumber with crisp, sweet, almost seedless flesh eaten without peeling. A climbing vine that crops heavily on a trellis in warm weather.
Pumpkin · Cucurbita maxima Sprawling vines that ramble across the garden and reward you with heavy, sweet, long-keeping fruit. Give them room and a rich, sunny bed and they'll do the rest.
Pumpkin 'Golden Nugget' · Cucurbita maxima 'Golden Nugget' A compact, bush-type pumpkin bearing small, single-serve orange fruit ideal for stuffing. Space-saving and quick, perfect for smaller gardens and large pots.
Pumpkin 'Jap' · Cucurbita maxima 'Jap' A mottled green-and-grey skinned pumpkin with deep-orange, intensely sweet flesh. A trailing vine and one of the best-flavoured pumpkins for roasting.
Pumpkin 'Queensland Blue' · Cucurbita maxima 'Queensland Blue' A classic Australian heirloom with large, deeply ribbed, blue-grey fruit and firm, sweet orange flesh. A vigorous vine and an excellent long keeper.
Pumpkin 'Butternut' · Cucurbita moschata 'Butternut' A sprawling vine bearing pear-shaped pumpkins with sweet, nutty orange flesh and few seeds. Stores well and is the most popular pumpkin for roasting and soups.
Squash 'Button' · Cucurbita pepo 'Button Squash' A bushy summer squash bearing scallop-edged, button-shaped fruit picked young and tender in green, yellow or white. Heavy-cropping and quick from seed.
Squash 'Spaghetti' · Cucurbita pepo 'Spaghetti Squash' An oval, cream-yellow squash whose cooked flesh separates into tender, spaghetti-like strands. A novelty vine that is a healthy, low-carb pasta alternative.
Zucchini · Cucurbita pepo One of the most productive plants in the garden — a single bush can swamp a kitchen with glossy summer fruit. Pick young and often for the best flavour and a steady supply.
Zucchini 'Black Beauty' · Cucurbita pepo 'Black Beauty' The classic dark-green zucchini, a compact bush that crops abundantly with glossy, tender fruit. Pick young and often to keep the plant producing all summer.
Zucchini 'Golden' · Cucurbita pepo 'Golden' A bright golden-yellow zucchini with sweet, tender flesh that lights up the plate. A compact, productive bush, lovely grilled, in fritters or raw in salads.
Leyland Cypress · ×Cupressocyparis leylandii An exceptionally fast-growing columnar conifer prized as a quick privacy screen or windbreak. Dense feathery green foliage clothes the plant to the ground, responding well to clipping for a tall hedge.
Brunniana Gold · Cupressus macrocarpa 'Brunniana Aurea' A golden-foliaged form of the Monterey cypress forming a broad conical tree of bright lime-gold. Salt-tolerant and vigorous, it makes a glowing windbreak or feature in coastal and temperate gardens.
Gold Crest Conifer · Cupressus macrocarpa 'Gold Crest' A compact, dense conifer with soft feathery gold foliage and a neat conical form, often sold as a living Christmas tree. Lemon-scented when brushed and excellent in pots or as a small gold feature.
Brodie Pencil Pine · Cupressus sempervirens 'Glauca Brodie' A dense, very narrow Italian cypress selection with consistent blue-green foliage and a tight columnar habit ideal for matched avenue plantings. A reliable formal vertical feature for hot, dry gardens.
Italian Pencil Pine · Cupressus sempervirens 'Glauca' A strikingly narrow, columnar cypress with blue-green foliage, the classic exclamation point of Mediterranean and formal gardens. Drought-hardy once established and ideal for tall vertical accents or avenue plantings.
Swane's Golden Pencil Pine · Cupressus sempervirens 'Swane's Golden' An Australian-bred narrow cypress with luminous golden-yellow foliage and a slim columnar habit. A long-favoured formal feature for driveways and courtyards where a slow, tidy gold pillar is wanted.
Rough Tree Fern · Cyathea cooperi A fast-growing Australian native tree fern with a slender trunk marked by coin-shaped frond scars and a wide canopy of large, lacy fronds. A quick lush feature for shaded subtropical gardens.
Cymbidium Orchid · Cymbidium hybrid A robust orchid forming clumps of grassy leaves and tall arching sprays of waxy long-lasting flowers in a huge colour range. The mainstay cool-growing orchid for shaded patios and cut flowers.
Lemongrass · Cymbopogon citratus A lush, fountaining clump of citrus-scented grass — the swollen leaf bases lend their fragrance to Thai and Vietnamese cooking. Loves warmth and resents cold, wet winters.
Carrot 'Baby' · Daucus carota 'Baby' A small, quick-maturing carrot with short, sweet, tender roots ideal for shallow soils and pots. Perfect for containers and gardeners short on space or patience.
Carrot 'Nantes' · Daucus carota 'Nantes' A sweet, blunt-tipped cylindrical carrot with crisp, tender flesh and a fine core. A reliable all-rounder that grows well in deep, loose, stone-free soil.
Carrot 'Purple Dragon' · Daucus carota 'Purple Dragon' A striking heirloom carrot with deep-purple skin and an orange core, rich in anthocyanins. Sweet and spicy, it brings dramatic colour to the patch and plate.
Rabbit's Foot Fern · Davallia fejeensis Lacy, finely divided fronds rise from furry creeping rhizomes that drape over the pot like little paws. Pet-safe and charming in a hanging basket.
Pink Rock Orchid · Dendrobium kingianum A tough Australian native orchid forming clumps of tapering pseudobulbs that erupt in fragrant sprays of pink to mauve flowers in spring. Extremely hardy on rock, bark or in pots in mild gardens.
Noble Dendrobium · Dendrobium nobile A cane orchid bearing clusters of large, fragrant flowers in white, pink and purple all along its leafless pseudobulbs in late winter and spring. A rewarding, free-flowering orchid for bright positions.
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.
Soft Tree Fern · Dicksonia antarctica A stately Australian native tree fern with a fibrous brown trunk crowned by a broad canopy of soft, arching green fronds. A lush, cool-tolerant feature for shaded ferneries and woodland gardens.
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.
Venus Flytrap · Dionaea muscipula The famous carnivorous plant whose hinged, spine-fringed traps snap shut on insects that brush their trigger hairs. A fascinating bog plant for a sunny windowsill, grown in pure peat with rainwater.
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.
Golden Cane Palm · Dypsis lutescens A clumping feather palm with golden stems and arching fronds that bring tropical lushness indoors. Pet-safe and popular as a bright-room floor specimen.
Mexican Snowball · Echeveria elegans A neat clumping rosette of powdery pale blue-green leaves edged in translucent pink, sending up arching stems of bell-shaped pink-and-yellow flowers in spring. A classic windowsill and dish-garden succulent.
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.
Crucifix Orchid · Epidendrum hybrid A tough reed-stemmed orchid bearing dense rounded heads of small starry flowers in hot orange, red, pink and yellow almost year-round. One of the easiest orchids, thriving in pots and garden beds in mild climates.
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.
Rocket · Eruca vesicaria Peppery, nutty salad leaves ready to pick in as little as four weeks — among the fastest crops you can grow. Sow little and often, as heat sends it quickly to flower.
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.
Silver Princess · Eucalyptus caesia 'Silver Princess' · from $6.50 An elegant weeping mallee with powdery silver-blue leaves, ornamental minni-ritchi bark and pendulous pink flowers with golden anthers followed by silvery gum nuts. A spectacular small feature tree.
Tiger Jaws · Faucaria tigrina A small clumping succulent whose paired triangular leaves bear soft white teeth along their edges, snapping shut like tiny jaws, and opening golden-yellow daisy flowers in autumn. A fun, easy collector's plant.
Nerve Plant · Fittonia albivenis A low, spreading plant with leaves laced in fine pink or white veins. Pet-safe and perfect for terrariums, it dramatically wilts when even slightly dry.
Strawberry · Fragaria × ananassa Sweet homegrown berries from a low, spreading plant that's as happy trailing from a hanging basket as carpeting a bed. Runners give you free new plants each year.
Strawberry · Fragaria x ananassa Sweet homegrown berries from a low, spreading plant as happy trailing from a hanging basket as carpeting a bed. Free runners give you new plants each year.
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.
Garden Pea · Pisum sativum · from $3.95 Sweet, crunchy peas straight from the pod — a cool-season climber that's one of the easiest and most rewarding crops to grow from seed.
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.
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.
Ox Tongue · Gasteria bicolor A shade-tolerant succulent with thick tongue-shaped dark green leaves speckled in white, bearing arching sprays of curved stomach-shaped red-and-green flowers. An easy, forgiving, pet-safe collector's plant.
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.
Ginkgo · Ginkgo biloba An ancient, virtually pest-free deciduous conifer relative with distinctive fan-shaped leaves that turn pure butter-yellow in autumn. Long-lived, tough and pollution-tolerant.
Rattlesnake Plant · Calathea lancifolia Long, wavy-edged leaves spotted like a rattlesnake's skin with rich purple undersides. A lively, pet-safe Calathea that folds upright as evening falls.
Peacock Plant · Calathea makoyana Intricately feathered leaves with translucent peacock patterning and purple undersides. A pet-safe stunner that demands humidity and softened water.
Calathea Orbifolia · Calathea orbifolia Large rounded leaves striped in silvery green that ripple with quiet drama. A pet-safe beauty that rewards humidity and even moisture with show-stopping foliage.
Ghost Plant · Graptopetalum paraguayense A trailing rosette succulent with thick pointed leaves in opalescent shades of grey, lavender and pink under a chalky bloom, shifting hue with sun and season. An easy, fast-propagating beauty for pots.
Fred Ives Graptoveria · Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' A vigorous large rosette intergeneric hybrid in shifting shades of bronze, lilac and pinkish-purple with a soft bloom, easily offsetting into clusters. A showy, forgiving feature for pots and gardens.
Scarlet Star · Guzmania lingulata A glossy green rosette crowned with a long-lasting star of brilliant scarlet, orange or yellow bracts. One of the most popular flowering bromeliads for indoors and shaded tropical displays.
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.
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.
Kentia Palm · Howea forsteriana The elegant, arching feather palm beloved since Victorian parlours, tolerant of low light and neglect. Pet-safe and graceful, the classic indoor palm.
Wax Plant · Hoya carnosa A long-lived trailing vine with thick waxy leaves and clusters of star-shaped, sweetly scented flowers. Pet-safe and undemanding, it blooms best when slightly potbound.
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.
Sweet Potato · Ipomoea batatas A vigorous, heat-loving vine grown from rooted cuttings called slips, yielding sweet, nutritious tubers. The leaves are edible too, and it makes a lush summer groundcover.
Blue Point Juniper · Juniperus chinensis 'Blue Point' A dense, broadly pyramidal juniper with steely blue-green foliage that holds its shape with little pruning. An excellent blue feature, container plant or informal screen.
Golden Chinese Juniper · Juniperus chinensis 'Spartan Gold' An upright, conical juniper flushed bright golden-yellow on its new growth, ageing to green-gold. A colourful, hardy feature or informal screen for sunny, free-draining positions.
Hollywood Juniper · Juniperus chinensis 'Kaizuka' A sculptural juniper with irregular, twisting upswept branches clothed in rich green foliage. Its characterful windswept form makes it a living feature, prized in Japanese-style and coastal gardens.
Spartan Juniper · Juniperus 'Spartan' A dense, narrowly columnar juniper with rich green foliage, fast-growing and self-tidy. One of the best conifers for a slim formal screen, hedge or pair of accent columns.
Shore Juniper · Juniperus conferta 'Shore Juniper' A low, spreading juniper with soft, slightly prickly blue-green needles that hugs the ground and tumbles over banks. Exceptionally salt- and sand-tolerant, it is a top groundcover for coastal slopes.
Blue Rug Juniper · Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' A flat, ground-hugging juniper forming a dense silver-blue carpet that trails attractively over walls and rocks. One of the best conifer groundcovers for slopes, banks and erosion control.
Gold Star Juniper · Juniperus × pfitzeriana 'Gold Star' A low, wide-spreading juniper with arching branches tipped in bright golden-yellow foliage. A hardy, colourful groundcovering feature for sunny banks and large pots.
Skyrocket Juniper · Juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket' An extremely narrow, pencil-thin juniper with silvery blue-grey foliage forming a tall vertical spire. Perfect for tight spaces, formal accents and slim screens.
Blue Star Juniper · Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star' A compact, slow-growing dwarf juniper forming a neat mound of dense, silvery steel-blue needles. An outstanding small feature for rockeries, pots and the front of borders.
Christmas Cheer Red Hot Poker · Kniphofia 'Christmas Cheer' Bold pokers open orange-red and fade to yellow, glowing through the cooler months when little else flowers. Drought- and coast-hardy, and a rich nectar source for honeyeaters.
Lettuce · Lactuca sativa · from $3.50 A fast, easy cool-season leafy vegetable in crisp, cos and loose-leaf forms for year-round salads. Quick from seed and ideal for cut-and-come-again harvesting in beds or containers.
Lettuce 'Buttercrunch' · Lactuca sativa 'Buttercrunch' An improved butterhead with thick, sweet, crunchy leaves and a tender heart. More bolt-resistant than most soft lettuces and very easy to grow.
Lettuce 'Butterhead' · Lactuca sativa 'Butterhead' A soft, loose-hearting lettuce with buttery, tender leaves and a mild, sweet flavour. Best in cooler weather as it bolts in summer heat.
Lettuce 'Cos' · Lactuca sativa 'Cos' An upright, crisp-leaved lettuce with sweet, sturdy hearts, the classic choice for Caesar salads. Quick and easy, tolerating heat better than soft types.
Lettuce 'Great Lakes' · Lactuca sativa 'Great Lakes' A heat-tolerant crisphead lettuce forming large, firm, crunchy hearts with frilled outer leaves. More forgiving of warmth than other iceberg types.
Lettuce 'Iceberg' · Lactuca sativa 'Iceberg' A tightly hearting crisphead lettuce with pale, ultra-crunchy leaves. Needs cool, even conditions and steady moisture to form firm, well-filled heads.
Lettuce 'Mignonette' · Lactuca sativa 'Mignonette' A compact, bronze-tinged loose-heading lettuce that is famously slow to bolt and heat-tolerant. A long-standing Australian favourite for warm gardens.
Lettuce 'Oak Leaf' · Lactuca sativa 'Oak Leaf' A loose-leaf, non-hearting lettuce with deeply lobed, oak-shaped leaves in green or bronze. Slow to bolt and ideal for cut-and-come-again picking.
Lettuce 'Red Coral' · Lactuca sativa 'Red Coral' A frilly, deeply curled loose-leaf lettuce flushed burgundy-red, prized for colour and texture in mixed salads. Excellent for repeated cut-and-come-again harvests.
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.
Sidonie Lavender · Lavandula x allardii 'Sidonie' A large, vigorous allardii-type lavender bearing long mauve-blue spikes over much of the year. Heat- and humidity-tolerant, making it a strong performer in warm Australian gardens.
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.
Avonview French Lavender · Lavandula dentata 'Avonview' A vigorous toothed-leaf French lavender flowering for most of the year in mild climates, topped with showy purple bracts. Tough, coastal-tolerant and quick to establish.
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.
Major Spanish Lavender · Lavandula stoechas 'Major' A classic early Spanish lavender with deep purple 'rabbit-ear' bracts crowning chubby flower heads from late winter. Robust, aromatic and bee-friendly.
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.
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.
Weeping Tea Tree · Leptospermum 'Cardwell' · from $16.95 A graceful weeping tea tree smothered in masses of small white flowers in late winter and spring above fine arching foliage. A reliable, hardy feature and informal screen for native gardens.
Ruffled Fan Palm · Licuala grandis Striking, undivided circular fronds pleated like ruffled fans of glossy green. Pet-safe and exotic, a showy tropical palm for warm, humid, bright rooms.
Living Stones · Lithops spp. Extraordinary mimicry succulents of paired fused leaves patterned and coloured to imitate the pebbles around them, splitting to reveal a daisy-like white or yellow flower in autumn. A prized collector's curiosity.
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.
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.
Burgundy Loropetalum · Loropetalum chinense 'Burgundy' A burgundy-leaved fringe flower with deep wine foliage smothered in spidery hot-pink blooms in spring and again in autumn. A bold contrast shrub for hedges and feature planting.
Plum Gorgeous Loropetalum · Loropetalum chinense 'Plum Gorgeous' A robust fringe flower with rich plum-purple foliage and abundant pink tassel blooms, holding leaf colour strongly in full sun. Excellent for screening and bold colour blocks.
Purple Pixie Loropetalum · Loropetalum chinense 'Purple Pixie' A low, weeping fringe flower that spills and cascades, making it ideal as a purple groundcover or trailing over pots and walls. Pink spidery flowers stud the burgundy foliage in spring and autumn.
Saucer Magnolia · Magnolia ×soulangeana A deciduous magnolia smothered in large, goblet-shaped pink-and-white blooms on bare branches in early spring before the foliage appears. A breathtaking cool-climate feature tree.
Star Magnolia · Magnolia stellata A dainty deciduous magnolia that opens masses of fragrant, star-shaped white flowers on bare twigs in late winter and early spring. Perfect for smaller gardens and courtyards.
Prayer Plant · Maranta leuconeura Velvety leaves patterned with herringbone veins that fold up like praying hands at night. A charming, pet-safe trailer that loves warmth and humidity.
German Chamomile · Matricaria chamomilla Dainty white daisies with apple-scented foliage, dried for the classic calming tea. An easy self-seeding annual that draws in beneficial insects.
Stock · Matthiola incana Densely packed spikes of clove-scented flowers fill the cool-season garden and vase with perfume. Best sown in autumn for a long, fragrant late-winter display.
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.
Lemon Balm · Melissa officinalis Crushed leaves give off a bright lemon-mint scent the bees flock to — soothing in teas and good in summer drinks. Vigorous and self-seeding, so trim before it sets seed.
Peppermint · Mentha x piperita A cool, menthol-rich sterile hybrid of spearmint and watermint — vigorous and best confined to a pot so its runners don't take over. Grown from cuttings rather than seed.
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.
Siberian Carpet Cypress · Microbiota decussata A low, spreading conifer with lacy, arching sprays of green foliage that turn bronze-purple in winter. An extremely hardy, shade-tolerant groundcover for banks and under trees.
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.
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.
Tropical Pitcher Plant · Nepenthes alata A tropical carnivorous plant whose leaf tips extend into dangling lidded pitchers that fill with fluid to trap insects. Spectacular cascading from a hanging basket in a warm, humid, brightly lit spot.
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.
Boston Fern · Nephrolepis exaltata A classic feathery fern with arching fronds that spill beautifully from a hanging basket. Pet-safe and lush, it thrives with humidity and consistent moisture.
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.
Basil 'Purple' · Ocimum basilicum 'Purple' A striking basil with deep burgundy-purple leaves and a mild, clove-like flavour. As ornamental as it is useful, lovely in salads and for infusing vinegars.
Basil 'Sweet Genovese' · Ocimum basilicum 'Sweet Genovese' The classic Italian basil, with large, fragrant green leaves essential for pesto and pasta. Loves warmth and sun; pinch flowers to keep it leafy and productive.
Basil 'Thai' · Ocimum basilicum 'Thai' An aromatic basil with purple stems, narrow green leaves and a distinctive anise-clove flavour. A staple of South-East Asian cooking that thrives in heat.
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.
Dancing Lady Orchid · Oncidium hybrid An orchid grown for its airy branched sprays of many small flowers, most often in cheerful yellow and brown, fluttering like dancing ladies. A free-flowering choice for warm, bright positions.
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.
Sweet Marjoram · Origanum majorana Sweeter, milder and more delicate than its cousin oregano — a tender perennial often grown as an annual in cooler gardens. Lovely in dressings and with roast vegetables.
Oregano · Origanum vulgare The pizza-and-pasta herb — spicy, peppery and at its most pungent when grown hard in full sun. A spreading perennial that's drought-tough once established.
Moonstones · Pachyphytum oviferum A captivating succulent with plump egg-shaped leaves coated in a frosted lilac-pink bloom resembling sugared almonds, on short stems. A slow, jewel-like collector's plant for bright pots.
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.
Slipper Orchid · Paphiopedilum hybrid A terrestrial orchid with mottled leaves and a single waxy bloom bearing a distinctive pouched lip in green, mahogany and spotted tones. A long-lasting, shade-loving collector's orchid.
Parsnip · Pastinaca sativa Long, sweet, nutty roots that turn even sweeter after a frost. Slow to germinate and needs fresh seed, but worth the wait for winter roasts.
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.
Watermelon Peperomia · Peperomia argyreia Named for its rounded leaves striped silver and green like watermelon rind, on red stems. A pet-safe, compact charmer for bright indirect light.
Emerald Ripple Peperomia · Peperomia caperata A tidy little plant with deeply corrugated, heart-shaped leaves in rich green or burgundy. Pet-safe and compact, topped with slender rat-tail flower spikes.
Baby Rubber Plant · Peperomia obtusifolia A compact, easy-care plant with thick, glossy rounded leaves that store water. Pet-safe and forgiving, it suits small spaces and tabletops.
Curled Parsley · Petroselinum crispum Tightly ruffled, deep-green leaves on a tidy biennial that crops for the best part of a year. Slow to germinate but worth the wait for a constant kitchen supply.
Moth Orchid · Phalaenopsis hybrid The classic moth orchid, with broad fleshy leaves and arching sprays of rounded long-lasting blooms in white, pink and many patterns. The most popular indoor orchid, flowering for months on a warm windowsill.
Bean 'Scarlet Runner' · Phaseolus coccineus 'Scarlet Runner' A tall, ornamental climber with brilliant scarlet flowers and long, flat green pods. Loves cooler summers and rewards with both beauty and a heavy crop.
Bean 'Blue Lake' · Phaseolus vulgaris 'Blue Lake' A classic climbing green bean with round, fleshy, stringless pods of excellent flavour. Reliable and heavy-cropping over a long picking season on a trellis.
Bean 'Borlotti' · Phaseolus vulgaris 'Borlotti' An Italian dual-purpose bean with cream pods splashed crimson, grown mostly for the speckled drying seed. Climbing and prolific, superb in soups and stews.
Bean 'Dwarf Snake' · Phaseolus vulgaris 'Dwarf Snake' A compact bush bean bearing long, slender, stringless green pods with no need for staking. Quick from seed and ideal for small gardens and pots.
Bean 'Purple King' · Phaseolus vulgaris 'Purple King' A vigorous climbing bean with deep-purple, stringless pods that turn green on cooking. Heavy-cropping and easy, needing a trellis or teepee to climb.
Dwarf Bean · Phaseolus vulgaris A compact, self-supporting bean that crops heavily over a few weeks — no trellis needed. Sow successively through the warm season for a continuous supply of tender pods.
Rubens Photinia · Photinia glabra 'Rubens' A smaller, refined photinia with glossy leaves and bright red new growth, more restrained than the fraseri hybrids. White spring flowers and a neat habit suit it to medium screening hedges.
Super Hedge Photinia · Photinia x fraseri 'Super Hedge' An upright photinia selected for dense, vertical growth that makes a fast, narrow screening hedge. New growth flushes vivid red and responds well to regular clipping.
Dwarf Alberta Spruce · Picea glauca 'Conica' A slow, densely conical dwarf spruce forming a perfect soft green cone with fine needles. A favourite feature for cool-climate pots and formal beds, needing little or no pruning.
Colorado Blue Spruce · Picea pungens 'Glauca' A striking pyramidal spruce with stiff, sharply pointed steel-blue needles. A premium cool-climate feature tree valued for its intense silvery-blue colour and formal symmetry.
Chinese Money Plant · Pilea peperomioides A quirky favourite with round, coin-like leaves on slender stalks held like little lily pads. Pet-safe and easily shared via its many offset pups.
Mexican Butterwort · Pinguicula moranensis A carnivorous rosette of soft, greasy-feeling leaves that catch fungus gnats on their sticky surface, topped by pretty pink-purple flowers. An easy, ornamental carnivore for a bright windowsill.
Dwarf Mountain Pine · Pinus mugo 'Mops' A very compact, rounded dwarf pine forming a dense bun of dark green needles. Tough and slow-growing, it is ideal for rockeries, pots and low-care feature plantings in cool climates.
Mexican Weeping Pine · Pinus patula A fast-growing pine with long, soft, gracefully weeping bright-green needles giving a fine, plumed appearance. An elegant feature and quick shelter tree for frost-free temperate gardens.
Monterey Pine · Pinus radiata A fast-growing pine with bright green needles in threes and a broad crown, widely planted for timber, shelter and quick windbreaks. Hardy and adaptable across cool and temperate climates.
Japanese Black Pine · Pinus thunbergii A picturesque pine with dark, deeply furrowed bark, stiff dark green needles and an irregular wind-sculpted habit. Highly salt-tolerant and a classic choice for coastal features and bonsai.
Pea 'Greenfeast' · Pisum sativum 'Greenfeast' A popular mid-height shelling pea giving heavy crops of plump, sweet pods over a long season. A dependable Australian garden classic for cool months.
Pea 'Sugar Snap' · Pisum sativum 'Sugar Snap' A climbing pea with plump, edible pods eaten whole while sweet and crisp. Wonderful raw or stir-fried, cropping prolifically through the cool season.
Pea 'Telephone' · Pisum sativum 'Telephone' A tall heirloom shelling pea bearing big, well-filled pods of sweet peas high on the vine. Needs solid support but rewards with heavy crops in cool weather.
Snow Pea 'Oregon' · Pisum sativum 'Oregon' A reliable snow pea with broad, flat, tender pods harvested young and flat for stir-fries and salads. Compact, productive and easy in cool conditions.
James Stirling Pittosporum · Pittosporum tenuifolium 'James Stirling' An upright pittosporum with tiny silvery-grey leaves on dark stems, giving a fine, shimmering texture. Fast and slender, perfect for screening hedges and feature foliage.
Marjory Channon Pittosporum · Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Marjory Channon' An upright pittosporum with grey-green leaves boldly margined in creamy yellow on near-black stems. Bright and fast for screening hedges and prized as cut foliage.
Miss Muffet Pittosporum · Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Miss Muffet' A compact dwarf pittosporum forming a tight, low mound of small dark-green leaves on near-black stems. Ideal for tidy low borders, edging and small clipped balls.
Mojo Pittosporum · Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Mojo' A compact, naturally rounded pittosporum with green leaves neatly margined in cream. Dense and ball-shaped with little pruning, ideal for low hedging and containers.
Silver Magic Pittosporum · Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Magic' A variegated pittosporum with grey-green leaves edged creamy white, often flushing pink in cold weather. A soft, luminous foliage shrub for hedges and pots.
Elkhorn Fern · Platycerium bifurcatum An epiphytic fern with antler-shaped fronds, usually mounted on a board to hang on a wall. Pet-safe and sculptural, it forms living green art.
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.
Icee Blue Plum Pine · Podocarpus elatus 'Icee Blue' A striking selection of the native plum pine with powdery blue-grey new growth and a naturally narrow, upright habit. An eye-catching modern hedge, screen or container feature.
Plum Pine · Podocarpus elatus A handsome native conifer with long, glossy dark-green leaves and edible purple-black fleshy fruit used as a bush-tucker flavouring. Tolerant of clipping, it makes a fine native screen, hedge or feature.
Buddhist Pine · Podocarpus macrophyllus A dense, upright conifer with long, soft, dark-green leaves that clips beautifully into formal hedges, columns and topiary. A versatile and shade-tolerant evergreen for screens and containers.
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.
Radish · Raphanus sativus The fastest crop in the patch — peppery roots ready to pull just weeks after sowing. Perfect for impatient gardeners and for filling gaps between slower vegetables.
Radish 'French Breakfast' · Raphanus sativus 'French Breakfast' An elongated red radish with a crisp white tip and mild, peppery bite. One of the fastest crops of all, ready in weeks and perfect for succession sowing.
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.
Lady Palm · Rhapis excelsa A clumping fan palm with glossy, finger-like fronds on slender bamboo-like canes. Pet-safe, shade-tolerant and refined, excellent for low-light interiors.
Mistletoe Cactus · Rhipsalis baccifera A soft trailing epiphytic cactus of fine cylindrical green stems cascading in a dense curtain, dotted with tiny cream flowers and translucent white mistletoe-like berries. A lush, spineless hanging plant.
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.
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.
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.
Anthony Parker Sage · Salvia 'Anthony Parker' A robust hybrid of S. leucantha and S. elegans bearing dense deep-purple-blue spikes in autumn over anise-scented foliage. Vigorous, heat-tolerant and alive with birds.
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.
Mexican Bush Sage · Salvia leucantha 'Mexican Bush' Arching wands of velvety purple calyces with protruding white flowers light up the autumn garden over grey, felted foliage. Drought-hardy and a magnet for bees and birds.
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.
Common Sage · Salvia officinalis Soft, grey-green velvety leaves on a hardy Mediterranean sub-shrub — the classic partner for pork, stuffing and butter sauces. Drought-tolerant and quietly handsome.
Rosemary · Salvia rosmarinus A culinary herb that doubles as a tough, drought-proof, clip-able hedge. Aromatic, bee-friendly and evergreen — earns its place in the kitchen garden and the border alike.
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.
Ravine Orchid · Sarcochilus hartmannii A compact Australian native orchid forming neat clumps that throw arching sprays of rounded white flowers with crimson-spotted centres in spring. A choice cool-growing native for shaded, airy positions.
White Pitcher Plant · Sarracenia leucophylla A carnivorous bog plant forming upright trumpet pitchers laced white and veined crimson at the top, luring and drowning insects. Striking in a sunny bog garden or water-saucered pot of peat.
Christmas Cactus · Schlumbergera truncata An epiphytic forest cactus with flat segmented spineless stems that arch and trail, erupting in vivid pink, red or white tubular flowers in the cooler months. A long-lived heirloom basket plant.
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.
Spinach · Spinacia oleracea · from $3.50 A fast cool-season leafy green with tender, nutritious dark leaves for salads and cooking. Best sown in autumn and winter, as it bolts to seed quickly in warm weather.
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.
Stevia · Stevia rebaudiana Leaves intensely sweeter than sugar yet with no kilojoules — a natural sweetener for teas and drinks. A frost-tender perennial best treated as an annual in cool gardens.
Triostar Stromanthe · Stromanthe thalia 'Triostar' Bold leaves streaked cream, green and pink with vivid magenta undersides that flash when they move. A dramatic, pet-safe statement plant that craves humidity.
Wood's Pink Aster · Aster 'Wood's Pink' A compact, award-winning Michaelmas daisy covered in clear pink, yellow-centred flowers in autumn. Mildew-resistant and a vital late nectar source for bees and butterflies.
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.
Warrigal Greens · Tetragonia tetragonioides A hardy Australian native bush food that sprawls into a heat- and salt-tolerant spinach substitute when English spinach has bolted. Blanch the leaves before eating to remove oxalates.
Emerald Green Arborvitae · Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd' A narrow, naturally tidy pyramidal conifer holding a rich emerald-green colour through winter. The benchmark plant for low-fuss formal screens and hedges in cool and temperate climates.
Pyramidal Arborvitae · Thuja occidentalis 'Pyramidalis' An upright, columnar arborvitae with dense soft green foliage forming a broad pyramid. A reliable, hardy choice for tall screening and windbreaks in cold and temperate gardens.
Rheingold Arborvitae · Thuja occidentalis 'Rheingold' A compact, rounded to conical conifer with soft golden-amber foliage that turns rich copper-bronze in winter. A glowing low feature for pots, rockeries and mixed conifer beds.
Spring Grove Cedar · Thuja plicata 'Spring Grove' A vigorous, dense western red cedar selection with glossy bright-green foliage, bred as a fast formal hedge. Tolerant of clipping and a popular modern alternative to conifer screens.
Hiba Arborvitae · Thujopsis dolabrata A handsome conifer with broad, glossy scale-leaves boldly marked silver-white beneath, borne in flattened sprays. A distinctive feature tree for cool, moist temperate gardens.
Common Thyme · Thymus vulgaris A tough, woody little Mediterranean sub-shrub that thrives on neglect in hot, dry, free-draining spots. Tiny aromatic leaves and a haze of bee-loved summer flowers.
Alstonville Tibouchina · Tibouchina 'Alstonville' A spectacular glory bush that erupts in masses of velvety royal-purple flowers in autumn over softly hairy foliage. Fast-growing and showy, best in warm, frost-free gardens.
Jules Tibouchina · Tibouchina 'Jules' A compact, dwarf glory bush covered in deep purple flowers in autumn on a neat rounded frame. Perfect for pots and small gardens where larger tibouchinas would be too big.
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.
Sky Plant · Tillandsia ionantha A tiny rootless air plant that absorbs moisture through silvery scaled leaves, blushing red and producing violet flowers at bloom time. Mounts on bark, shells or driftwood needing no soil at all.
Spanish Moss · Tillandsia usneoides A rootless air plant forming long, draping silver-grey festoons of thread-like stems that hang from branches and need no soil. Spectacular trailing from baskets, pergolas and tree limbs.
King Fern · Todea barbara A massive, long-lived Australian native fern building a broad fibrous crown of leathery dark green fronds from a thick mounding base. A bold, statuesque feature for moist, sheltered gardens.
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.
Rabbiteye Blueberry · Vaccinium ashei A low-chill, heat-tolerant blueberry suited to warmer gardens, with white spring bells and fiery autumn foliage. Plant two varieties for the heaviest crop in acidic soil.
Blueberry · Vaccinium corymbosum A productive berry bush that also earns its keep ornamentally with white spring bells and fiery autumn foliage. Needs acidic soil — ideal for a dedicated pot of ericaceous mix.
Vanda Orchid · Vanda hybrid A bold tropical orchid grown in open baskets with bare aerial roots, bearing large flat flowers in striking blues, pinks and tessellated patterns. A spectacular warm-climate orchid for hanging displays.
Coppertop Viburnum · Viburnum odoratissimum 'Coppertop' A sweet viburnum prized for vivid coppery-bronze new foliage that contrasts with glossy green older leaves. Vigorous and dense, making a colourful tall screening hedge with fragrant white spring flowers.
Emerald Lustre Viburnum · Viburnum odoratissimum 'Emerald Lustre' A sweet viburnum prized for large, glossy emerald-green leaves with bronze-red new growth. Vigorous and lush, making a handsome dense hedge or screen.
Snowball Tree · Viburnum opulus 'Roseum' The sterile snowball viburnum, smothered in rounded heads of pure white florets that age to soft pink in spring. Deciduous with good autumn leaf colour and a fine cut-flower shrub.
Mariesii Viburnum · Viburnum plicatum 'Mariesii' A doublefile viburnum with distinctive horizontal tiered branches lined with flat white lacecap heads in spring. A striking architectural feature shrub with red autumn tones.
Eve Price Laurustinus · Viburnum tinus 'Eve Price' A compact, dense laurustinus with deep pink buds opening to white winter flowers, followed by metallic-blue berries. An RHS Award of Garden Merit shrub making a reliable, drought-tolerant evergreen hedge for sun or shade.
Broad Bean 'Windsor Long Pod' · Vicia faba 'Windsor Long Pod' A hardy winter legume bearing long pods packed with large, buttery green seeds. Frost-tolerant and undemanding, it also enriches the soil with nitrogen.
Native Violet · Viola hederacea A dainty spreading groundcover with kidney-shaped leaves and white-and-purple flowers held on slender stems almost year-round. Loves cool, moist shade where it forms a lush living carpet.
Pansy · Viola wittrockiana The cheerful face of the cool-season garden, flowering through autumn, winter and spring in every colour. The edible flowers are lovely scattered over salads and cakes.
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.
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.
Wollemi Pine · Wollemia nobilis A rare living-fossil conifer discovered in 1994 in a remote NSW canyon, with bubbly bark and fern-like dark green foliage. A prized collector's feature tree, hardy and adaptable in pots or the ground.
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.
Sweet Corn · Zea mays Nothing beats a cob picked and cooked within the hour, while the sugars are still high. Sow in a block rather than a row so the wind can pollinate every plant.
Sweet Corn 'Balinese' · Zea mays 'Balinese' A vigorous, heat-loving heirloom corn well suited to warm and humid climates, with sweet, full cobs. Sow in a block for reliable wind pollination.
Sweet Corn 'Honey Sweet' · Zea mays 'Honey Sweet' A tender, super-sweet yellow corn best eaten fresh off the cob. Sow in a block, not a row, for good wind pollination and well-filled cobs.
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.
Zygopetalum Orchid · Zygopetalum hybrid A handsome orchid with strappy leaves and upright spikes of intensely fragrant flowers patterned in green, brown and rich violet. Prized for its strong perfume and bold colouring in cooler conditions.