The New Zealand Pepper Bush is rarely grown in Australia but should be seen more. It has lovely heart shaped glossy green leaves on a dense bush to 3m tall and although the flowers aren’t particularly showy the green bullet shaped flower heads are interesting and add to the overall effect. the fact that it …
This has to be one of the most beautiful species daffodils and rarely offered for sale in Australia. It is exceptionally slow to multiply and so is best raised from seed which needs to be hand pollinated to set. It usually takes at the least 3 years to reach flowering size and unlike other daffodils …
If you don’t like variegation don’t read on! This herbaceous perennial has to have some not the most over the top leaf colour of any cold hardy plant and I for one love it! It grows to about 60cms. or so and builds into a substantial clump in a fairly short time. The large leaves …
Persicaria virginiana filiformis ‘Painter’s Palette’ Read More »
I have only met this plant recently as a struck cutting I bought at the AGM auction of Plant Trust an important organisation that registers plant collections. I have only had it a couple of years and it has been a winner in every respect as far as I am concerned. It is a neotropical …
This amazing evergreen conifer is native to Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay and is rarely offered in Australia. It is commonly called the Candelabra Tree or Parana Pine.It will grow quite quickly in an open sunny site and you only have to look at the picture I have included of the tree planted in the Melbourne …
Euonymus fortunei from Asia is a remarkably hardy and incredibly diverse species including trailing ground covers, climbers and even quite large shrubs. In the case of variety radicans it is a bit of a trailing ground cover that will also climb up any suitable surface and in both instances it is a light open plant …
Euhttp://stephenryan.com.au/wp-admin/update-core.phponymus fortunei radicans Read More »
This handsome perennial comes from the cool forests of central and south eastern China and is a great addition to a shaded aspect in the garden or as a tub specimen. It is mainly about leaves which come up in spring and can still be telling in the autumn. They are huge plate like affairs …
This charming little species is rarely grown in Australia and for no god reason as it is hardy, showy and self seeds well in a semi-shaded aspect in Southern Australia. Perhaps as it is autumnal in flower it is overlooked for the more common species of C. hederifolium which is better known and also worth …
The Genus Aucuba has for far too long been left out of the lime light which is fair enough in one sense as it likes heavy shade! the common varieties tend to have spotted variegated foliage which I think stands out superbly but by many people is seen as over the top and vulgar. Silly …
This Genus contains all evergreen shrubs of dense rounded habit that usually don’t grow more than about a metre tall by as wide in about 10 years. This supposed hybrid will rarely grow even half as tall. They all like constant shade as direct sun can bleach or even burn the leaves. They are all …