The warmer days of Spring have arrived. Our Snow Pears are in full flower and perhaps the best they have ever been. The nursery has been a hive of activity through the cold days of Winter. As a result we have much to offer in the coming months. Most of our grasses, perennials and shrubs will be increasingly available as the weather warms up. Below are the first of many new plants we to be added to our website.

We will be attending the Plant Lovers Fair at Kariong (Central Coast, NSW) this month on the weekend of 16-17 September. We hope to see some of you there!

Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Fascination'
'Fascination' is a superb cultivar which was selected by Chris Ghyselen. Requires compost rich, moisture retentive soils that have decent drainage. They are completely herbaceous. 'Fascination' grows to 120cm with a mass of pink flowers that have a touch of salmon colouring. Flowering period is Summer through to early Winter. 1.2m high x 1m wide.

 

Echium virescens
After trying and failing to grow Echium candicans numerous times in different positions, we nearly gave up on Echium altogether. That is until we changed to a different species. The frost blackened and killed E. candicans where as E. virescens will handle harsh overnight frost. There is a compromise on colour if you are wanting strong blue flowers as E. virescens is more a lilac to pink colour. Echium virescens is still a stunning plant in full flower in early Spring and reaches a height and width of 2m. Drought tolerant, but it won't handle excess water. 

 

Rudbeckia grandiflora 'Sundance'
Commonly known as Rough Coneflower, this superb tall growing Rudbeckia is native to the western Mississippi valley. 'Sundance' is a new seed strain of R. grandiflora that doesn't need staking despite its height. Hairy stems, large coarse leaves and large golden blooms with dark brown eyes are characteristic of this drought tolerant species. Will reach up to 1.5m.

 

Sanguisorbia officinalis 'Red Buttons'
This Sanguisorbia features masses of tight, plum-ruby burrs held on wiry stems which give the appearance of a cloud of colour that floats above surrounding plants. Sanguisorbias have increased in popularity due to the new perennial movement. Perfect in combination with airy grasses which can be viewed through its almost transparent stems. This cultivar is sometimes referred to as 'Ruby Buttons' and is one of the most compact forms reaching heights of 30-40cm. Grows well with a little extra moisture in full sun. 

 

Festuca glauca 'Beyond Blue'™
'Beyond Blue' is the bluest Festuca glauca released to date. It develops an attractive clump of blue-grey foliage to 30cm, and makes a great contrast to green foliaged ground covers. Low maintenance and drought tolerant. Stronger in growth than other forms and reputedly handles greater humidity. Good drainage is essential. 

 

Digiplexis 'Firecracker'
We always admired Isoplexis canariensis but haven't had the joy of successfully growing it in Gloucester. However due to the hybridization of Isoplexis and Digitalis we now enjoy the upright spires of flowers in mid Spring onwards. 'Firecracker' is our favourite, with a mix of burnt orange, apricot and gold. 60cm high x 50cm wide. Frost hardy. Needs regular summer watering. 

 

Salvia bodacious® 'Smokey Jazz'
A brilliant addition to the ever increasing range of new Salvias to explore. A striking black calyx supports a strong boysenberry purple flower which flowers through Summer and Autumn. Mid green leaves with a tinge of lime colouring make for a great contrast. Due to 'Smokey Jazz' having been bred for a neater tighter habit, it makes a good container specimen as well as striking garden feature. 80 x 80cm. Frost will cut this Salvia but is will surface strongly in the Spring. Great companion for silver foliage plants like Helichrysum and Santolina.

 

Phlomis platystegia
This is our favourite Phlomis. An excellent compact form this intriguing plant is native to Israel and Jordon. Whorls of strong yellow flowers appear in late Winter and Spring. The foliage is distinctive in that it is olive green on the upper surface and has silver white hairs on the lower surface. These hairs accentuate the wavy leaf margin. It is essential that this Phlomis is planted in a sunny well drained position. One of the few plants to thrive during our hot 2019 drought. Frost tolerant. 1m x 1m.