Author: Stephen Ryan
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Matteuccia struthiopteris
If you can get beyond or even say the botanical name of the Shuttlecock Fern you are well on your way to being elected as the president of the local garden club! It is however a fabulous herbaceous fern from the Northern Hemisphere rarely grown in Australia unfortunately. Unlike evergreen ferns this plant goes through
Stephen Ryan
Mackaya bella
This South African shrub in the same family as Acanthus (oyster plant) is an unsung garden hero! It will grow in dry shade as well as sun, will quickly get to 3metres each way, is easily pruned to size, has lovely rich deep green foliage and a mass of trumpet flowers that are off white
Stephen Ryan
Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’
The Golden Hop has to be one of the most useful climbers I grow. Its lovely leaves are attractive from spring till autumn and it will quickly soften or disguise any garden eyesore. Because it is herbaceous it won’t smother host trees or shrubs and if it is grown over a pergola it will be
Stephen Ryan
Clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’
One of the worlds great climbing plants from China. It is a vigorous evergreen plant with large glossy rich green leaves that start life a rich copper colour in the pink forms. In early spring the growth produced last spring will produce swags of softest pink highly scented flowers that will have you standing there
Stephen Ryan
Ruscus hypoglossum
This is the plant if you need something for the darkest,driest, spot in the garden, you could probably grow it in a cupboard, in fact it won’t like you if you try growing it in a sunny spot! It is actually an evergreen perennial although it looks more like a shrub and it grows to
Stephen Ryan
Neillia thibetica
This deciduous Asian shrub isn’t used anywhere near enough in gardens and anyone who has a copy of my now out of print first book “Exceptional Plants” can look it up and find out everything about it. For those of you silly enough not to have bought this important book I had best give you
Stephen Ryan
Rumex sanguineus
Red Veined Dock does’t sound too good but it is a great plant in so many ways. Yes it is a Dock weed but its stunning bright green leaves with a network of blood red veins makes it a foliage plant with great presence in any garden. The leaves can be blanched and added to
Stephen Ryan
Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Pendulum’
This has to be about the wierdest tree in the world so those of a timid disposition should avoid it! The leaders usually head in a generally upward direction with the side branches cascading down making it potentially the worlds tallest but narrowest tree. The one in Bobnant Gardens in Wales was at some time
Stephen Ryan
Berberis julianae ‘Spring Glory’
I imported this shrub some time back and it didn’t have a recognised name at the time and was called something or other of Hort. There is a picture of this very plant in Michael Dirr’s book and the above is what he calls it. So it will have to do for now. Whatever it
Stephen Ryan
Serapias lingua
I am no orchid expert and in the cold climate of Mt. Macedon I couldn’t grow the tropical ones without the heated greenhouse that I don’t make enough money to build! I have however grown a few cool climate terrestrial species and I have found this one very easy. Alright it isn’t as showy as
Stephen Ryan