Only about 2 million folks here....one in a million if they are a couple.
Here is a Phormium I had never seen before...or since.
Flowering in Australia September 2009
Dale - lovely phormiums.
I think it is great the way they are incorporated into the flower garden.
In NZ they tend to be lumped into boring plantings with tussock grasses & hebes.
There are so many amazing cultivars now - I am drooling over some dwarf varieties a black & a bronze really caught my eye...
My back yard is landscaped in mostly natives but half died & it is a bit bare out there.
If you like phormium then astelias are good as well.
I have 'Silver Spear' but there is a new bronze mini that is stunning & was features at Ellerslie last year.
Another good foliage plant is the Cordyline australis.
I have two 'Red Fountain' cordylines in pots.
Cordyline australis is widely grown here in the near tropics.
Phormium is a winter annual for me (Florida).
In California, with their dry summers, it is a dependable perennial.
Nice, the plants in those links.
Dalfyre,
I would think that heathers would be popular in NZ.
they are.
So are Erica & hebes all mixed in with phormiums etc...
I have some hebes - there are so many variations - many look nothing like each other!
pictured Hebe Emerald Gem
don't know what this Hebe is called
think this is Hebe red edge
Florida has one Hebe that is recommended, H. buxifolia, I have never seen it for sale.
CA has all the Hebe hybrids, not common, but you do see them once in awhile.
certain hebes have become the ubiquitous choice for public plantings - along with agapanthus & tussock & phormium tenax they can be seen around most toilet blocks & many library or council buildings...
they are hardy & low maintenance.
We have the same problem around here, over used planting schemes.
These three plants - Adonidia, Schefflera and Ty plant - can be found multiple times on any street. Loved to death.....
I found after talking to many of the gardeners in America that their gardens and streets are full of Australian and New Zealand plants and trees ...it was a bit surprising but then so many of our plants are really tough and drought tolerant. I love your pictures. ^_^
Here are some of my hippes starting up ...common as muck but loved world wide
I thought the same thing when we first visited Au. Funny how many USplants are growing here.....then did research and discovered that when it comes to plants, gardeners in both countries will plant whatever grows well from any part of the world....grin
Wisteria floribunda 'Violacea Plena'.
Prunus glandulosa 'Rosea Plena'.
Alstroemia psittacina 'Variegata'.
Thanks Judy! :)
Iris x germanica 'Victoria Falls'.
Iris japonica
Lavandula dentata
Awesome flowers Wayne...
Heavenly Blue...Ipomoea
Beautiful photos Wayne and everyone . Here are some of mine. This photo doesn't really show how bright the wallflowers are. They self seed every year and somewhere in there are the mother plants still.
Love this white ceanothus. Handles the heat and cold even better than the blues. I have 2 different blues but love the white.
Bright yellow ranuncs and friend.
More lovely yellows. My large freesias. Lots of yellows in the garden at the moment.
More yellow. My small daffies. Love the dainty little things. A few whites among them.
The daisies trying to peep over the grass. I have a lovely crop of grass everywhere.
One of the pretty soft lavenders with the small viburnum.
Love lavenders, I have green, brown, pink, blue and mauve in various species. I do like these "bunny ears " types though.
Last one , Chrissy, this is my rosemary hedge, I do grow some herbs.. All grown from cuttings from an old plant . Hedge is about 8 years old now and flowers beautifully. All the plants were from upright tips of the mother bush. The plants grown from side shoots all grew wider and untidy. I moved those elsewhere. The hedge is not trimmed just grows so neat and never gets watered.
Whew, what a lot of photos. Standouts for me were Leisas Epidendrums, Steves Dendrobiums, Chrissies Wisteria, Dalfyres Grape hyacinthe, Myas NOID Hoya, Waynes yellow Clivea, Colleens Palergonium, Jeans Camelia and wall flowers (just gorgeous) and Dale, your pics are always lovely! You make think those plants are overused, but if they do well in your climate and look good most of the time, they're rightfully used so often.
Well, I was going to photograph my Eupotorium too, but Wayne beat me to it. I tried the seeds but had no luck with germination and yes, they strike as easily as coleus.
Also was going to post Cliveas, but they've been done to death now also! Booo
So left with a little Dendrobium, whose exact name I can't remember with out running to look at the label. If I do that, I will get side tracked and never finish my post. he he
Speaking of that, I'd better finish and go water the neighbours garden before it gets dark!
Sue
Thanks Mya. That is a lovely blue.
Jean, fab photos! Rosemary is such a great plant. Your hedge is a treat. I am not sure what our variety is, but it grows nice long stems, perfect to skewer lamb pieces with for cooking... Delicious! :)
Is Ceanothus hard to grow? I have never seen the white, yours is beautiful. I see them from time to time here, and the shrubs are spectacular. I have never tried to grow, but could just imagine your white growing in a bed with Echium and Rosemary. That small Echium I sent a pic of earlier, thrives on neglect, loves it dry and well drained, as does Rosemary.
Sue, that is a lovely little Dendrobium kingianum cv. Love the stripes. This year down here, the Dendrobiums have flowered their hearts out. I have never seen such a season before. The Rock Lilies in particular. Here is a photo taken at a friend's place. She has the Rock Lilies in an old wheel barrow.
Wayne, I liked the white ceanothus so much I put in another last year. It is already taller than I am from a small 10"plant. I find it very hardy and after the initial few months, requies no water but the rain. Mine are out in the open in all weather. They are in full flower now and will continue for quite a few months. They are a more upright grower than the blues. I have some echiums and one that self seeds so I may put one next to the ceanothus .I am very envious of the size of those Dendrobiums. Mine flower but being colder down here, they are never that good.
Great information thank you Jean. I really am tempted to try Ceanothus, particularly with Echium and rosemary, just have to find the right place here. I found the following article from Gardening Australia very interesting. Sounds like you are pressing all the right buttons Jean!
http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1866610.htm
Have you ever tried cuttings?
I had a huge Blue Pacific one here for years but after a really long hot wet Summer it died ...like daphne it needs perfect drainage (I had it in a built up garden, but it's roots must have found the clay beneath.It was a very beautiful shrub of about 8/10 ft when it died.
I also had a beautiful rosemary walk that was destroyed when hubby was "rearranging the grounds" ...sigh they took it all out and dumped it without telling me.I have lost about 1/2 an acre of precious plants ...however I am quickly filling up the garden again ...you can guess what with ^_^
Love the Rosemary Chrissy. Stuck one in near the BBQ for fresh sprigs with the lamb chops. For me it is a 'must have' in every garden. Got to agree with you on the Dendrobiums Wayne. Ours look great this year too. Have noticed though that the ornamental fruit tree has decided not to flower this year? Winter not long enough?
Anyway here are the Babiana coming up at Sussex.
Cheers
Steve
