Water Needs

Moderate Water

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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.
Feijoa · Acca sellowiana Striking red-and-white edible flowers, then aromatic autumn fruit tasting of pineapple and mint. Tough, salt-tolerant and quick to clip into a productive evergreen hedge.
Triumph Feijoa · Acca sellowiana 'Triumph' A firm-fruited feijoa with rich, aromatic, sweet-tart flesh, on a hardy grey-leafed evergreen shrub good for hedging. Crops best with a second variety such as Unique and bears showy edible red-and-white flowers in spring.
Unique Feijoa · Acca sellowiana 'Unique' A self-fertile feijoa that crops young and heavily with sweet, soft, aromatic fruit, on a hardy grey-leafed evergreen shrub. Tolerant and easy to grow, it suits hedging and home orchards and bears edible spring flowers.
Freeman Maple · Acer ×freemanii A vigorous hybrid of red and silver maple combining fast growth with an upright symmetrical crown and dependable, long-lasting orange-red autumn colour. A premium street and shade tree.
Freeman Maple 'Autumn Blaze' · Acer x freemanii 'Autumn Blaze' A vigorous, broadly oval hybrid maple combining the fast growth of silver maple with the brilliant orange-red autumn colour of red maple. A superb, well-shaped deciduous shade tree.
Fernleaf Full Moon Maple · Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' A full-moon maple with large, deeply cut fern-like green leaves that turn spectacular shades of crimson, orange and gold in autumn. A bold-textured feature for sheltered gardens.
Coral Bark Maple · Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku' Prized for its coral-red young bark that glows through winter, paired with soft green summer foliage that turns golden-yellow in autumn. A standout cultivar for cold-season interest.
Crimson Queen Lace-leaf Maple · Acer palmatum 'Crimson Queen' A weeping, cascading lace-leaf maple with finely dissected deep crimson-red foliage that holds its colour exceptionally well through summer before brightening to scarlet in autumn.
Emperor Maple · Acer palmatum 'Emperor 1' A vigorous upright red-leaf maple similar to Bloodgood but leafing out later, helping it avoid late spring frosts. Holds dark purple-red colour well in summer heat before scarlet autumn tones.
Garnet Lace-leaf Maple · Acer palmatum 'Dissectum Garnet' A weeping, mound-forming lace-leaf maple with finely dissected garnet-red foliage that holds colour well through summer and deepens to crimson in autumn. Ideal as a cascading container specimen.
Green Lace-leaf Maple · Acer palmatum 'Dissectum Viridis' A graceful weeping lace-leaf maple with cascading, finely cut bright green foliage that turns gold, orange and crimson in autumn. A classic mounding specimen for dappled positions.
Inaba-shidare Lace-leaf Maple · Acer palmatum 'Inaba-shidare' A vigorous weeping lace-leaf maple with deeply dissected purple-red foliage that holds colour strongly through summer and turns crimson in autumn. One of the best red cascading cultivars.
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.
Japanese Maple 'Beni-maiko' · Acer palmatum 'Beni-maiko' A small maple with brilliant scarlet-red new spring foliage that mellows to reddish-green through summer before colouring again in autumn. The name means 'red-haired dancing girl'.
Japanese Maple 'Beni-otake' · Acer palmatum 'Beni-otake' An upright maple with narrow, deeply divided strap-like purple-red leaves giving a fine bamboo-like texture. Holds rich colour through summer before turning crimson in autumn.
Japanese Maple 'Bloodgood' · Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' A reliable upright Japanese maple holding deep burgundy-purple foliage through summer before flaring to vivid scarlet in autumn. One of the best red-leaved cultivars for feature planting.
Japanese Maple 'Butterfly' · Acer palmatum 'Butterfly' An upright, slender variegated maple with small grey-green leaves edged in creamy-white and pink, tinting rose-magenta in autumn. A refined cultivar for containers and small gardens.
Japanese Maple 'Katsura' · Acer palmatum 'Katsura' A compact maple admired for its pale orange-yellow spring growth edged in red, maturing to green then returning to bright gold and orange in autumn. A reliable early-season performer.
Japanese Maple 'Orange Dream' · Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream' A compact maple with golden-orange new growth flushed pink-red at the margins, maturing to soft yellow-green and finishing bright orange-gold in autumn. Excellent in containers.
Japanese Maple 'Osakazuki' · Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki' An upright green-leaved Japanese maple famed for arguably the most intense fiery crimson-scarlet autumn colour of any cultivar. Large seven-lobed leaves give a bold display.
Japanese Maple 'Seiryu' · Acer palmatum 'Seiryu' An unusual upright lace-leaf maple combining finely dissected bright green foliage with a tree-like habit rather than a weeping mound. Spectacular gold, orange and crimson autumn colour.
Japanese Maple 'Shaina' · Acer palmatum 'Shaina' A dwarf, dense-branching sport of 'Bloodgood' with clustered deep red-maroon foliage on a compact bushy frame. Holds colour well and brightens to crimson in autumn; ideal for pots and bonsai.
Japanese Maple 'Trompenburg' · Acer palmatum 'Trompenburg' A vigorous upright maple with distinctive deeply lobed purple-red leaves whose margins roll under, giving fine texture. Foliage holds colour through summer then turns crimson in autumn.
Purple Japanese Maple · Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' A seed-raised upright maple with rich purple-red palmate foliage in spring and summer, intensifying to brilliant scarlet in autumn. A long-grown, dependable feature tree.
Red Maple · Acer rubrum A fast-growing North American shade tree with a tidy oval canopy that ignites in fiery red and orange autumn tones. Tolerant of damp soils and excellent for streets and parks.
Red Maple 'October Glory' · Acer rubrum 'October Glory' A fast-growing, oval-crowned red maple celebrated for its long-lasting, brilliant orange-red to crimson autumn display. An outstanding deciduous shade and avenue tree.
Golden Full Moon Maple · Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' A slow, rounded maple with luminous golden-yellow rounded leaves through spring and summer, taking on orange and red tints in autumn. Best with some shade to prevent leaf scorch.
Kiwifruit · Actinidia deliciosa 'Hayward' The standard green kiwifruit, a vigorous deciduous vine bearing fuzzy brown fruit with sweet-tart emerald flesh. Female and needs a male vine such as Tomuri nearby for pollination, plus a strong pergola or trellis.
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.
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.
Chinese Evergreen · Aglaonema commutatum A tough, decorative foliage plant with patterned leaves in silver, green and pink. Among the most tolerant of low light and neglect, ideal for offices and dim rooms.
Chocolate Vine · Akebia quinata A graceful semi-deciduous twiner with five-fingered leaves and unusual pendant clusters of spicy, chocolate-scented purple-maroon flowers in spring. Vigorous and shade-tolerant, though it can spread.
Leek · Allium ampeloprasum Sweet, mild stems that stand tough through winter and are blanched white by mounding soil around them. Slow but undemanding and beautifully hardy.
Leek 'Welsh' · Allium ampeloprasum 'Welsh' A hardy winter leek with thick, tender white shanks and a mild, sweet onion flavour. Blanch by mounding soil up the stems for a long, pale, edible barrel.
Onion · Allium cepa A kitchen staple worth growing for the choice of varieties and the satisfaction of a homegrown harvest. Day-length sensitive, so match the variety to your sowing season.
Onion 'Brown' · Allium cepa 'Brown' A long-keeping main-crop onion with firm, brown-skinned bulbs and full, pungent flavour. Day-length sensitive, so sow at the right season for your latitude.
Garlic · Allium sativum Plant a single clove and harvest a full bulb months later — one of the most satisfying crops to grow. Traditionally planted on the shortest day and pulled on the longest.
Chives · Allium schoenoprasum Grassy, hollow leaves with a mild onion flavour and pretty pink pompom flowers the bees adore. A clumping perennial that's snip-and-come-again all season.
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.
Poppy Anemone · Anemone coronaria Jewel-toned poppy-like flowers with a dark central boss, raised from corms soaked and planted in autumn. Excellent for cutting; all parts are toxic if eaten.
Japanese Windflower · Anemone x hybrida 'Honorine Jobert' Pure white single flowers with golden stamens sway on tall wiry stems above handsome dark foliage from late summer into autumn. An award-winning, shade-tolerant classic; sap can irritate.
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.
Custard Apple · Annona cherimola Knobbly green fruit with sweet, fragrant, custard-like flesh on a briefly deciduous subtropical tree. Hand-pollination greatly improves the crop in cooler districts.
Flamingo Flower · Anthurium andraeanum Glossy heart-shaped leaves and waxy, long-lasting spathes in vivid red, pink or white. A cheerful flowering houseplant that blooms much of the year in bright light.
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.
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.
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.
Asparagus · Asparagus officinalis A patience-testing perennial — wait two or three years for the first real cut, then enjoy tender spring spears for decades. Plant crowns in a permanent, weed-free bed.
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.
Chinese Dwarf Bamboo · Bambusa multiplex 'Chinese Dwarf' A low, dense clumping bamboo with fine green foliage to the ground, forming a soft, manageable screen or informal hedge. Non-invasive and ideal where height needs to be kept in check.
Goldstripe Bamboo · Bambusa multiplex 'Goldstripe' A compact clumping bamboo with fine arching foliage and golden-yellow canes, forming a dense, tidy screen. Non-invasive and well suited to smaller gardens and hedging.
Giant Timber Bamboo · Bambusa oldhamii A large, vigorous clumping bamboo with thick upright green canes and a lush leafy canopy, making a fast, tall privacy screen or windbreak. Non-invasive and tolerant of a wide range of climates.
Slender Weavers Bamboo · Bambusa textilis 'Gracilis' A tall, well-behaved clumping bamboo with upright slender green canes and a narrow footprint, making it Australia's most popular living privacy screen. Non-invasive and fast to establish a dense green wall.
Polka Dot Begonia · Begonia maculata An angel-wing begonia with olive leaves spotted silver above and deep red beneath. Cane-like and elegant, it dangles clusters of white flowers in season.
Rex Begonia · Begonia rex Grown purely for its spectacular foliage swirled in silver, purple, pink and green. A jewel-toned feature plant that loves humidity and bright, indirect light.
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.
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.
Silverbeet 'Rainbow' · Beta vulgaris 'Rainbow' A vividly coloured silverbeet with stems of red, pink, orange, yellow and white beneath glossy leaves. Hardy and long-cropping, as ornamental as it is edible.
Silver Birch · Betula pendula A graceful deciduous tree with striking white papery bark, slender weeping branchlets and fluttering leaves that turn soft yellow in autumn. Lovely planted in groves.
Silver Birch 'Moonbeam' · Betula pendula 'Moonbeam' A graceful weeping-branched silver birch selected for brilliant white trunk and stems and fine, delicate foliage that turns clear yellow in autumn. An elegant feature, effective in groves.
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.
Kale 'Red Russian' · Brassica oleracea 'Red Russian' A tender, flat-leaved kale with grey-green, purple-veined foliage and a mild, sweet flavour. Hardy and ornamental, excellent for cut-and-come-again picking.
Kale 'Tuscan' · Brassica oleracea 'Tuscan' An Italian heirloom kale with long, blistered, near-black leaves of deep, savoury flavour. Hardy and productive, it sweetens after frost and crops for months.
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.
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 latifolia A fragrant shrub whose flowers open deep purple, fade to lavender then white, so all three shades appear together. Sweetly scented in spring; all parts are toxic, especially to dogs.
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.
Faulkner Box · Buxus microphylla 'Faulkner' A Japanese box selection with rounded, deep-green leaves that hold colour well in winter and resist bronzing. Dense and slow, making it a top choice for clipped low hedges and topiary.
Japanese Box · Buxus microphylla var. japonica The classic clipped formal-hedge and topiary plant, with small glossy rounded leaves on dense slow growth. More heat-tolerant than English box and the standard low border edge in Australian gardens.
English Box · Buxus sempervirens The definitive formal hedge and topiary plant — dense, fine-leaved and endlessly clippable. Slow-growing but unmatched for crisp evergreen structure and parterres.
Green Gem Box · Buxus sempervirens 'Green Gem' A very hardy, naturally globe-shaped box forming a tight green ball with minimal clipping. Excellent for cold-climate low hedges, knot gardens and formal balls.
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.
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.
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.
Hannah Ray Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Hannah Ray' A tall upright bottlebrush with weeping branches, bronze new growth and large red brushes in spring and autumn. An excellent narrow screening and street tree.
Kings Park Special Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Kings Park Special' A vigorous large bottlebrush with weeping branches and bold crimson brushes in spring and autumn that are alive with honeyeaters. A reliable screen, windbreak or specimen.
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.
Wildfire Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Wildfire' A medium bottlebrush with weeping habit and large fiery red brushes in spring and autumn. A robust, bird-attracting feature and informal screen for most climates.
Hot Pink Bottlebrush · Callistemon viminalis 'Hot Pink' A weeping bottlebrush bearing vivid hot-pink brushes in spring and autumn that draw honeyeaters. A colourful, hardy feature and informal screen for warm gardens.
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.
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.
Camellia · Camellia japonica Glossy evergreen leaves and sumptuous winter blooms make this the classic shade shrub for cool, sheltered, acidic gardens. Slow but long-lived and beautiful in 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.
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.
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.
Frosted Curls Sedge · Carex comans 'Frosted Curls' A soft evergreen sedge forming a fountain of fine, silvery pale-green weeping foliage with curling tips. A graceful textural filler for borders, pots and shaded edges.
Evergold Sedge · Carex oshimensis 'Evergold' A neat evergreen sedge forming arching tufts of leaves with a broad creamy-gold central stripe edged green. Brightens shaded borders, pots and woodland edges.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Forest Pansy Redbud · Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' A small deciduous tree prized for luminous heart-shaped leaves emerging deep burgundy-purple, with rosy-pink pea flowers studding the bare branches in early spring.
Weeping Redbud 'Ruby Falls' · Cercis canadensis 'Ruby Falls' A compact weeping redbud with cascading branches and heart-shaped deep purple foliage, with rosy-pink pea flowers along the stems in spring. A sculptural small feature for pots and courtyards.
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.
Mexican Orange Blossom · Choisya ternata A rounded evergreen with glossy aromatic three-part leaves and clusters of fragrant white star flowers in spring and again in autumn. Aromatic when crushed; a tidy, hardy informal hedge.
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.
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.
Lime · Citrus aurantiifolia Glossy evergreen leaves, fragrant white blossom and a heavy crop of tangy green fruit. The most cold-sensitive of the common citrus — give it the warmest, sunniest corner.
Finger Lime · Citrus australasica 'Australian Finger Lime' An Australian rainforest native bush-food prized for its finger-shaped fruit packed with tangy caviar-like vesicles. A thorny, slow understorey shrub that fruits in autumn and suits dappled light or a sheltered pot.
Grapefruit · Citrus x paradisi A large, vigorous citrus carrying big crops of tangy-sweet fruit that hang well on the tree. Needs warmth and a long season to develop its full flavour and sweetness.
Makrut Lime · Citrus hystrix 'Makrut' Grown chiefly for its intensely aromatic double leaves used in Thai and Southeast Asian cooking, with knobbly fruit yielding fragrant zest. Compact and ideal for pots, it needs a warm, frost-free position.
Cumquat · Citrus japonica A neat, ornamental citrus smothered in small oval fruit eaten whole, sweet rind and all — superb for marmalade and candying. Tough, cold-hardy and made for a decorative pot.
Nagami Cumquat · Citrus japonica 'Nagami' A compact ornamental citrus bearing masses of small oval orange fruit with sweet edible skin and tart flesh, ideal for marmalade and pots. The hardiest of the common citrus, it tolerates light frost and clips well as a tub specimen.
Eureka Lemon · Citrus limon 'Eureka' The standard nearly thornless backyard lemon, cropping almost year-round with tangy, juicy, true-lemon fruit. Evergreen and fragrant, it needs a warm frost-free position and free-draining soil.
Lemon · Citrus × limon The most useful tree in the backyard — fragrant blossom, glossy evergreen leaves and a heavy crop of fruit. Happy in the ground or a large pot on a sunny patio.
Lisbon Lemon · Citrus limon 'Lisbon' A vigorous, thorny lemon that crops heavily in winter with tart, juicy fruit and tolerates heat and cold better than Eureka. Its dense canopy makes it a tougher, more productive choice for open gardens.
Afourer Mandarin · Citrus reticulata 'Afourer' A late-season mandarin with deep orange, richly sweet, easy-peel fruit that is seedless when grown away from other citrus. Productive and high quality, it extends the mandarin season into late winter and spring.
Emperor Mandarin · Citrus reticulata 'Emperor' A large early mandarin with thin, loose skin and sweet, juicy, easy-peel flesh, ripening through autumn. A heavy and dependable cropper for warm-temperate and subtropical gardens.
Imperial Mandarin · Citrus reticulata 'Imperial' An early-season Australian mandarin with loose, easy-peeling skin and sweet, lightly seeded segments. A reliable, well-loved backyard tree that crops from autumn into early winter.
Mandarin · Citrus reticulata Easy-peel, sweet and almost seedless — the kids' favourite citrus on a compact, container-friendly tree. Generous winter crops follow a flush of fragrant spring flowers.
Blood Orange · Citrus sinensis 'Arnold Blood' A blood orange with red-streaked flesh and a sweet berry-tinged flavour, the colour deepening where nights turn cold in winter. Fragrant and ornamental, it rewards a warm-temperate or Mediterranean garden.
Orange · Citrus sinensis The backyard classic — heavily scented blossom in spring and sweet, juicy fruit through winter. A handsome evergreen that's just as happy as a large feature in a pot.
Valencia Orange · Citrus sinensis 'Valencia' The premier summer juicing orange, with thin-skinned, very juicy, sweet-tart fruit that holds well on the tree. Ripening late, it overlaps the navel season and gives fresh juice through the warmer months.
Washington Navel Orange · Citrus sinensis 'Washington Navel' The classic seedless winter eating orange, with sweet, easy-peeling fruit marked by a small navel at the base. Fragrant white blossom and glossy evergreen foliage make it a handsome and productive backyard tree.
Tahitian Lime · Citrus x latifolia 'Tahitian' The common seedless market lime, bearing juicy green-to-yellow fruit through the warmer months on a near-thornless tree. Frost-sensitive but otherwise easy, thriving in a warm, sheltered, sunny spot.
Meyer Lemon · Citrus x meyeri 'Meyer' A naturally compact lemon-mandarin hybrid with sweeter, thin-skinned, deep-yellow fruit and a heavy, near-continuous crop. The hardiest and most container-friendly lemon, ideal for pots and small gardens.
Star Ruby Grapefruit · Citrus x paradisi 'Star Ruby' A red-fleshed grapefruit with deep ruby, almost seedless segments and a sweet, low-bitterness flavour. Crops in winter and needs plenty of warmth to develop full colour and sugar.
Minneola Tangelo · Citrus x tangelo 'Minneola' A grapefruit-mandarin cross with a distinctive neck, deep orange skin and richly sweet, tangy, juicy flesh. Crops in late winter and benefits from a nearby mandarin for best fruit set.
Old Man's Beard · Clematis aristata A graceful native clematis climbing through shrubs and trees, covered in starry white flowers in spring followed by fluffy silvery seed heads. A delicate cover for shaded fences and woodland gardens.
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.
Mountain Clematis · Clematis montana A vigorous deciduous climber that blankets itself in a profusion of dainty four-petalled pink or white flowers, many lightly vanilla-scented, during spring. Excellent for covering fences and arbours quickly.
Ti Plant · Cordyline fruticosa Vivid strappy foliage flushed in pink, burgundy and green on upright stems. A colourful tropical accent that brightens warm, bright interiors.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Winter Daphne · Daphne odora 'Leucanthe' A compact rounded shrub prized for clusters of waxy pink-and-white flowers that pour out an exquisite perfume in the depths of winter. Demands perfect drainage; all parts are highly toxic.
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.
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.
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.
Dumb Cane · Dieffenbachia seguine A lush, upright foliage plant with large leaves marbled in cream and green. Striking and easy, but its sap is irritating, so handle with care around pets and children.
Persimmon · Diospyros kaki Glowing orange fruit that hangs on bare branches like lanterns after the leaves drop in fiery autumn colour. Largely self-fertile and ornamental in every season.
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.
Loquat · Eriobotrya japonica Big, ribbed evergreen leaves and clusters of sweet-tart yellow fruit that ripen in early spring. Fragrant winter flowers feed the bees when little else is in bloom.
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.
Fountain Bamboo · Fargesia rufa A cold-hardy clumping bamboo forming a graceful fountain of fine arching foliage on slender canes. Non-invasive and shade-tolerant, it makes an elegant screen for cool-climate gardens.
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.
Weeping Fig · Ficus benjamina A graceful indoor tree with arching branches and small, glossy pointed leaves. It dislikes being moved and may drop leaves while settling, but is elegant once established.
Rubber Plant · Ficus elastica A robust indoor tree with thick, glossy oval leaves in deep green or burgundy tones. Tolerant and long-lived, it grows into a handsome upright specimen.
Fiddle Leaf Fig · Ficus lyrata The fashionable indoor tree with enormous, violin-shaped leathery leaves. A striking architectural statement that rewards a bright, draught-free spot and steady routine.
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.
Alpine Strawberry · Fragaria vesca 'Alpine' A compact wild strawberry bearing small, intensely fragrant, sweet berries through the warmer months and rarely producing runners. Tolerant of light shade, it makes a charming edging or pot plant that crops over a long season.
Camarosa Strawberry · Fragaria x ananassa 'Camarosa' A high-yielding short-day strawberry with large, firm, deep-red fruit and good flavour, widely grown commercially. Crops over a long spring season and performs strongly in beds, raised gardens and containers.
Hokowase Strawberry · Fragaria x ananassa 'Hokowase' An early-fruiting Japanese strawberry with sweet, soft, aromatic berries, popular in mild Australian districts. A short-day variety that crops in spring and spreads by runners, doing well in beds, pots and hanging baskets.
Red Gauntlet Strawberry · Fragaria x ananassa 'Red Gauntlet' A hardy, dependable day-neutral-leaning strawberry that often crops twice, with medium-large, juicy red berries. Tolerant of varied climates and disease, it is an easy and forgiving choice for home gardens and pots.
Freesia · Freesia hybrid Intensely perfumed funnel flowers on arching stems, a beloved cut flower that scents the whole garden. The species forms can naturalise and are a weed risk in mild climates.
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.
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.
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.
Carolina Jasmine · Gelsemium sempervirens A graceful, twining evergreen climber smothered in fragrant bright-yellow trumpet flowers in late winter and spring. Elegant and hardy, but every part of the plant is highly poisonous.
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.
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.
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.
English Ivy · Hedera helix A tough, self-clinging evergreen climber and groundcover with classic lobed dark-green leaves that thrives in deep shade. Useful but invasive, it can damage masonry and is toxic if eaten.
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.
Winter Rose Hellebore · Helleborus 'Winter Rose' An Australian-bred hellebore series with large outward-facing flowers in white, pink and ruby that hold their colour for weeks through winter. Shade-loving and evergreen; all parts are toxic if eaten.
Lenten Rose · Helleborus orientalis Nodding, long-lasting blooms in winter and early spring brighten the shadiest corners under deciduous trees. All parts are toxic if eaten, so site away from grazing pets.
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.
Dwarf Umbrella Tree · Heptapleurum arboricola An easy, bushy indoor tree with glossy leaflets fanning out like umbrella spokes. Fast-growing and tolerant, it responds well to pruning and even bonsai.
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.
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.
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.
Hyacinth · Hyacinthus orientalis Dense waxy spikes pack an extraordinary fragrance into a compact bulb, superb in pots indoors or out. Needs winter chill to flower well; the bulbs can irritate skin and are toxic if eaten.
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.
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.
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.
Japanese Blood Grass · Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra' An ornamental grass grown for upright blades that emerge green and flush with deepening blood-red tips, glowing when backlit. Note the species is a serious weed, so confine to pots and remove any green-reverting shoots.
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 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.
Pink Jasmine · Jasminum polyanthum A twining evergreen climber that erupts in late winter and spring with masses of pink-budded white flowers carrying a powerful sweet perfume. Fast and floriferous, though it can spread beyond its bounds.
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.
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.
Sweet Pea · Lathyrus odoratus Climbing tendrils carry waves of intensely fragrant butterfly flowers in spring, unbeatable for picking. Traditionally sown around St Patrick's Day; the seeds and pods are toxic if eaten.
Pineapple Zamia · Lepidozamia peroffskyana A tall, fast-by-cycad-standards Australian native forming a slender trunk crowned with long, glossy, gracefully arching fronds. A lush rainforest feature for shaded subtropical gardens; seeds toxic to pets.
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.
Liquidambar · Liquidambar styraciflua A tall, conical shade tree with star-shaped maple-like leaves that colour spectacularly in shades of crimson, purple and gold through autumn. A classic avenue and parkland tree.
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.
Lychee · Litchi chinensis A dense, dome-shaped evergreen bearing clusters of red, knobbly-skinned fruit with sweet, perfumed flesh. Needs warmth, humidity and a cool dry spell to flower well.
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.
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.
Chinese Fringe Flower · Loropetalum chinense 'China Pink' A burgundy-leaved shrub draped in spidery, fringed hot-pink flowers, repeating through the year against rich purple foliage. A striking colour-contrast feature, hedge or container plant.
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.
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.
Macadamia · Macadamia integrifolia 'A4' An Australian rainforest native and bush food, this proven 'A4' macadamia is a heavy, reliable bearer of rich, buttery nuts. A handsome evergreen tree for subtropical and warm-temperate gardens, fruiting best with a second variety nearby.
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.
Magnolia 'Genie' · Magnolia 'Genie' A compact, columnar deciduous magnolia with deep maroon-burgundy cup-shaped flowers in spring and often a second autumn flush. Ideal for pots and small gardens.
Magnolia 'Leonard Messel' · Magnolia x loebneri 'Leonard Messel' A hardy, free-flowering deciduous magnolia with many-petalled lilac-pink star flowers, deeper rose in bud, on bare spring branches. Frost-tolerant in bud and reliably floriferous.
Magnolia 'Star Wars' · Magnolia 'Star Wars' A vigorous deciduous hybrid magnolia bearing very large, bright pink star-to-goblet flowers over a long season from early spring, often reblooming. A fast, free-flowering feature tree.
Magnolia 'Vulcan' · Magnolia 'Vulcan' A deciduous hybrid magnolia prized for its very large, deep ruby-red tulip-shaped flowers in spring. A modern, richly coloured feature tree for small gardens.
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.
Saucer Magnolia 'Alexandrina' · Magnolia x soulangeana 'Alexandrina' A classic saucer magnolia with large goblet-shaped flowers, rosy-purple outside and white within, opening on bare branches in early spring. A vigorous, free-flowering feature tree.
Saucer Magnolia 'Rustica Rubra' · Magnolia x soulangeana 'Rustica Rubra' A vigorous saucer magnolia bearing large, rosy-red goblet-shaped flowers on bare branches in early spring. A reliable, free-flowering deciduous feature tree.
Lily Magnolia 'Nigra' · Magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra' A compact deciduous magnolia with deep wine-purple, lily-shaped flowers borne over a long period from mid-spring into summer. Flowers appear with the foliage on a bushy frame.
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.
Star Magnolia 'Royal Star' · Magnolia stellata 'Royal Star' A compact, slow-growing star magnolia smothered in fragrant, many-petalled white star-shaped flowers on bare branches in early spring. A choice deciduous shrub for small gardens.
Mahonia · Mahonia x media 'Charity' An architectural evergreen with bold ruffs of spiny holly-like leaflets and upright sprays of fragrant yellow flowers in winter, followed by blue berries. Superb for shady feature planting.
Apple · Malus domestica The orchard staple — clouds of pink-white spring blossom give way to crisp autumn fruit. Most varieties need a compatible partner nearby for good cross-pollination.
Ballerina Apple · Malus domestica 'Ballerina' A narrow columnar apple that fruits on short spurs along a single upright trunk, needing almost no pruning and ideal for pots and small courtyards. Plant two different varieties or a crab apple nearby for cross-pollination.
Bonza Apple · Malus domestica 'Bonza' An Australian-bred mid-season apple with large red-blushed fruit and crisp, sweet, juicy flesh. A heavy cropper that suits home orchards and needs a pollination partner such as Granny Smith or Golden Delicious.
Dwarf Ballerina Apple · Malus domestica 'Dwarf Ballerina' A compact columnar apple on dwarfing rootstock, staying under two metres and cropping on a single slim trunk perfect for balconies and large pots. Grow with a second variety nearby to ensure pollination.
Fuji Apple · Malus domestica 'Fuji' A Japanese-bred late-season apple with dense, very sweet, juicy flesh and excellent storage life. Needs a long warm season to develop its sugars and benefits from a pollination partner such as Gala or Granny Smith.
Gala Apple · Malus domestica 'Gala' A New Zealand-bred early-season dessert apple with sweet, crisp, aromatic flesh and red-striped skin over a yellow ground. Reliable and heavy-cropping, it pairs well with Granny Smith or Red Delicious for pollination.
Golden Delicious Apple · Malus domestica 'Golden Delicious' A reliable self-fertile American apple with golden-yellow skin and sweet, mild, juicy flesh suited to eating and cooking. A heavy and consistent cropper that also serves as an excellent universal pollinator.
Granny Smith Apple · Malus domestica 'Granny Smith' An Australian chance seedling from Ryde, NSW, prized for its bright green skin and tart, crisp, long-keeping flesh that suits both cooking and eating. Vigorous and reliable, ripening late in the season and a good pollinator for other apples.
Jonathan Apple · Malus domestica 'Jonathan' An old American mid-season apple with bright red skin and crisp, juicy, tangy-sweet flesh that is good fresh or cooked. Reliable in cool districts and a useful pollinator for many other varieties.
Pink Lady Apple · Malus domestica 'Cripps Pink' A Western Australian-bred late-season apple marketed as Pink Lady, with crisp, sweet-tart flesh and a pink blush over yellow-green skin. Needs a long warm autumn to ripen fully and a pollination partner such as Gala or Granny Smith.
Red Delicious Apple · Malus domestica 'Red Delicious' A classic American dessert apple with deep crimson skin, a tall five-lobed shape and mild, sweet, soft flesh. Best eaten fresh and needs a pollinator such as Golden Delicious or Granny Smith.
Sundowner Apple · Malus domestica 'Sundowner' A very late-season Western Australian apple (Cripps Red), sibling of Pink Lady, with deep red skin and firm, sweet-tart, long-keeping flesh. Needs a long warm autumn and a pollinator such as Gala or Granny Smith.
Crabapple 'Gorgeous' · Malus 'Gorgeous' A small ornamental tree wreathed in white-and-pink spring blossom followed by glossy long-lasting red crabapples that attract birds and make excellent jelly. Perfect for compact gardens.
Bechtel Crabapple · Malus ioensis 'Plena' An ornamental crabapple bearing large, fragrant double pink rose-like blossoms in mid-spring. A rounded small feature tree with good autumn foliage colour.
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.
Bowen Mango · Mangifera indica 'Kensington Pride' Australia's best-loved mango, with sweet, aromatic, fibre-light golden flesh and a heavy summer crop in warm climates. A large evergreen tree needing full sun, frost-free warmth and good drainage.
Mango · Mangifera indica The taste of a tropical summer — a spreading evergreen laden with fragrant, juicy stone fruit. Needs real warmth and a dry spell to flower and crop reliably.
R2E2 Mango · Mangifera indica 'R2E2' A large, firm, colourful Australian-bred mango with mild sweet flesh and excellent storage and transport quality. A vigorous evergreen tree for warm frost-free districts with full sun and free drainage.
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.
Port Wine Magnolia · Michelia figo A dense evergreen shrub with small cup-shaped cream flowers edged maroon that release a powerful banana-and-bubblegum perfume on warm days. A classic fragrant screening plant.
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.
Dwarf Maiden Grass 'Adagio' · Miscanthus sinensis 'Adagio' A compact clumping grass with fine silvery-green foliage forming a tidy mound, topped by pink-tinted plumes that fade to silvery-white. A smaller-scale feature grass for borders and pots.
Morning Light Maiden Grass · Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' A graceful clumping ornamental grass with very fine green leaves edged white that read silver from a distance, topped by coppery-pink plumes in autumn. A refined upright feature for borders.
Zebra Grass · Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus' A tall clumping grass distinguished by horizontal creamy-yellow bands across its arching green blades, with feathery plumes in autumn. A bold, unusual feature for large borders.
Swiss Cheese Vine · Monstera adansonii A trailing or climbing aroid with smaller leaves riddled with oval holes, giving a delicate lace effect. Lovely spilling from a basket or scrambling up a pole.
Swiss Cheese Plant · Monstera deliciosa The iconic split-leaf houseplant — big, glossy, holey foliage that turns any bright corner into a jungle. Easy-going indoors and dramatic at scale.
Black Mulberry · Morus nigra Sweet, deep-purple berries that stain everything they touch — a self-fertile, long-lived shade tree the whole street's birds will find. Quick-growing and tough.
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.
Daffodil · Narcissus hybrid Cheerful trumpets that herald the end of winter and naturalise into drifts in cooler gardens. Every part contains toxic alkaloids, which also makes the bulbs rodent and deer proof.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Iceland Poppy · Papaver nudicaule Crinkled, tissue-paper flowers in glowing sherbet shades nod on slender hairy stems through the cool months. Sow direct in autumn; the fine seed needs light to germinate.
Virginia Creeper · Parthenocissus quinquefolia A vigorous self-clinging deciduous vine with handsome five-fingered leaves that ignite into fiery red and burgundy tones in autumn. Excellent for quickly covering large walls, fences and pergolas.
Boston Ivy · Parthenocissus tricuspidata A self-clinging deciduous climber whose three-lobed green leaves turn brilliant crimson and scarlet in autumn before falling. The classic clothing for brick walls, it attaches by adhesive tendril pads.
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.
Nellie Kelly Passionfruit · Passiflora edulis 'Nellie Kelly' A popular grafted purple passionfruit on hardy rootstock, vigorous and quick to cover a fence with glossy evergreen leaves and exotic flowers. Crops heavily with tangy aromatic fruit in a warm, sunny, sheltered position.
Panama Red Passionfruit · Passiflora edulis 'Panama Red' A warm-climate passionfruit with large red-purple fruit and sweet, mild, juicy pulp, best suited to subtropical and tropical gardens. A vigorous evergreen climber that needs warmth, sun and a sturdy support.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Avocado · Persea americana A large evergreen carrying buttery, nutrient-rich fruit — but it demands free drainage and hates wet feet. Grafted trees fruit far sooner than seedlings.
Bacon Avocado · Persea americana 'Bacon' A hardier, earlier-cropping avocado with smooth green skin and light, mild flesh, tolerating cooler conditions than most. A type-B flowering tree that makes an excellent pollinator partner for Hass.
Hass Avocado · Persea americana 'Hass' The leading commercial avocado, with pebbly skin that purples when ripe and rich, creamy, nutty flesh. A type-A flowering evergreen that crops better with a type-B variety such as Bacon nearby and needs frost-free warmth and excellent drainage.
Reed Avocado · Persea americana 'Reed' A summer-fruiting avocado with large, round, green fruit and rich, buttery, mild flesh, on a notably upright tree. A type-A variety that is fairly self-fertile but fruits best with a type-B partner; needs warmth and free-draining soil.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pink Princess Philodendron · Philodendron erubescens 'Pink Princess' A sought-after climber prized for dark, near-black leaves splashed with bubblegum-pink variegation. A standout collector's aroid that needs bright indirect light to keep its colour.
Heartleaf Philodendron · Philodendron hederaceum A forgiving trailing vine of soft, heart-shaped green leaves that cascades from shelves or climbs a moss pole. One of the easiest aroids for low light.
Hope Philodendron · Philodendron 'Hope' A robust self-heading philodendron forming a broad mound of large, deeply lobed glossy green leaves. A lush, low-care feature for shaded courtyards and large pots; foliage is toxic to pets if chewed.
Xanadu · Philodendron 'Xanadu' A compact, clumping philodendron with glossy, finger-lobed leaves that holds a tidy mounded shape. A neat, low-fuss feature for pots indoors or shaded patios.
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.
Photinia 'Red Robin' · Photinia × fraseri 'Red Robin' · from $3.50 A fast, frost-hardy evergreen screen famous for its brilliant red new growth each spring. The exotic workhorse hedge for cool-climate gardens.
Golden Bamboo · Phyllostachys aurea A tall running bamboo with upright golden-green canes that spreads aggressively by underground rhizomes. A serious environmental weed in Australia and only safe behind a deep rhizome barrier.
Black Bamboo · Phyllostachys nigra A handsome running bamboo whose canes mature from green to glossy jet black, prized as a feature. Spreads by invasive rhizomes, so must be grown in containers or behind a root barrier.
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.
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.
London Plane · Platanus ×acerifolia A large, robust shade tree with broad maple-like leaves and striking flaking cream-and-grey camouflage bark. Famously tolerant of pollution, pruning and tough urban conditions.
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.
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.
Poorinda Ballerina Mint Bush · Prostanthera 'Poorinda Ballerina' A bushy aromatic mint bush smothered in white flowers flushed mauve in spring. Fast-growing and bee-attracting, ideal as a feature or informal screen in cooler gardens.
Oval-leaf Mint Bush · Prostanthera ovalifolia A soft, fast-growing shrub with aromatic foliage that erupts in a haze of purple bell flowers in spring. Brush the leaves for their minty scent; a lovely short-lived feature.
Apricot · Prunus armeniaca Early white-pink blossom and golden, honey-sweet midsummer fruit on a mostly self-fertile tree. Flowers early, so a sheltered spot guards the crop against late frosts.
Moorpark Apricot · Prunus armeniaca 'Moorpark' An old favourite apricot with large, richly flavoured, sweet orange fruit excellent fresh, dried or bottled. Self-fertile and best in districts with cold winters and dry springs to avoid blossom disease.
Trevatt Apricot · Prunus armeniaca 'Trevatt' An Australian-bred apricot with medium, pale-orange, sweet fruit suited to eating fresh, jam and canning. Self-fertile, heavy-cropping and a reliable choice across southern Australian districts.
Lapins Cherry · Prunus avium 'Lapins' A self-fertile late-season sweet cherry with large, firm, dark-red, crack-resistant fruit of excellent flavour. Reliable and productive, needing winter chill and a sunny, well-drained site.
Stella Cherry · Prunus avium 'Stella' A self-fertile sweet cherry with large, dark red, richly flavoured fruit, making it ideal as a single tree in the home garden. Needs cold winters to crop well and is a useful pollinator for other cherries.
Sweet Cherry · Prunus avium Lavish white spring blossom and glossy summer fruit on a tall, handsome tree. Needs real winter chill and, for many varieties, a compatible pollinating partner.
Black Cherry Plum · Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra' A popular flowering plum with deep blackish-purple foliage held all season and single pale-pink blossoms wreathing the bare branches in early spring. A reliable purple-leaf feature tree.
Blireana Plum · Prunus x blireana A popular flowering plum with rich coppery-purple foliage and fragrant double rose-pink blossoms in early spring. A compact, rounded feature tree holding purple colour all season.
Elvins Cherry · Prunus 'Elvins' An Australian-raised flowering cherry with arching branches densely covered in frilly pink-and-white single blossoms in early spring. A reliable, well-adapted small feature tree.
Flowering Plum · Prunus ×blireana A small deciduous tree carrying double rose-pink blossoms in early spring followed by coppery-purple foliage that holds its colour through the warmer months. A popular suburban feature.
Anzac Peach · Prunus persica 'Anzac' An early-season white-fleshed peach with soft, sweet, juicy fruit, popular in low-chill Australian districts. Self-fertile and reliable, it bears a heavy crop after a spring flush of pink blossom.
Flavortop Nectarine · Prunus persica var. nucipersica 'Flavortop' A mid-season yellow-fleshed freestone nectarine with large, firm, richly flavoured fruit and glowing red skin. Self-fertile and a strong cropper, it is a popular choice for the backyard orchard.
Golden Queen Peach · Prunus persica 'Golden Queen' A late-season clingstone peach with firm, golden, richly flavoured flesh that is the classic choice for bottling and canning. Self-fertile and a heavy cropper, it ripens in late summer to autumn.
Goldmine Nectarine · Prunus persica var. nucipersica 'Goldmine' A white-fleshed freestone nectarine with smooth red skin and sweet, juicy, aromatic flesh. Self-fertile and reliable, it ripens in mid to late summer and is well suited to home orchards.
Peach · Prunus persica Showy pink spring blossom ahead of juicy summer fruit on a fast-growing, self-fertile tree. Prune yearly for shape and to keep the fruiting wood young and productive.
Pixzee Dwarf Peach · Prunus persica 'Pixzee' A genetic dwarf peach reaching only about 1.5 metres yet bearing full-sized, sweet, yellow-fleshed fruit, perfect for pots and small gardens. Self-fertile and compact, it carries a pretty show of pink spring blossom.
White Satin Peach · Prunus persica 'White Satin' A mid-season white-fleshed freestone peach with sweet, low-acid, melting flesh and a fragrant aroma. Self-fertile and productive, it suits home gardens in warm-temperate and cooler districts.
Japanese Plum · Prunus salicina Juicy, richly coloured fruit on a vigorous tree carrying a froth of early white blossom. Most Japanese plums need a partner variety nearby to set a good crop.
Mariposa Plum · Prunus salicina 'Mariposa' A large blood plum with mottled red-purple skin and sweet, almost stoneless deep-red flesh, superb for eating fresh. Partly self-fertile but cropping best with Satsuma or Santa Rosa nearby.
Santa Rosa Plum · Prunus salicina 'Santa Rosa' A widely grown Japanese plum with reddish-purple skin and sweet-tart amber flesh, good fresh or cooked. Largely self-fertile and an excellent pollinator for other Japanese plums, cropping in mid-summer.
Satsuma Plum · Prunus salicina 'Satsuma' A Japanese blood plum with dark red skin and sweet, juicy, deep-red flesh that is excellent fresh or for jam. Needs a pollinator such as Santa Rosa or Mariposa and crops in mid to late summer.
Flagpole Cherry · Prunus serrulata 'Amanogawa' A narrow, columnar Japanese flowering cherry ideal for tight spaces, bearing fragrant semi-double soft-pink blossoms in spring. Foliage colours warmly in autumn on its upright frame.
Flowering Cherry 'Mt Fuji' · Prunus serrulata 'Mt Fuji' A spreading ornamental cherry with horizontal tiers of branches draped in large, semi-double, fragrant snow-white blossom in spring. A spectacular cool-climate feature tree.
Kanzan Cherry · Prunus serrulata 'Kanzan' The most widely planted Japanese flowering cherry, with a stiff upright vase shape and masses of large double rose-pink blossoms in spring. Bronze new foliage turns orange in autumn.
Shimidsu Cherry · Prunus serrulata 'Shimidsu' A spreading, flat-topped Japanese flowering cherry with pendulous clusters of large frilly double white blossoms, pink in bud, in late spring. A dainty, elegant feature tree.
Weeping Cherry · Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula' A graceful weeping flowering cherry with slender cascading branches smothered in soft pink single blossoms in early spring. A classic specimen for lawns and feature positions.
Bradford Pear · Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford' A broadly rounded ornamental pear with dense white spring blossom and glossy foliage turning red-purple late in autumn. A vigorous shade and feature tree for street and garden use.
Cleveland Select Pear · Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer' A neat, tightly pyramidal ornamental pear with profuse white spring blossom and reliable burgundy-red autumn colour. A tough, disease-resistant street and feature tree.
Ornamental Pear 'Aristocrat' · Pyrus calleryana 'Aristocrat' A broadly pyramidal ornamental pear with horizontal branching, glossy wavy-edged foliage and white spring blossom. Autumn colour ranges through gold, orange and crimson-red.
Pear · Pyrus communis A long-lived, upright tree carrying white spring blossom and sweet, melting autumn fruit. Plant a second variety for cross-pollination and reliable cropping.
Manchurian Pear · Pyrus ussuriensis 'Manchurian' A hardy, broadly rounded ornamental pear with abundant white early-spring blossom and glossy foliage that turns brilliant red, purple and orange in autumn. A tough, cold-hardy shade tree.
Pin Oak · Quercus palustris A fast-growing oak with a distinctive pyramidal crown and deeply lobed glossy leaves that turn rich russet-red in autumn and often persist into winter. A superb large avenue tree.
Persian Buttercup · Ranunculus asiaticus Tightly ruffled, rose-like flowers in brilliant colours, grown from claw-shaped tubers planted in autumn. A florist favourite; the sap can irritate skin and is toxic if eaten.
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.
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.
Rhubarb · Rheum rhabarbarum A handsome, long-lived perennial grown for its tart crimson stalks — but never the leaves, which are toxic. Plant once and harvest each spring for years to come.
Gumpo Pink Azalea · Rhododendron 'Gumpo Pink' A dwarf, spreading Satsuki azalea bearing large, frilled soft-pink blooms late in the azalea season on a low mounding bush. Ideal for borders, pots and bonsai. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Gumpo Red Azalea · Rhododendron 'Gumpo Red' A dwarf, spreading Satsuki azalea bearing large frilled blooms of bright rosy red late in the season on a low mounding bush. Ideal for borders and pots. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Gumpo White Azalea · Rhododendron 'Gumpo White' A dwarf, low-spreading Satsuki azalea with large, ruffled pure-white blooms appearing late in the season. Perfect for low borders, pots and bonsai. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Littlest Angel Vireya · Rhododendron 'Vireya Littlest Angel' A dwarf, frost-tender Vireya rhododendron with small leaves and pendulous, tubular bright-red flowers carried much of the year. Perfect for hanging baskets and small pots. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Rhododendron Cynthia · Rhododendron 'Cynthia' A vigorous old hardy-hybrid rhododendron carrying domed trusses of rosy-crimson flowers in spring above bold leathery leaves. Needs cool moist acid soil and dappled shade to thrive.
Tropic Glow Vireya · Rhododendron 'Vireya Tropic Glow' A frost-tender Vireya (tropical) rhododendron bearing waxy clusters of glowing orange-and-yellow trumpet flowers, often several times a year. Excellent in pots and frost-free gardens. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Alphonse Anderson Azalea · Rhododendron indica 'Alphonse Anderson' A favourite indica azalea with large rose-pink blooms variably striped and flecked with white, sometimes throwing solid sports. Showy in shaded beds. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Indica Azalea · Rhododendron indica 'Alba Magna' A large evergreen Indica azalea that blankets itself in big single white trumpet flowers in spring. Loves dappled shade and acid soil; all parts are toxic if eaten.
Magnifica Azalea · Rhododendron indica 'Magnifica' A tall, vigorous indica azalea with large single blooms of rosy mauve-purple in spring, useful for screening and informal hedges. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Red Wing Azalea · Rhododendron indica 'Red Wing' An indica azalea with large, frilled bright red blooms making a bold spring display in shaded gardens. Excellent as a feature or low hedge. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Rose Queen Azalea · Rhododendron indica 'Rose Queen' An indica azalea bearing large, hose-in-hose deep rose-pink blooms with a delicate ruffled edge in spring. A long-popular feature and hedging azalea. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Splendens Azalea · Rhododendron indica 'Splendens' A vigorous indica azalea covered in large single blooms of glowing mauve-pink in spring. Reliable and showy for shaded hedges and feature beds. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Hino Crimson Azalea · Rhododendron kurume 'Hino Crimson' A compact kurume azalea smothered in small, single brilliant crimson-red flowers in spring on a dense, low bush. Superb for low hedges and pots. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Kirin Azalea · Rhododendron kurume 'Kirin' A dainty kurume azalea with masses of small, hose-in-hose deep rose-pink blooms with paler centres on a neat, twiggy bush. Lovely in pots and low edging. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Kurume Christmas Cheer Azalea · Rhododendron kurume 'Christmas Cheer' A compact kurume azalea smothered in small, double hose-in-hose blooms of bright rose-red on a dense, low bush. Excellent for pots and low hedges. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Christopher Wren Azalea · Rhododendron mollis 'Christopher Wren' A deciduous mollis azalea with large golden-yellow blooms flushed orange, carried in showy trusses in spring before rich autumn leaf colour. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Dr M. Oosthoek Azalea · Rhododendron mollis 'Dr M. Oosthoek' A deciduous mollis azalea bearing bold trusses of deep orange-red trumpet blooms on bare branches in spring, followed by rich autumn foliage. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
Koster's Brilliant Red Azalea · Rhododendron mollis 'Koster's Brilliant Red' A deciduous mollis azalea bearing trusses of glowing orange-red trumpet blooms on bare stems in spring, followed by fiery autumn foliage. A cold-climate favourite. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lorraine Lee Rose · Rosa 'Lorraine Lee' A beloved Alister Clark Australian-bred rose flowering through autumn and winter when few others bloom, with warm rosy-pink blooms and a tea fragrance. Tough, heat-tolerant and near-evergreen in mild climates.
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.
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.
Thornless Blackberry · Rubus fruticosus 'Thornless' A spineless cultivated blackberry with large, sweet, glossy-black berries on safe-to-handle canes, ideal for a trained trellis. Self-fertile, vigorous and hardy, it crops heavily in summer; train and contain it to keep it tidy.
Boysenberry · Rubus 'Boysenberry' A trailing blackberry-raspberry hybrid with large, soft, dark-maroon berries of rich, tart-sweet flavour, superb for pies and jam. Self-fertile and vigorous, it crops in early summer and is best trained along a wire trellis.
Youngberry · Rubus 'Youngberry' A trailing blackberry-dewberry hybrid with sweet, juicy, dark-purple berries earlier than boysenberry, good fresh or cooked. Vigorous and self-fertile, it crops in early summer and rewards training on a sturdy trellis.
Chilcotin Raspberry · Rubus idaeus 'Chilcotin' A summer-fruiting (floricane) raspberry with large, firm, flavoursome red berries borne on second-year canes. Vigorous and hardy, it crops in early to mid-summer and benefits from a sunny site with cool, moist roots.
Heritage Raspberry · Rubus idaeus 'Heritage' A reliable autumn-fruiting (primocane) raspberry bearing firm, sweet red berries on the current season's canes, simplifying pruning. Self-fertile and hardy, it suits cool to warm-temperate gardens with cool roots and full sun.
Raspberry · Rubus idaeus Sweet summer berries on upright, prickly canes that crop best with support and yearly pruning. Spreads by suckers, so it rewards a contained, sunny bed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Satin Pothos · Scindapsus pictus A handsome trailing aroid with matte, heart-shaped leaves dusted in silvery markings. Easy and elegant cascading from a shelf or hanging basket.
Tamarillo · Solanum betaceum A fast, shrubby small tree that crops within a couple of years, hung with glossy egg-shaped fruit. Tangy and rich — eaten fresh, stewed or in chutneys.
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.
Tomato 'Apollo Improved' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Apollo Improved' An early, vigorous Australian-bred slicing tomato giving large, smooth, blemish-free red fruit. A popular all-rounder for the home garden.
Tomato 'Beefsteak' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Beefsteak' The quintessential large slicing tomato, with broad, ribbed, meaty fruit ideal for sandwiches and burgers. Indeterminate and heavy, it needs strong staking.
Tomato 'Black Russian' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Black Russian' A rich, dark mahogany-brown heirloom prized for its smoky, sweet flavour and low acidity. Indeterminate fruit ripen to a dusky purple-black shoulder.
Tomato 'Burnley Bounty' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Burnley Bounty' An Australian heirloom bred at Burnley, bearing large, fleshy red fruit with rich flavour and good crack resistance. Indeterminate and dependable.
Tomato 'Green Zebra' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Green Zebra' A striking heirloom with green and amber-striped skin and zesty, lime-tart green flesh that stays green when ripe. Indeterminate and a favourite of chefs.
Tomato 'Grosse Lisse' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Grosse Lisse' A reliable Australian favourite producing large, smooth, deep-red slicing tomatoes over a long season. Indeterminate and best staked, it forgives the beginner gardener.
Tomato 'KY1' · Solanum lycopersicum 'KY1' An Australian-bred favourite valued for disease tolerance and heavy crops of medium-large red fruit. A solid, reliable choice for warm and humid gardens.
Tomato 'Mortgage Lifter' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Mortgage Lifter' A famed beefsteak heirloom producing huge, meaty pink-red fruit often over 500 g, with mild, sweet flavour. Indeterminate and best supported on sturdy stakes.
Tomato 'Oxheart' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Oxheart' A large heart-shaped heirloom with meaty, low-seed pink-red flesh and sweet, mild flavour. Indeterminate, excellent for slicing and sauces alike.
Tomato 'Roma' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Roma' A determinate paste tomato bearing dense, egg-shaped fruit with few seeds, ideal for sauces, passata and bottling. Compact and bush-like, it needs little staking.
Tomato 'San Marzano' · Solanum lycopersicum 'San Marzano' The classic Italian plum tomato, with long, slender, meaty fruit that reduce to a thick, sweet sauce. Indeterminate and prolific over a long warm season.
Tomato 'Sweet 100' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Sweet 100' An exuberant cherry tomato bearing long trusses of intensely sweet, bite-sized red fruit. Indeterminate and astonishingly productive, perfect for snacking and pots.
Tomato 'Tigerella' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Tigerella' An early, heavy-cropping heirloom bearing medium red fruit striped with golden-orange. Tangy and reliable, it sets well even in cooler conditions.
Tomato 'Tommy Toe' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Tommy Toe' A vigorous, disease-resistant heirloom that crops heavily with cherry-sized, tangy-sweet fruit. One of the most dependable tomatoes for humid and difficult climates.
Tomato 'Yellow Pear' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Yellow Pear' A charming heirloom bearing masses of small, pear-shaped, lemon-yellow fruit with a mild, sweet flavour. Indeterminate, ornamental and great for salads.
Eggplant · Solanum melongena Plump, glossy fruit in deep purple, white or striped, hanging from a sturdy, heat-loving bush. Needs a long warm season, so raise seedlings early indoors.
Eggplant 'Black Beauty' · Solanum melongena 'Black Beauty' The classic eggplant, with large, glossy, deep-purple fruit on a sturdy bush. Needs a long, hot season and is best raised in trays before transplanting.
Potato · Solanum tuberosum Plant certified seed potatoes and hill them up as they grow for a rewarding underground harvest. Easy in beds, bags or pots — and homegrown new potatoes are a revelation.
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.
May Bush · Spiraea cantoniensis An arching deciduous shrub whose bare-then-leafy stems become wands of pure white pompom flower clusters in spring. A nostalgic cottage 'May bush' and lovely cut flower.
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.
Firewheel Tree · Stenocarpus sinuatus A handsome rainforest tree with glossy lobed leaves and extraordinary spoke-like wheels of scarlet-and-gold flowers in autumn. A spectacular bird-attracting feature tree.
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.
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.
Giant Bird of Paradise · Strelitzia nicolai A towering tropical with huge, paddle-shaped banana-like leaves that fill a bright room. The quintessential statement plant for a sunny indoor corner.
Bird of Paradise · Strelitzia reginae Famous for its crane-like orange and blue flowers perched above blue-green paddle leaves. A bold sun-lover that flowers best when potbound in a bright spot.
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.
Arrowhead Vine · Syngonium podophyllum A versatile climber or trailer with arrow-shaped leaves in green, cream and pink shades. Quick-growing and adaptable, easily kept bushy with a trim.
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.
English Yew · Taxus baccata A dense, dark-green conifer that tolerates hard clipping, making it the classic choice for formal hedges and topiary. All parts except the red aril are highly toxic to people and pets if eaten.
Irish Yew · Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata' A strongly upright, columnar yew with dark green foliage forming a dense vertical pillar. A formal accent and clipping plant, though all parts except the aril are toxic if ingested.
Fraser Island Creeper · Tecomanthe hillii A handsome Australian native rainforest climber with glossy foliage and showy clusters of rosy-pink trumpet flowers in spring. A choice, frost-tender vine for sheltered subtropical gardens.
Shady Lady Waratah · Telopea 'Shady Lady Red' A robust, free-flowering waratah hybrid bearing large crimson flower heads in spring above leathery green foliage. More vigorous and adaptable than the wild species, and a stunning cut flower.
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.
Tree Philodendron · Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum A bold South American aroid with huge, deeply lobed leaves that form a lush rosette. A dramatic floor specimen for a bright indoor corner.
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.
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.
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.
Lasiandra · Tibouchina lepidota 'Alstonville' A showstopping large shrub that smothers itself in vivid royal-purple flowers in autumn above velvety ribbed leaves. A favourite warm-climate feature; frost-tender and acid-loving.
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.
Wandering Jew · Tradescantia zebrina A fast trailing plant with shimmering leaves striped silver and purple above, vivid purple below. Easy and vigorous, it cascades brilliantly from a hanging basket.
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.
Tulip · Tulipa gesneriana The quintessential spring bulb, opening to chalices of every colour after a cold winter chill. In warm Australian climates bulbs need pre-chilling and are best treated as annuals; toxic if eaten.
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.
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.
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.
Laurustinus · Viburnum tinus 'Lucidum' · from $17.95 A dense, hardy evergreen valued for clusters of pink buds opening to white flowers in winter and spring, followed by blue-black berries. A dependable frost-tolerant hedge or screen.
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.
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.
Black Muscat Grape · Vitis vinifera 'Black Muscat' A black seeded grape with a rich, perfumed muscat flavour, excellent for fresh eating and dessert wine. A hardy deciduous vine that crops well over a pergola and colours warmly in autumn.
Crimson Seedless Grape · Vitis vinifera 'Crimson Seedless' A late-season seedless red table grape with firm, crisp, sweet fruit and excellent keeping quality. A vigorous deciduous vine that needs full sun, a long warm season and a sturdy trellis.
Ornamental Grape · Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea' A deciduous tendril climber grown for its dramatic foliage, opening grey-pink and deepening to wine-purple before turning rich crimson in autumn. A handsome, shade-giving cover for pergolas.
Sultana · Vitis vinifera 'Thompson Seedless' The classic seedless white grape grown for fresh eating, sultanas and drying, with sweet pale-green fruit on a vigorous vine. Self-fertile and deciduous, it needs a sunny wall, fence or pergola and winter pruning.
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.
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.
Japanese Wisteria · Wisteria floribunda A graceful deciduous climber renowned for its exceptionally long, fragrant violet-blue flower racemes that open progressively from the base in spring as the fresh foliage unfurls. A breathtaking pergola plant.
Chinese Wisteria · Wisteria sinensis A spectacular deciduous twining vine that drips with long, fragrant pendulous racemes of mauve-blue pea flowers before the leaves emerge in spring. Vigorous and long-lived, it demands a sturdy support.
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.
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.
Japanese Zelkova · Zelkova serrata An elegant vase-shaped shade tree related to elms, with serrated leaves turning shades of yellow, orange and bronze-red in autumn and attractive flaking grey bark. Tough and elm-disease resistant.
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.