Category: Drought tolerant
RECENT POSTS
BROWSE CATEGORIES
Abutilon megapotamicum ‘Variegata’
There can’t be a cheerier plant in my garden than this hardy scandent shrub nor one that pays its way more. If grown without support it will arch over and make a mound of spotty golden variegated foliage with yellow petalled flowers with dark stamens and a red calyx. However as the flowers hang down
Stephen Ryan
Hypericum ‘Hidcote’
This Genus commonly called St. Johns Wort is far better than its common name might suggest. The specific cultivar I’m talking about was a self sown seedling at the famous garden of Hidcote in England and is obviously worth having if Lawrence Johnston said so! This is a hardy evergreen shrub to 1.5 metres each
Stephen Ryan
Fatsia japonica ‘Variegata’
I love a tropical look in the garden even though I come from less than tropical Mt. Macedon! And this plant really floats my boat. It is not only cold hardy but grows well in dry shade to boot, what more could you want? Well it will also do well in a pot and makes
Stephen Ryan
Pancratium maritimum
This rarely offered bulb is a great thing for the water saver as it comes from coastal areas around the Mediterranean so obviously will do well in almost any sunny well drained site in southern Australia. If it does get some water it can be more or less evergreen but is quite happy having a
Stephen Ryan
Colletia paradoxa
If there was ever a plant that should be planted under the bedroom window this is it. I would certainly stop anyone from escaping that way! It is a large shrub with almost no foliage but with green winged and seriously spiny branches which have given it the names of Anchor Plant and Crucifix Plant.
Stephen Ryan
x Mahoberberis aquisargentii
We can never have enough tough shade tolerant shrubs that can also take it dry and with this in mind I imported this bizarre cross between Mahonia aquifolia and Berberis sargentii in 2003, so I thought it about time I promoted it! It will grow to about 1.5metres each way with stems erupting from ground
Stephen Ryan
Viburnum henryi
The Genus Viburnum is a remarkable one with a huge diversity of uses and features. In fact you could have a whole garden made up of nothing but and it would be interesting and exciting, with evergreen and deciduous, some with scent,some with berries, some with autumn colour, some with tiered branches or round ground
Stephen Ryan
Watsonia aletroides
This has to be the most elegant species I have grown in this Genus of hard to kill South African corms. It shows no sign of weediness with me and yet will grow in any well drained sunny site. It grows to about 30cms. tall with tubular coral flowers with a paler tip in late
Stephen Ryan
Serapias lingua
I don’t grow a lot of orchids as they usually need specific conditions to perform well and I just don’t have time to fiddle unfortunately. However some ground Orchids and this one in particular are easy plants ideal in pots or in a sunny rock garden where they can be allowed to dry out in
Stephen Ryan
Himanobambusa tranquillans ‘Shiroshima’
I truly love bamboos and this one would have to be close to the top of my admittedly long list of favourites! It grows to about 4metres tall and although classed as a runner my plant in the garden has made a largish clump with after 10 years in the ground no real attempt to
Stephen Ryan