Plants

Start with your climate, not with a plant

The single biggest predictor of success is whether a plant suits your climate zone, so settle that first. Tropical and subtropical gardeners from Cairns down to northern New South Wales can grow the lush, fast movers: palms, frangipani, lilly pillies and bold tropical foliage. Warm temperate gardens around Sydney, Perth and Adelaide have the widest choice in the country. Cool temperate gardeners in Victoria, Tasmania, Canberra and the tablelands should favour frost hardy species: magnolias, crepe myrtles, olives, box and most deciduous trees. Dry inland and Mediterranean climates reward drought tolerant natives, olives, rosemary and westringia. Set the climate and frost filters beside the grid and the wrong choices simply disappear.

Then match the position: sun, soil and space

Watch the planting spot through one full day. Six or more hours of direct sun is full sun, three to six is part shade, less than three is shade, and the light filter uses exactly those bands. Then be honest about space. Mature width matters more than height in most suburban gardens, because an over wide shrub beside a path is a pruning job forever. The mature height and width filters exist so you can buy the plant that fits the space at maturity, rather than fighting it every season for a decade.

Browse by the job you need done

Most people arrive needing a job done rather than a species. The biggest category on the site is hedging and screening plants, followed by trees for shade and structure, Australian native plants for birds and low water gardens, fruit trees for the edible garden and indoor plants for inside the house. Each of those collections carries its own buying guide written for the category, with spacings and variety comparisons.

What the size options actually mean

The same plant is often sold in several sizes, and the right one comes down to budget and patience. Tubestock is a young plant in a small tube: much the cheapest way to plant long hedges and big gardens, and it establishes faster than most people expect, but allow an extra year to reach the same size. A 200mm pot is the workhorse, large enough for real presence at a sensible price. 300mm and 400mm pots buy immediate impact in feature positions. Advanced stock, from 45 litre bags to ex ground trees, delivers an established garden on day one and is freighted at cost, with common tiers at $179.95 and $209.90.

Planting and the first summer

Dig the hole twice the width of the pot and exactly its depth, rough up the sides in clay soil, and set the root ball level with the surrounding ground. Water in with 10 to 20 litres even if rain is forecast, mulch 75mm deep while keeping mulch clear of the stem, then water deeply twice a week through the first summer rather than lightly every day. Feed with a controlled release fertiliser in early spring. Most shrubs and trees are established and largely self sufficient after 18 months to two years.

Common questions

How does plant delivery work?

Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Plants are packed to travel and covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

When is the best time to plant?

Autumn is the quiet achiever across most of Australia: warm soil, cooling air and winter rain ahead. Spring is the classic window in frost prone districts. In the tropics and subtropics, plant through the dry season and keep anything sensitive to waterlogging out of the wet summer.

Should I buy tubestock or an advanced plant?

Tubestock for long runs and patient budgets, advanced for instant structure. A sensible compromise: advanced plants in the two or three positions you look at every day, 200mm stock everywhere else.

How do I know a plant suits my soil?

Most plants here tolerate an average garden loam. The genuine deal breakers are waterlogged clay and coastal salt. If either applies to you, use the filters and each product's position notes, and fix heavy clay with gypsum and raised planting before you plant, not after.