Advanced Trees

These are field grown trees, raised in open ground for years and root pruned in place until they carry the trunk and canopy of an established specimen. Where a container tree buys you a head start, an ex ground tree buys you the finished picture: instant shade, instant screening, instant avenue. The range runs from native rainforest screens to flowering giants such as jacaranda and poinciana. Every tree is freighted at cost, with specialist transport quoted before you commit. What ex ground actually means Every tree on this page has spent years growing in open ground, not a pot. Through that time it is root pruned in place, which forces a compact, fibrous root system that transplants reliably, while the top grows the trunk calliper and broad canopy no container tree can match. Order, and the tree is lifted, wrapped and freighted as a single specimen. This is project grade stock, specified for new builds, streetscapes and estates, and priced accordingly. Choosing an advanced tree Work backwards from the job. For instant evergreen screening, the weeping lilly pillies lead the list, 'Green Avenue' and 'Warners Select' among them, backed by Eumundi quandong, small leaved lilly pilly and the figs. For a flowering avenue or statement front tree, choose from blue and white jacaranda, royal poinciana, the trumpet trees, golden penda, cassias and the evergreen magnolias. For structure in cooler gardens, liquidambar, Japanese elm, tulip tree and ornamental pear give classic deciduous form. The natives run deep here too: brachychitons from the Illawarra flame tree to the Queensland bottle tree, lemon myrtle, native frangipani, tuckeroo and firewheel tree. Where these trees fit climatically Much of this list is grown for subtropical and tropical Australia. Poinciana, the trumpet trees, cassias, golden penda, weeping fig and the boab want warm, frost free gardens. The brachychitons are tougher than they look, handling dry inland conditions and light frost once established. For cold districts, the deciduous exotics, liquidambar, Japanese elm, tulip tree and ornamental pear, are the reliable choices, all comfortable well below zero. If unsure, match the species to your nearest thriving street tree. Planting and establishment Dig the hole twice the width of the root ball and exactly its depth, so the tree sits at its original soil level on firm ground. Backfill with the site soil, water in with 100 litres or more, and mulch 100mm deep, kept clear of the trunk. Guy or stake every ex ground tree for its first 12 to 18 months; a new root system cannot anchor a mature canopy in wind. Water generously, 50 to 100 litres two or three times a week through the first summer, tapering over the second year. The working rule is one year of establishment per 25mm of trunk calliper, so expect a big specimen to take two to three years to fully anchor. Freight, access and delivery Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, with specialist transport quoted for your delivery address before you commit. Think about access early: the truck needs somewhere to stand, and larger specimens need machinery and hands booked for delivery day. If a full ex ground specimen is more tree than the site can take, the container grown stock in our tree range and the mid sized options among our flowering trees arrive by standard freight. Common questions How big are these trees when they arrive? Substantially bigger than any potted tree: metres tall with real trunk calliper, though size varies by species and season. Check each listing, or ask us to confirm before ordering, since field stock is lifted to order. How long until the tree looks established? It looks the part the day it goes in. Root establishment follows the calliper rule above, and the watering schedule matters for at least two summers. Which advanced tree gives instant privacy? The weeping lilly pillies are the specifiers' favourite, dense to the ground and happy clipped as a giant hedge. A row of 'Green Avenue' weeping lilly pilly planted 3m apart closes into a solid evergreen wall in its first season.

Agapanthus

Agapanthus line Australian driveways, coastal paths and farm fences for good reasons: the strappy evergreen clumps live for decades, cope with drought and neglect, and send up globes of blue, white or near black flowers every summer. This collection holds 29 varieties, from 30cm dwarfs such as Peter Pan and Baby Pete up to full sized orientalis types with flower stems at a metre. Pick your height first, then your colour. Every variety is delivered Australia wide. How to choose an agapanthus Height splits the range in two. The dwarfs, including Peter Pan, Baby Pete, Streamline and Baby Blue, hold their foliage at 30cm to 40cm with flowers to about 60cm, and they are the ones for border edges, pots and under windows. The full sized orientalis types, such as Orientalis Blue, Purple Cloud and Snowball, build clumps 60cm to 80cm across with flower stems at 1m to 1.2m, which is the scale you want along a driveway or a rural fence line. Colour is the second call. Blues run from the pale Baby Periwinkle through mid blue Bingo Blue to the deep, near black heads of Black Magic and Black Pantha, which read as dramatic against light walls and grey foliage. Whites such as Snowball and River Garden White are the formal choice and lift shaded corners. Mass a single variety rather than mixing: twenty of one colour always beats a sampler. Where agapanthus works in Australia Agapanthus is close to the most forgiving flowering perennial in the country. It grows from subtropical Queensland through Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, shrugs off coastal salt and wind, and handles moderate frost, though a hard inland freeze can scorch the evergreen leaves before the clump reshoots in spring. The one honest caveat: older seeding forms have naturalised in parts of cooler, wetter Australia, so deadhead spent flower stems before seed drops, or choose low fertility modern selections such as Baby Pete. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering. Clumps in half shade grow well but bloom at half strength. Planting and spacing Space dwarfs 30cm to 40cm apart and full sized varieties 40cm to 60cm apart for a row that closes within two seasons. A 10m driveway edge takes about 20 dwarf plants or 15 of the larger types. Plant into any free draining soil with the crown at soil level, water in well, and mulch lightly, keeping mulch off the crown. Water twice a week for the first summer. After that, established clumps get by on rainfall in most of the country. Care through the year This is a plant for people who do not want a job. Feed once in early spring with a complete fertiliser, cut spent flower stems at the base in late summer, and pull off tired outer leaves as they yellow. Every four or five years, lift and divide crowded clumps in autumn or early spring: flowering drops when clumps get congested, and one plant becomes five for free. They also flower reliably for years in a 40cm or larger pot. Common questions When do agapanthus flower? Late spring through summer, roughly November to February, peaking around Christmas across most of the country. Flowering starts a few weeks earlier in warm climates and later in cool southern gardens. Will agapanthus become weedy in my garden? Seeding types can self sow in cool, moist regions, which is why some councils ask gardeners to manage them. Removing spent heads before seed matures prevents it entirely, and dwarf selections like Baby Pete set little viable seed. Why is my agapanthus not flowering? Almost always too much shade, too much nitrogen or an overcrowded clump. Move it into six hours of sun, ease off the lawn fertiliser reaching the bed, or divide the clump, and flowering returns the following summer. How do the plants arrive? Delivered Australia wide from $29.95, with no minimum order and a 30 day healthy plant guarantee. If you are building out a full bed, the wider flowering plants range pairs well with a white or blue agapanthus edge.

Agave

Agaves are the low effort route to a sculptural garden, and this range covers the useful spread: compact rosettes under half a metre for pots and rockeries through to bold 1.5m features that finish 2.5m across. Every one is slow growing, drought tolerant and happiest in full sun. The real decisions are mature size, frost hardiness and how close to a path those sharp leaf tips will sit. The buying guide below covers all three. How to choose the right agave Size first, because the spread between varieties is enormous. At the small end, 'Dragon Toes' holds a neat rosette about 30cm tall and 45cm wide, the Queen Victoria Agave (Agave victoriae-reginae) makes a tight 40cm dome of white edged leaves, and the Blue Glow Agave sits at 45cm with fine red leaf margins. In the middle, Twin Flowered (Agave geminiflora) reaches 80cm, Galactic Traveller 90cm and 'El Miradores Gold' about 1m. The giants are Lions Tail (Agave salmiana var. ferox) and Agave americana 'Variegata', both 1.5m tall and 2.5m across, a genuine commitment in a small garden. Frost is the second filter. Queen Victoria, Lions Tail and the variegated americana are fully frost hardy. The rest tolerate light frost only, so in cold inland and southern gardens choose from the hardy three, or keep the tender types in pots you can shift under an eave for winter. Where these sculptural succulents work They suit arid, Mediterranean, warm temperate and subtropical gardens, Perth and Adelaide through Sydney up to Brisbane. In the humid tropics drainage decides everything, and 'Dragon Toes' is the safest listing here. Use them in rockeries and gravel gardens, raised beds, large pots and courtyards. Most varieties handle coastal salt and wind, several are rated for poolside planting, and all pair naturally with the wider succulent and cactus range. One caution: leaf tips are sharp and the sap irritates skin, so set every rosette its mature width back from paths and pool edges. Planting and spacing Full sun and free draining soil are the whole recipe. In clay, mound the bed 200mm to 300mm or grow in pots instead. Plant the rosette slightly proud of the soil, mulch with gravel rather than bark, and water in once. For a massed display, Blue Glow goes 600mm apart. Space others at about their mature width, and leave the full 2.5m clear around Lions Tail and the americana; relocating an established one is a job for thick gloves. Care that amounts to very little Water deeply every week or two through the first summer, then leave established plants to the rain in all but the driest inland gardens. Humid summer overwatering kills far more agaves than drought. Feed lightly in spring if at all, and remove spent lower leaves at the base wearing gloves. The honest trade off is pace: these are slow growers, so buy close to the size you want, and our drought tolerant plants make quicker companions around them. Common questions Do agaves die after flowering? Most do. A rosette flowers once at the end of its life, often after a decade or more, sends up a tall spike, then dies. Many varieties leave pups around the base that grow on to replace the parent. Which agave is best for pots? The compact, slow types: Queen Victoria, Blue Glow and 'Dragon Toes'. Use a wide unglazed pot barely larger than the rosette, a free draining succulent mix, and water only when the mix is fully dry. Are agaves safe around pets and children? No. The sap is a skin irritant and the leaf tips are genuinely sharp, so plant them away from pet runs and play areas. For gardens with animals, start with our pet friendly plant range instead. How does delivery work? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Air-Purifying Plants

These are the classic air purifying plants: snake plants, peace lilies, palms, figs and pothos, over 200 easy care indoor varieties in all. One honest note first. A few pots will not filter a room the way the old laboratory studies implied, but a healthy indoor collection does lift humidity, soften a hard room and make a home feel better to live in. Choose on what actually matters: your light, your space, and whether pets share the house. What air purifying really means The claim traces back to a 1989 NASA experiment in small sealed chambers. Research in real homes later found the effect tiny at normal plant densities; an open window does more for air quality than a shelf of pots. What healthy plants genuinely deliver is higher humidity, less echo and a space people consistently rate as calmer. Buy them for that, and treat cleaner air as a bonus. How to choose: light first, then size, then pets Light is the constraint most people ignore. In a bright room away from direct glass, the Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata) makes a 3m indoor tree, and Monstera deliciosa fills a corner as quickly. For dim rooms, the Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior) holds glossy 70cm foliage in deep shade and the Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) reaches 2.5m in the same low light; our low light indoor plants collection gathers the rest. If you forget to water, start with the Snake Plant, a 1m upright grower that tolerates drought, heat and neglect. If cats or dogs chew foliage, choose plants carrying our Pet Friendly flag: Kentia Palm, Bamboo Palm, Lady Palm, Cast Iron Plant and Baby Rubber Plant. Peace lilies, pothos, philodendrons and figs do not, so start at the pet friendly indoor plants collection if that matters in your house. Pots, position and repotting A 200mm to 250mm pot suits benchtop plants; floor plants like palms and figs want 300mm to 400mm. Every pot needs a drainage hole and a saucer, no exceptions. Repot in spring every two to three years into a pot about 50mm wider, using a quality indoor mix. Keep plants clear of heaters and air conditioning vents and out of hot afternoon sun through glass, and give each a quarter turn every few weeks so growth stays even. Care that keeps them alive Overwatering kills more indoor plants than everything else combined. Push a finger into the mix and water only when the top 2cm to 3cm is dry, then water thoroughly and let the excess drain. Feed half strength liquid fertiliser monthly from spring to autumn, none in winter. Wipe dust off the leaves every month or two, since a dusty leaf catches noticeably less light. Everything in the wider indoor plant range follows the same basic rhythm. Common questions Which air purifying plant is best? Snake plants and peace lilies top the famous lists, and both are genuinely hard to kill. In practice the best choice is whichever plant suits your light and your watering habits, because a thriving plant beats a struggling one from a list. How many plants do I need to clean a room? Honestly, more than any home could hold: researchers estimate dozens per square metre to shift measured air quality. Three to five well grown plants will change how a room feels, which is the outcome most people actually want. Which indoor plants are safe for pets? The Kentia Palm, Bamboo Palm, Lady Palm, Cast Iron Plant and Baby Rubber Plant are all listed as non toxic to cats and dogs. Our guide to pet safe indoor plants covers more options. Why are the leaves turning yellow? Usually overwatering, occasionally a dark corner the plant cannot tolerate. Check the mix first: if it is wet a week after watering, let it dry right out and water less often. How does delivery work? Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

All Products

This is the entire catalogue in one place: over 2,700 products spanning plants and trees from tubestock to advanced landscape specimens, plus pots, potting mixes, tools, seeds and gift cards. Browsing it end to end is nobody's idea of a good time, so use the filters for height, climate zone, position and use, or jump into a department. The guide below explains how the range is organised and how delivery works. How the catalogue is organised The bulk of the range is plants and trees, over 2,300 of them, from groundcovers and grasses through hedging, natives, palms, fruit trees and indoor plants to mature ex ground trees. Alongside the green stock sit a few hundred pots and planters in glazed, terracotta, cement and lightweight finishes, plus potting mixes, mulches and fertilisers, a small line of garden tools, vegetable seed, and gift cards for the gardener who has opinions you do not want to guess at. The fastest ways to narrow it down The sidebar filters are the shortcut. Filtering by mature height and climate zone removes most of the catalogue in two clicks, and the use filters (screening, pots, poolside, coastal) get you to a workable shortlist. If you already know the plant, search by common or botanical name. If you are starting from a problem instead, a category page like hedging and screening plants reads as a buying guide and does the comparison work for you. Our best seller sits there for a reason: Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' (Syzygium australe) makes a clean, psyllid resistant hedge almost anywhere in the country. Understanding sizes and prices The same plant often comes in several grades, and the grade changes the price far more than the variety does. Tubestock starts at a few dollars a plant and catches up faster than most people expect, standard nursery pots are the everyday middle ground, and advanced container and bag stock buys years of growth. At the top end, mature ex ground trees run to several thousand dollars and are quoted with specialist freight. If budget leads the decision, the current specials collect every marked down line in one place. How delivery works Everything is delivered Australia wide. Standard delivery starts at $29.95, there is no minimum order, and advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Plants are packed to travel, and every one carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Common questions What size will my plant arrive? The pot size on the product page is what ships: a 200mm pot is a young plant around knee height for most shrubs, while an advanced bag grade is already a small tree. Each product page describes the grade honestly, so read the size line before comparing prices. Is there a minimum order? No. Order a single tube or a full garden and it ships either way. Small orders travel in the same careful packing as large ones, so there is no reason to hold back a short list. What happens if a plant arrives damaged? Photograph it and contact us. Every plant is covered by the 30 day healthy plant guarantee, and we would rather replace a plant than argue about one. How do I choose plants for my climate? Every plant is tagged with the climate zones it performs in, from tropical to cool temperate, arid to coastal. Set the climate filter to your zone and the catalogue only shows plants that suit your conditions, wherever in Australia you garden.

Apple Trees

This range covers both sides of the genus Malus: eating apples like Pink Lady, Gala and Granny Smith on grafted trees of 3m to 4m, and ornamental crab apples grown for their spring blossom, from a 1.5m wide columnar form to broad 5m specimens. The two decisions that matter are winter chill, because most eating apples need a proper cold winter to fruit, and pollination, because nearly all of them crop better with a partner. Eating apples or crab apples Decide what the tree is for first. The Malus domestica eating apples here sit between 3m and 4m on their rootstocks and earn their space with fruit: Gala and Red Fuji for sweet eating, Granny Smith for cooking, Pink Lady picked late in the season. The crab apples trade fruit size for flower power. Malus floribunda smothers itself in pink budded white blossom at 5m, 'Plena' adds fragrance, and Crab Apple 'Royal Raindrops' carries deep purple cut leaf foliage, magenta flowers and small red fruit that hangs on into winter. For a tight space, 'Raspberry Spear' is a genuine column at 5m tall and only 1.5m wide. Choosing apple trees for your climate Apples flower and fruit properly only after enough winter cold, so chill is the honest gatekeeper. In cool temperate gardens, Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra and the hills behind Adelaide, everything here performs, and high chill types like Red Delicious do their best work. Warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens suit most varieties. In subtropical gardens the reliable choice is the Anna Apple Tree, a low chill variety bred to crop in warm winters, ideally with a second low chill apple nearby. Crab apples are equally frost hardy and most also want a real winter to flower well. Planting, spacing and pollination Plant in full sun, six hours minimum, in soil that drains. Space free standing trees at about their mature width, 3m to 4m for eating apples, and set 'Raspberry Spear' 1.5m apart for a narrow screen. Then think in pairs: Pink Lady crops best with Granny Smith or Gala in flower nearby, Red Fuji and Red Delicious also want a partner, and a crab apple flowering nearby will pollinate most eating apples. All but one variety here has non invasive roots, so these are safe trees near paving and pipes. Care through the year These are deciduous trees, so expect autumn colour, bare winter branches and blossom before the new leaves. Water deeply weekly for the first two summers, mulch to the drip line, and feed in early spring and after harvest. Prune in winter to an open vase so light reaches the fruiting wood, and thin heavy crops to one fruit per cluster in early summer for larger apples. The honest warning is codling moth: plan on exclusion bags or pheromone traps rather than hoping. Common questions Do I need two apple trees to get fruit? Usually. Most eating apples set far more fruit with a different variety flowering at the same time, and a crab apple does the job too. Anna is the main exception, cropping alone in warm areas but improving with a partner. Can I grow apples in Brisbane? Yes, if you choose for low chill. Anna was bred for warm winters and fruits reliably in the subtropics. Classic varieties like Red Delicious will grow but rarely fruit well without cold. Can I grow an apple tree in a pot? The eating varieties here handle a large container of 50cm or more with annual pruning to hold them at 2m to 3m. Water daily in summer heat, because a dry pot drops fruit first. Are crab apples edible? They are small and tart rather than toxic, and they make excellent jelly. Most gardeners leave them for the birds, which strip Malus floribunda through autumn. How do these trees ship? Like our other fruit trees and deciduous trees, they are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, no minimum order and a 30 day healthy plant guarantee; advanced and large stock is freighted at cost.

Architectural Plants for Designer Gardens

Architectural plants earn their place through form: a silhouette that reads from across the garden, in any season, without a flower in sight. This collection gathers over 700 of them, from ancient grass trees and columnar cypress to bold leaved tropicals and sculptural succulents. The real choice is between slow growers that hold a perfect shape for decades and fast fillers that give a new build presence in two seasons. Placement matters more here than anywhere else in the garden. Choose the silhouette before the species Designers pick the shape first and shop for it second, and it is worth stealing the habit. For a vertical exclamation, Pencil Pine holds 5m tall by barely 1m wide and Mediterranean Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens 'Glauca') reaches around 10m; both stay narrow without clipping, and the tall and narrow screening plants collection holds their relatives. For sculpture at ground level, the Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea glauca) is the icon, about 2m of blue green foliage on a slow black trunk, with agaves playing the same role in a fraction of the budget. For bold foliage, the Giant White Bird of Paradise runs to 6m of banana-like leaves and Giant Taro holds 2.5m paddles of green. Architectural plants for your climate The tropical look is climate limited: strelitzia and alocasia are frost tender, so from Sydney south they belong in warm courtyards and pots that can be sheltered. Cold gardens are not locked out of drama, though. Cypress, Pencil Pine, Teddy Bear Magnolia and grass trees are all frost hardy, and grass trees in particular shrug off drought, wind, poor soil and heat once established. Coastal gardens do well with strelitzia, olives and Teddy Bear Magnolia, all rated salt tolerant. Placement, repetition and spacing A feature plant works alone; almost everything else works better repeated. Use odd numbers, and keep the palette tight rather than collecting one of everything. Real spacings from our growing data: Pencil Pine at 1m centres for a formal screen, Mediterranean Cypress at 1.5m for an avenue, Teddy Bear Magnolia at 1.5m, strelitzia at 2m, Giant Taro at 1.5m for a massed tropical bed and Tractor's Seat Plant at 1m. Give a solitary grass tree clear space to its full 2m width, because crowding is the fastest way to waste the money it costs. Keeping the lines clean Most of this collection is genuinely low maintenance, but architectural planting punishes neglect visibly because the form is the point. Remove spent lower leaves on strelitzia and alocasia, pull dead thatch from strappy plants, and resist shearing natural shapes into balls. Water new plantings deeply through the first summer, then most of the drought tolerant choices manage on rainfall. Fine textured grasses and strappy leaf plants make the contrast layer that lets the sculptural pieces read clearly. Common questions What makes a plant architectural? Strong, self maintaining form: a column, a rosette, a trunk, an oversized leaf. If it still looks deliberate in winter with nothing in flower, it qualifies. Are grass trees hard to grow? No, but they are slow, adding only a centimetre or two of trunk a year. Plant in free draining soil, water sparingly and buy the trunk size you want now rather than waiting for one to form. What gives a new garden impact fastest? Giant White Bird of Paradise and Slender Weavers Bamboo are both fast growers, and the bamboo makes an 8m screen from a 1m planting spacing. Advanced grades of the slower feature trees buy back the waiting years; advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Do these plants suit pots? Many, and pots suit renters and frost zones alike. Grass trees, Teddy Bear Magnolia, strelitzia and most agaves all take large containers, which also lets tender plants chase winter sun. Everything is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order.

Australian Capital Territory

Every plant in this collection is grown by partner nurseries that deliver to Canberra and the surrounding ACT, so if it appears here, it can reach your door. The range leans the way Canberra gardens do: frost hardy deciduous trees with serious autumn colour, ornamental pears, oaks, maples and crepe myrtles, backed by cold tolerant natives such as Blakely's red gum and brittle gum, plus groundcovers and fruit trees. Filter by size and position below, or read the buying guide under the grid. What the Canberra climate rewards The ACT is real cold climate gardening: regular winter frosts with mornings below minus 5, hot dry summers, low humidity and heavy clay under most suburbs. That rules out the frost tender plants that dominate coastal nurseries, and it is exactly why this collection is filtered the way it is. What thrives here are the great deciduous exotics, cold hardy eucalypts from the local tablelands, and fruit trees that actually need Canberra's winter chill to crop properly. How to choose For summer shade and winter sun, the deciduous trees do the heavy lifting: Pin Oak, Claret Ash, Chinese Pistachio, Japanese Maple and Zelkova all colour brilliantly in Canberra's dry autumns, and the ornamental pears add massed white spring blossom. For flowers in the heat, the crepe myrtle range runs from 3m compacts to 7m avenue trees and handles frost once established. Gardeners planting natives are well served by local species in this collection, including Blakely's red gum, apple box, brittle gum and white gum, which grow naturally on the tablelands, along with grass trees and kurrajong. For evergreen structure, Little Gem Magnolia, Himalayan Cedar and Mediterranean Cypress all cope with the cold, and the fruit tree collection is at its best here: apples and pears set heavier crops with proper winter chill. Planting in the ACT: timing and numbers Autumn, March to May, is the prime planting window, giving roots a full cool season to establish before the first hot summer. Spring works too, but plant evergreens after the last hard frosts. Dig each hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, break up the clay walls, and add gypsum if water sits in the hole overnight. Water in with 10 litres, then 10 litres twice a week through the first summer. Mulch 75mm deep, keep it off the trunk, stake advanced trees loosely against the westerlies, and drape frost cloth over young evergreens for their first two winters in the coldest suburbs. Delivery to Canberra and the ACT Stock shown here comes from partner growers whose delivery runs cover the ACT, with standard delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large trees are freighted at cost. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee, and the full tree range can be filtered the same way if you want to compare more options. Common questions Will crepe myrtles really handle Canberra frost? Yes, once established. The wood is frost hardy, and because they leaf out late they miss most spring frosts. Plant in spring rather than autumn so the first winter arrives with some roots down. What is the best shade tree for a Canberra block? Pin Oak for a big block, Chinese Pistachio or Claret Ash for a standard yard, and Zelkova 'Green Vase' where you want a vase shaped canopy over paving. All four are proven street trees across the ACT. When should I plant? Autumn for deciduous trees and hardy natives, spring for evergreens and crepe myrtles. Avoid planting into frozen ground or in the week around a heatwave, and water deeply either side of planting day.

Australian Native Shrubs

Native shrubs do the middle work in an Australian garden, filling the layer between groundcover and canopy with over 200 options here, lilly pillies and westringias through banksias, grevilleas, bottlebrushes and tea trees. The real decision is temperament: neat clippable hedgers that behave like box, or looser flowering shrubs that trade formality for nectar and birds. Sizes run from 80cm dwarf forms to 5m screens, so check the mature height before the flower photo wins. Neat hedger or flowering habitat shrub Decide which job matters more, because the two pull in opposite directions. For clipped structure, the compact lilly pillies lead: Syzygium 'Baby Boomer' is a psyllid resistant 1.5m bred for low hedges and pots, and the westringias, 'Zena' at 1m and 'Jervis Gem' at 90cm, clip as crisply as any exotic box. For flowers and wildlife, look to the banksias, grevilleas and bottlebrushes: Bottlebrush 'Little John' packs red brushes onto a 1m dome, and Banksia 'Cherry Candles' holds orange red spikes at the same height. The catch is that constant clipping removes the flower buds, so let the nectar shrubs keep their natural shape and give the shears to the hedgers. Where Australian native shrubs earn their keep Coastal gardens are the easy win, with over 160 of these shrubs rated salt tolerant; westringia and the silver Cushion Bush were built for dunes, though Cushion Bush is honestly short lived in humid summer rainfall areas. For frost prone gardens, 'Little John', 'Jervis Gem', Leptospermum 'Ballerina' and the banksias are fully frost hardy, while lilly pillies and Grey Myrtle take light frost only. There is also a quiet bush tucker corner here: Sweet Midgen Berry (Austromyrtus dulcis) carries speckled berries that taste of ginger and cinnamon, and Grey Myrtle leaves are used as a cinnamon-like spice. Spacing by the numbers For hedges and mass planting, use the spacings from our growing data: 'Baby Boomer' and 'Little John' at 60cm, 'Jervis Gem' at 50cm, 'Zena' at 600mm, 'Cherry Candles' at 80cm, Midgen Berry at 80cm for a low edible cover, and Lantern Banksia or Grey Myrtle at 1.5m for informal screens. Nearly all of them want full sun; fewer than one in twenty flowers properly in shade. Plant into free draining soil, water in deeply and mulch with something woody rather than manure. Care without fuss Feed once in spring with a low phosphorus native fertiliser, since banksias in particular resent standard fertilisers. Water deeply weekly through the first summer, after which most of the range runs on rainfall. Prune immediately after flowering, cutting bottlebrushes just behind the spent brushes, and tip prune young plants often; a native shrub shaped early stays dense for a decade. The same rules cover most of the wider Australian native range. Common questions What is the best native shrub for a low hedge? 'Baby Boomer' for a soft glossy 1m to 1.5m hedge in warmer areas, 'Jervis Gem' or 'Little John' where frost bites. All three sit at 50cm to 60cm spacing and need two light trims a year. Which natives bring in the birds? The nectar heavy genera: banksias, grevilleas and bottlebrushes. Stagger their flowering seasons and honeyeaters treat the garden as a circuit. Are native shrubs safe around pets? Several popular picks carry our Pet Friendly flag, including 'Baby Boomer' and 'Little John'. It is a per plant call, not a category one, so check the flag on each product page. How fast will they fill in? Most here are moderate growers: expect a 60cm spaced hedge to join up in two to three seasons from 200mm pots. Everything is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, no minimum order and a 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Australian Native Trees

Australian native trees carry a garden through every season with shade, nectar rich flowers and the birdlife that follows them. This collection holds over 180 species and cultivars, from slow sculptural grass trees and bottle trees to fast growing screening and shade trees. The one figure to trust is the mature garden size we list: many rainforest natives that reach 20m in the wild settle at 6m to 10m in cultivation. Choose on size first, then climate. How to choose an Australian native tree Start with the job. For scented screening, Lemon Scented Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) holds dense aromatic foliage to about 6m and its leaves are a genuine bushfood. For a flowering feature, the Illawarra Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolius) reaches around 12m and covers bare branches in scarlet bells, though it may take several years to flower. For sculpture, the Queensland Bottle Tree (Brachychiton rupestris) and the Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea glauca) grow slowly into living architecture; a grass tree adds only a centimetre or two of trunk a year. Trust the garden size we list over the habitat figure. Ivory Curl Tree (Buckinghamia celsissima) touches 30m in north Queensland rainforest yet behaves as a 6m to 8m street tree in cultivation, and Weeping Lilly Pilly (Waterhousea floribunda) settles near 10m rather than its riverside 20m. Where these trees thrive Most of the range suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, from Cairns to Sydney and across to Perth. A large share tolerates light frost only, so gardeners in Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart and the Adelaide Hills should filter for frost hardy species first: Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) and grass trees both cope with cold winters. On exposed coast, Coast Banksia and Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis anacardioides) shrug off the salt wind that browns most exotics. The complete Australian native plant range covers every layer below the canopy. Planting and spacing Dig the hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, water in heavily and mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch off the trunk. For an avenue or windbreak, space Tuckeroo about 4m apart and Ivory Curl Tree 3m apart. For screens, Lemon Scented Myrtle closes at 1.5m spacing and Native Frangipani (Hymenosporum flavum) at 3m. Root behaviour matters near buildings: bottle trees run a deep taproot rather than spreading surface roots, Tuckeroo is safe beside paving, while Weeping Lilly Pilly has vigorous roots best kept well away from pipes. Care in the first two years Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then taper off as the roots reach out. Feed in spring with a low phosphorus native fertiliser; banksias and grevilleas in particular resent standard high phosphorus blends. Once established, most trees here are drought tolerant and need little beyond a mulch top up and a light prune. Underplant with Australian native shrubs for a layered habitat garden, and time the job with our guide to the best time to plant a tree in Australia. Common questions Which Australian native trees are safe near the house? Queensland Bottle Tree, Tuckeroo and Ivory Curl Tree all carry our non invasive roots flag, and the bottle tree's deep taproot makes it one of the best choices beside driveways. Keep Weeping Lilly Pilly well clear of sewer lines. Will native trees grow in cold southern gardens? Plenty will, but check the frost tag before you buy. Much of this collection tolerates light frost only, while Coast Banksia and grass trees are fully frost hardy. In cold districts, plant in spring so the tree establishes before its first winter. Do native trees need special fertiliser? Yes. Use a low phosphorus formulation blended for natives, applied once in spring. Standard garden fertilisers carry enough phosphorus to damage banksias, grevilleas and hakeas. How are trees delivered? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every tree carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Australian Natives

Over 500 Australian natives live here, from 15cm groundcovers to rainforest trees, lilly pillies and lomandras to banksias, wattles and grass trees. Two things decide whether a native thrives in your garden: matching the plant to your climate, because a species from the Queensland rainforest has nothing in common with one from the Nullarbor, and choosing between compact modern cultivars and the bigger wild forms. The guide below covers both, plus the low phosphorus feeding rule. How to choose native plants that fit The modern cultivars are where most gardens should start, because breeders have spent decades taming the sizes. Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' (Syzygium australe) reaches about 5m untrimmed but holds happily at 2m to 3m as a psyllid resistant hedge, Westringia 'Zena' stops at a tidy 1m ball, and Lomandra 'Lime Tuff' makes a 50cm tuft that survives nearly anything. The wild forms bring the scale: Coast Banksia at 8m or more, Queensland Bottle Tree with its swollen trunk, and grass trees that predate the suburb around them. Browse by habit through our native shrubs and native trees collections. Match the plant to your climate, not the flag Native does not mean suited to every Australian garden. Lilly pillies, lemon myrtle and Ivory Curl Tree come from the humid east coast and take only light frost, so in Melbourne, Canberra or the Adelaide Hills lean instead on the genuinely frost hardy natives: westringia, callistemon, banksia, lomandra and creeping boobialla all shrug off cold, and most of them handle coastal salt and poor soil as well. In the tropics and subtropics almost everything here performs. Filter by your climate zone rather than assuming. Planting and spacing that works Spacings from our growing data: 'Resilience' at 1m centres for a dense screen, Callistemon 'Kings Park Special' at 1.5m, 'Zena' at 600mm for a low hedge, 'Lime Tuff' at 50cm for massed borders, Native Violet at 300mm for quick groundcover in moist shade and Creeping Boobialla at 1m to carpet a dry bank. For a coastal windbreak, set Coast Banksia 3m apart. Plant into soil loosened twice the pot width, water in well, mulch, and skip the manure: most natives prefer lean soil to a rich one. Care, and the phosphorus rule Banksias and their Proteaceae relatives are sensitive to phosphorus, so feed natives with a low phosphorus native fertiliser rather than a general purpose one. Beyond that, the routine is light: deep weekly water through the first summer, then most of this range is drought tolerant on rainfall, and a trim straight after flowering keeps shrubs dense instead of leggy. Bird attracting is where natives repay you; over 400 plants here carry that flag, and the bird attracting collection, our grevilleas and bottlebrushes keep honeyeaters arriving year round. Common questions Are Australian natives low maintenance? Lower, not zero. They still need water to establish, annual feeding and a yearly prune. What they mostly do not need is spraying, soil improvement or summer irrigation once settled. Which natives attract the most birds? Nectar feeders come for banksias, grevilleas and callistemons, and dense hedging lilly pillies add berries and nesting cover. A mix of flowering seasons keeps the traffic constant. Are natives safe for dogs and cats? Many of the popular ones carry our Pet Friendly flag, including 'Resilience', 'Lime Tuff', Native Violet and 'Kings Park Special'. Not all qualify, so check the flag on each product page rather than assuming natives are safe by default. Can I grow these anywhere in Australia? We deliver everything Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, no minimum order and a 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Choose by the climate zones on each product page and your state stops mattering.

Autumn Colour Plants

Autumn colour plants earn their keep twice: months of green canopy through summer, then a final show of scarlet, orange and gold before the leaves drop. This collection gathers over 200 of them, from 45cm Japanese blood grass to full sized liquidambars, with Japanese maples and crepe myrtles covering the ground between. The real decisions are mature size, how reliably a plant colours in your climate, and whether you can live with the leaf drop that follows the show. How to choose an autumn performer Start with mature size, because the range here is enormous. Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra') colours at 45cm, the Coral Bark Maple finishes near 4m, and an American Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) reaches 15m with an 8m spread and surface roots that will lift paving. That last one belongs on a large lawn or a rural driveway, never in a courtyard. Between the extremes sit the crepe myrtles and Japanese maples that suit most suburban blocks. Then weigh what the plant does for the other nine months. The White Crepe Myrtle 'Natchez' flowers through summer, colours in autumn and holds smooth cinnamon bark all winter, which is three seasons of interest from one 6m tree. A Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) offers the most refined foliage of the lot and reaches about 5m over 15 years in most gardens. Purple Smoke Bush (Cotinus coggygria 'Atropurpureus') carries burgundy leaves from spring onward, so the display starts long before the season turns. If you want the tree to feed you as well, the pomegranates, mulberries and blueberries in our fruit tree range all colour before they drop. Be honest with yourself about the trade off. Almost everything here is deciduous, the colour is the prelude to bare branches, and those leaves end up on the lawn. Planted well, that becomes a feature: a deciduous canopy on the northern side of a terrace gives summer shade and winter sun, each arriving exactly when you want it. Where autumn colour plants perform best Autumn colour is chemistry, and cool autumn nights drive it. In cool temperate gardens around Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, the Adelaide Hills and the tablelands, nearly everything in this collection colours hard and reliably, and the maples, ornamental pears and liquidambars are at their best. Warm temperate gardens in Sydney and Perth get a strong show that arrives a few weeks later, often running deep into May. In subtropical gardens the palette of autumn colour plants narrows but does not disappear. Crepe myrtles are the standout, colouring well even after a mild autumn, and the whole crepe myrtle range shrugs off subtropical humidity. Foliage plants carry the rest of the load: Japanese Blood Grass runs red through the warm months and Nandina 'Moon Bay' holds fiery winter foliage at just 80cm. In the true tropics, deciduous colour is unreliable, and we would rather say that plainly than sell you a disappointing tree. Planting and spacing Autumn and winter are the ideal planting windows for deciduous stock: the plant settles in while the top is dormant and is ready to run in spring. Container grown trees can go in any mild month. Feature trees. Allow 4m of spread for a mature Japanese maple or a full sized crepe myrtle, and space crepe myrtles 3m apart for a driveway avenue. Screens. Capital Ornamental Pear (Pyrus calleryana 'Capital') holds about 2.5m wide at 10m tall and makes a fast narrow screen planted 2m apart. Walls and fences. Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) covers whatever it is given at 1.5m spacings, though its adhesive pads can mark painted render. Mass planting. Japanese Blood Grass at 40cm centres, or Nandina 'Moon Bay' at 50cm centres for a low informal hedge. Dig each hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in heavily, then mulch 75mm deep and keep the mulch off the trunk. Keep liquidambars and other large shade trees well away from paving, pipes and pools. Care for a stronger show Water deeply twice a week through the first summer rather than lightly every day. Feed once in early spring with a complete fertiliser; heavy feeding late in the season buys soft green growth instead of colour. Japanese maples hold their best colour with morning sun and shelter from hot afternoon sun and drying wind, especially the Coral Bark Maple 'Sango Kaku'. Prune deciduous trees in winter once the branches are bare and the structure is easy to read. Crepe myrtles are the exception, pruned lightly in late winter because they flower on new wood, and our crepe myrtle care guide covers the how and why. Rake the dropped leaves onto garden beds or into the compost. They are the cheapest soil improver you will ever get. Common questions Will I get real autumn colour in Brisbane? Yes, with the right species. Crepe myrtles colour reliably in the subtropics because their trigger is mild cooling rather than frost, which is why they anchor this collection. Japanese maples and liquidambars want cooler nights than most subtropical gardens provide, so lean on crepe myrtles and coloured foliage plants instead. When should I plant a deciduous tree? Autumn through winter is ideal, because the roots establish while the top rests and the tree wakes up already at home. Everything here is grown and shipped in containers, so planting in any mild month works with regular water. Why did my tree barely colour this year? Usually a warm autumn, too much shade or a late dose of nitrogen. The pigments build as nights cool and sugars concentrate in the leaf, so a tree in full sun, fed once in spring and left slightly lean by March, colours hardest. Are these trees safe near pools and paving? Most crepe myrtles and Japanese maples have non-invasive roots and drop their leaves over a few short weeks, so they are well behaved near paving. The American Sweetgum is the exception: aggressive surface roots and spiky seed pods mean it needs a large lawn, not a pool surround. How does delivery work? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Avocado Trees

Five proven avocado varieties, all grafted, and grafting matters: a grafted tree fruits in three to four years where a seedling can take ten. Hass and Reed are A type flowering varieties; Shepard, Fuerte and Bacon are B types, and planting one of each lifts the harvest on both. All are evergreen trees for full sun and, above everything else, free draining soil. From subtropical Queensland to warm temperate Perth and Sydney, homegrown avocados are entirely achievable. How to choose an avocado variety If you only plant one tree, Hass is the safe pick: familiar fruit, a long picking season through winter and spring, and reliable cropping on its own in most backyards. Shepard bears early, roughly February to April, with smooth green skin that stays green when ripe. Fuerte follows through autumn and early winter, Reed carries large round fruit over summer, and Bacon is the pick for colder districts. Plant an A type (Hass or Reed) with a B type (Shepard, Fuerte or Bacon) and the overlapping flowering lifts fruit set on both trees, as well as stretching your harvest across most of the year. Where avocados grow in Australia Commercial avocados run from far north Queensland to the Tristate region and south west Western Australia, and home gardeners can grow them anywhere in that spread. Subtropical and warm temperate gardens suit every variety here. In cooler areas, Bacon and Fuerte tolerate light frost best once established, but protect any young avocado from frost for its first two winters. The genuine deal breaker is drainage, not temperature: avocados sit shallow rooted and die quickly in waterlogged soil. On clay, plant into a mound 30cm to 40cm high and a metre wide rather than a hole. Planting and care Choose full sun with protection from strong wind. Water deeply once or twice a week through the first two summers, and mulch 75mm to 100mm deep to the dripline, kept clear of the trunk, because the feeder roots live in the top 15cm of soil and resent cultivation. Feed in spring and late summer with a balanced fruit tree fertiliser once the tree is actively growing. Expect first fruit in year three or four, with crops building each season after that. Common questions Do I need two trees to get fruit? No. In most Australian gardens a single Hass or Shepard sets a worthwhile crop, because mild overnight temperatures let the flowers overlap enough to self pollinate. A second tree of the opposite flowering type simply means heavier crops. Can I grow an avocado in a pot? Only as a short term measure. These are trees of 6m or more that crop best in the ground, so a pot suits a year or two while you prepare a spot, not a permanent home. How big will my tree get? Unpruned, 6m to 10m depending on variety. Most home growers prune after harvest to hold their tree at 4m to 5m for easy picking, which avocados take well. What else should I plant with it? Avocados slot naturally into a backyard orchard. Browse the full fruit tree collection or add a citrus tree, which enjoys the same full sun, feeding and free draining soil. Everything is delivered Australia wide, with advanced and large stock freighted at cost and a 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Azalea

Azaleas put on one of the biggest flower shows a shrub can, and this collection brings together 45 varieties across the three main types: larger indica azaleas for hedges and borders, compact kurume azaleas for pots and edging, and repeat flowering Autumn and Encore hybrids that bloom in spring and again through autumn. The matching azalea fertiliser and acidic potting mix are here too, so the whole planting arrives in one order, delivered Australia wide. Indica, kurume or Encore: which azalea to buy Indica azaleas are the big traditional performers. Varieties like Alba Magnifica and Alphonse Anderson grow 1m to 2m, carry large single blooms in a massed spring display, and make generous informal hedges and border backbones. Kurume azaleas are their compact cousins at 50cm to 1m, with smaller leaves and flowers so dense they can hide the foliage entirely; Kirin and Christmas Cheer are classics for edging, low borders and pots. The Autumn series and Encore hybrids change the calendar rather than the size. Sitting around 1m, they flower heavily in spring and then repeat through autumn, and in mild areas they will throw blooms in between as well. If the garden is small and every plant has to earn its spot twice a year, start here. Sizes run from tube stock and 140mm multipacks up to advanced 300mm and 400mm plants, so you can mass plant affordably or buy instant size for a feature position. Where azaleas thrive in Australia Azaleas want the light of a woodland edge: morning sun or bright dappled shade, with protection from hot afternoon sun. The east and south sides of the house, or the ground under open canopied trees, are natural homes, and the same conditions suit the ferns and shade foliage covered in our shade gardening guide. Climate wise they are more adaptable than their delicate reputation suggests. Temperate gardens from Sydney to Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth grow them well, most varieties shrug off light frost, and in subtropical gardens they perform provided they get afternoon shade and good drainage. The humid tropics are the one region where they genuinely struggle. Planting: soil, spacing and pots Azaleas are acid lovers, happiest at a soil pH of about 4.5 to 6. If your soil is neutral or alkaline, work in a camellia and azalea planting mix, or grow them in pots where you control the mix completely; the Scotts Osmocote rose, gardenia and azalea potting mix in this collection exists for exactly that job. Their roots are shallow and fibrous, so plant no deeper than the pot, water in well and mulch 50mm deep, then avoid digging around them later. Space indica varieties 80cm to 1m apart for an informal flowering hedge, kurumes 40cm to 50cm for edging, and give a potted azalea a 300mm or wider container in filtered light. Feeding and aftercare Feed once after the main spring flush with an azalea and camellia fertiliser, and again in late summer for the repeat bloomers; the Richgro and Osmocote feeds on this page are matched to that acid loving root system. Prune lightly straight after flowering if you want a tighter shape, and never in winter, because you will be cutting off the coming season's buds. Keep water consistent in dry spells, since shallow roots dry out first. The two problems worth watching are lace bug, which shows as silvery, mottled leaves through summer, and petal blight, which collapses flowers to mush in warm wet springs. Treat lace bug early with horticultural oil under the leaves, and pick off and bin blighted blooms rather than letting them drop. Common questions How much sun does an azalea need? Morning sun with afternoon shade is the sweet spot. In full shade flowering thins out; in hot westerly sun the leaves scorch. The further inland and hotter your summers, the more shade protection they need. Do Encore azaleas really flower twice? Yes. The spring flush is the heaviest, then flowering returns through autumn once the worst of the summer heat passes. Consistent moisture and a light feed after spring are what keep the second season generous. Can I grow azaleas in pots? They are one of the best pot shrubs available. Use a 300mm plus container, a quality acidic mix, filtered light and steady water. Kurume and Encore types stay compact for years without repotting. Why are my azalea's leaves silvery and mottled? That is azalea lace bug, feeding from the underside of the leaf. Spray the undersides with horticultural oil at the first sign in late spring and repeat a fortnight later. Healthy, well watered plants in part shade get hit far less than stressed plants in hot sun. What should I plant with azaleas? Their natural companions are the other acid lovers that enjoy the same soil and light: camellias for winter flowers before the azaleas start, and gardenias for summer perfume after the spring show finishes. All of it is delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and the 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Bamboo

Every bamboo here is a clumping type, which settles the first worry up front: these stay where you plant them, expanding slowly to a footprint of one to two metres rather than running under fences. Within that, the range covers real variety, from 2m to 3m dwarf forms for courtyard screens through Slender Weavers, the standard Australian privacy bamboo at 6m to 8m, up to Timor Black and Giant Timber for serious height. Most are supplied in 200mm pots through to advanced 45L and larger stock. How to choose bamboo for screening Match the mature height to what you need to hide, because bamboo will get there whether you want it to or not. For a 2m to 3m courtyard or fence line screen, Chinese Dwarf is the pick, dense to the ground and easily kept tidy. Goldstripe and Malay Dwarf sit in the middle at 3m to 5m. Slender Weavers (Bambusa textilis 'Gracilis') is the one most Australians plant: upright canes to 6m or 8m in a tight clump about a metre wide, ideal for blocking a two storey neighbour. Above that, Timor Black brings glossy near black canes to 10m and Giant Timber Bamboo goes taller again, both as much feature as screen. Clumping, not running The horror stories about bamboo through the veggie patch and under the neighbour's slab belong to running species, which we do not sell. Clumping bamboos expand from a central root mass a few centimetres a year and stop at a footprint of roughly 1m to 2m, so they are safe alongside paths, pools and fences. Allow that mature width when you plant, and keep the clump 50cm or more off a boundary so you can trim behind it. Where bamboo grows well Most of this range comes from the tropics and subtropics, so growth is fastest from Sydney north along the coast, in Darwin and in warm parts of Perth. In Melbourne and Adelaide, Slender Weavers and Chinese Dwarf still perform in a sheltered spot, though winter slows them and heavy frost burns young foliage. Nepalese Blue is the cool climate exception, happy in southern gardens. Bamboo is thirsty while establishing but surprisingly drought tolerant once the clump matures. Planting and care Space plants 1m to 1.5m apart for a continuous screen: a 10m fence takes 7 to 10 plants. Dig in compost, water in well, then water deeply two or three times a week through the first summer. Feed generously, as bamboo is a grass: lawn fertiliser or a nitrogen rich blend in spring and midsummer visibly speeds the screen. Expect useful privacy in 12 to 18 months from 200mm stock and a full screen by year two, faster from the advanced sizes. Thin old canes at the base every year or two to keep the clump fresh. For alternatives, compare the full hedging and screening range and our other fast growing plants. Common questions How fast will I get privacy? Bamboo is among the quickest screens sold. From 200mm pots, most clumping varieties reach 3m to 4m within 18 months in warm climates. Advanced 45L stock often screens in its first season. Can I grow bamboo in pots or troughs? Yes. Chinese Dwarf and Slender Weavers handle life in large troughs of 100L or more with premium mix, daily summer water and regular feeding. Expect reduced height, roughly two thirds of in ground size, and refresh the mix every few years. Will it drop much litter near a pool? Bamboo sheds leaves year round, more in dry spells. It is fine beside pools thanks to its contained roots, but position the clump downwind of the water if you can, and skim more often in late winter when leaf drop peaks.

Bamboo for Screening

Every bamboo in this collection is a clumping type, which settles the biggest worry about bamboo for screening: none of them run. The root system stays in a contained footprint instead of creeping under fences and paving, while the canes do the screening work overhead. Heights range from 2.5m courtyard varieties to 12m giants, so the choice comes down to how tall the screen must be and how much width you can give the clump. How to choose bamboo for screening Match the mature height to the sightline you need to block, because bamboo will not stop short of its natural height the way a clipped hedge does. For a fence line or courtyard, Chinese Dwarf Bamboo (Bambusa guangxiensis 'Chinese Dwarf') tops out around 2.5m. Malay Dwarf sits near 5m, and Slender Weavers Bamboo (Bambusa textilis var. gracilis) reaches about 8m while staying only 2m wide, which is why it is the standard choice for narrow boundaries and two storey privacy. To block a three storey outlook, Timor Black and Giant Timber Bamboo both reach about 12m in a garden. Cane colour is the tiebreaker: glossy black on Timor Black, chalky white on Ghost Bamboo, gold striped culms on China Gold. Where a bamboo screen makes sense These are warm climate plants. Everything here thrives in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens and shrugs off heat, humidity and wind. Most tolerate light frost only, so in cooler districts choose Goldstripe Bamboo, the frost hardy exception at about 5m, and avoid frost tender Timor Black. Because the clumps hold a small footprint, bamboo handles the jobs conventional hedging and screening plants struggle with: narrow side passages, poolside screens and boundaries where you cannot spare 2m of garden bed. Chinese Dwarf also grows happily in a large pot on a balcony. Planting and spacing Plant Slender Weavers 1m apart for a dense screen, Malay Dwarf and Timor Black 1.5m apart, and Giant Timber Bamboo 2m apart. Set the row at least 1m off the fence so the clump has room to thicken without pushing on the palings. Dig each hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in heavily and mulch 75mm deep. Bamboo is a giant grass with shallow roots, so consistent moisture in the top of the soil matters more than deep cultivation. Keeping a screen dense and tidy Water generously through the first two summers and feed in spring and midsummer with a nitrogen rich fertiliser; being a grass, bamboo responds to lawn food. Thin the oldest canes at ground level each winter to let light into the clump. To hold a lower height, cut individual culms at the height you want; they bush out below the cut rather than regrowing taller. Our guide to bamboo for screening privacy covers the first two years in detail. Common questions Will clumping bamboo take over the garden? No. A clumping bamboo expands slowly from the original crown, and Slender Weavers holds a base of about 1m to 2m across. The horror stories belong to running species, and none appear in this collection. Is bamboo safe near pools and paving? Clumping bamboo is one of the safest tall screens near hard surfaces. Slender Weavers, Giant Timber, White Bamboo and Ghost Bamboo all carry our non invasive roots flag, and several are proven poolside performers. Is bamboo pet friendly? Most of this range carries our Pet Friendly flag, including Slender Weavers, Chinese Dwarf, Timor Black and Giant Timber Bamboo. Check the flag on each product page before you buy, and the full bamboo collection shows every variety we grow. How is bamboo delivered? Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Banksias

Banksias flower through autumn and winter, when honeyeaters need nectar most and most gardens have the least colour on offer. This range covers the genus at every scale: prostrate groundcovers like 'Roller Coaster', compact spinulosa cultivars around a metre tall, mid sized shrubs such as 'Giant Candles', and the coast banksia at full tree size. Prices run from tubestock at about $11 up to advanced ex ground stock. Get the soil and feeding right, covered below the grid, and banksias are remarkably tough. Choosing the right banksia Pick by mature size first. For groundcover, 'Roller Coaster' hugs the soil at about 30cm high while spreading past 2m, and 'Coastal Cushion' makes a dense mound to 50cm. The compact Banksia spinulosa cultivars, Cherry Candles, Honey Pots, Stumpy Gold and 'Little Pal', sit around 1m and carry full sized flower spikes on small plants. In the middle, Lantern Banksia and 'Giant Candles' build 3m to 4m shrubs with spikes up to 30cm long. At tree scale, the Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) reaches 8m to 15m, and Silver Banksia suits cooler southern gardens. Where banksias grow well Most banksias evolved on sand, so free drainage is the one non negotiable. Coast and Wallum Banksia take front line salt wind from Queensland to Victoria. The spinulosa cultivars handle frost and heavier soil better than most of the genus, Silver Banksia is the pick for the cold south, and Swamp Banksia is the exception that tolerates damp ground. Planting, feeding and care In clay, plant into a mound or raised bed 300mm high rather than a hole that holds water. Water deeply once a week through the first summer, then leave established plants to the rain. Feed once in spring with a low phosphorus native fertiliser only: banksias are phosphorus sensitive, and a standard complete fertiliser can kill them. Mulch 50mm to 75mm, and tip prune lightly after flowering to keep compact forms dense. Common questions Why did my banksia die after I fertilised it? Almost always phosphorus toxicity. Standard garden fertilisers carry more phosphorus than banksias can process. Use a native formulation with a P figure under 2 percent, once a year at most. Which banksia suits a pot? Honey Pots, Stumpy Gold and 'Little Pal' all flower well for years in a 40cm to 50cm pot of native potting mix, watered deeply whenever the top few centimetres dry out. When do banksias flower? Mostly autumn through winter, with some spinulosa forms running into spring: nectar for honeyeaters in the garden's quietest months. Banksias pair naturally with the rest of our Australian native plants. Will banksias grow in clay soil? Swamp Banksia will take it as it comes. For everything else, mound the bed 300mm and let drainage do the rest, or grow a compact form in a pot. For more shrubs this unfussy, see the low maintenance shrub collection.

Bee and Butterfly Friendly Plants

A garden that hums with bees sets more fruit, flowers harder and feeds the birds that follow. These are our bee and butterfly friendly plants, over 800 of them, from lavender and rosemary borders to flowering natives like banksia, wattle and melaleuca. The planning trick is flowering season and scale: string together plants that flower in relay through the year, at sizes from ankle high groundcovers to 8m trees, and the pollinators never need to leave. How to choose plants that pollinators actually visit Not every flower feeds a bee. Heavily bred double blooms often hide their nectar behind extra petals, so the workhorses of a pollinator garden are simple, open flowers backed by nectar rich natives. Plan a relay rather than one big spring flush: French Lavender (Lavandula dentata) flowers most of the year in mild climates, crepe myrtles own high summer from December to March, and banksias carry nectar into the cooler months when little else is open. Then think in layers. Groundcovers such as native violet and seaside daisy feed insects at ankle height, shrubs like westringia, murraya and rosemary hold the middle storey, and one flowering tree outweighs a whole bed of perennials: a mature Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) or Ivory Curl Tree carries many thousands of flowers at once. Many of the best performers here double as fragrant plants, murraya and star jasmine among them, so the garden works on the nose as well. Accept one honest trade off before you buy: a pollinator garden is never perfectly tidy. Seaside daisy self seeds, Brisbane Golden Wattle races up but lives only 15 to 20 years, and any hedge clipped hard every few weeks barely flowers at all. Decide where you can let things loosen up. Where bee and butterfly friendly plants work hardest Put them where the pollination pays: beside vegetable beds and under fruit trees, where better fruit set is the immediate reward, and along paths and borders where you will actually see the traffic. In tropical and subtropical gardens, Golden Penda, Ivory Curl Tree, murraya and Lemon Scented Myrtle flower generously in the warmth, though Golden Penda is frost tender and stays north. In cooler southern gardens, lean on the frost hardy core: Coast Banksia, Brisbane Golden Wattle, westringia, Snowstorm Melaleuca, liriope and seaside daisy all cope with frost, and star jasmine climbs through every zone. In dry inland and Mediterranean gardens around Adelaide and Perth, lavender, rosemary and westringia deliver nectar on very little summer water. Planting and spacing for a pollinator border Plant in drifts of three to five of one species rather than singles. Bees tend to work one flower type at a time, so a block of a single plant gets visited far more than a scatter of everything. Low flowering hedges. French Lavender and Tuscan Blue rosemary at 60cm apart, Westringia 'Zena' at 600mm. Borders and edges. Liriope 'Evergreen Giant' at 40cm centres, seaside daisy at 40cm in full sun. Groundcover. Native violet at 300mm spacings in moist shade, with edible flowers as a bonus. Flowering screens. Murraya and Snowstorm Melaleuca at 1m apart, Brisbane Golden Wattle at 2m for fast cover, and Star Jasmine at 1m spacings along a fence. Trees. Ivory Curl Tree at 3m spacings for an avenue; give a Coast Banksia room for a 5m spread. Most bee and butterfly friendly plants want six hours of sun, deep watering twice a week through the first summer and 75mm of mulch. Leave one sunny patch of bare, undisturbed soil somewhere out of the way, because most Australian native bees nest in the ground, not in hives. Care that keeps the nectar flowing The single biggest favour you can do pollinators is putting the sprays away. Systemic insecticides move into nectar and pollen and undo everything the flowers achieve, so spot treat pests with horticultural oil, never spray anything that is in flower, and accept a few chewed leaves as the price of butterflies, since caterpillars have to eat something. Trim flowering shrubs lightly after each flush rather than clipping hard on a schedule, feed natives with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring, and set out a shallow dish of water with a few pebbles for bees to land on in summer. Common questions Which plants flower for the longest? French Lavender is the standout, flowering most of the year in mild climates, and crepe myrtles hold their colour from December to March. Add banksias and wattles for the cooler months and the calendar is close to covered. Do I need Australian natives to help native bees? A mixed garden serves the widest range. Australia has well over a thousand native bee species and many forage happily on lavender and rosemary, but the Australian native range offers the flower shapes and flowering times local species evolved with. Will these plants bring bees too close to the pool or back door? Bees working flowers are foraging, not defending a hive, and stings in the open garden are rare. If you want a buffer, plant the heaviest bee magnets such as lavender and citrus away from doorways and the pool edge. Do the same plants attract birds? Often, and the overlap is worth using. Coast Banksia, wattles and melaleucas feed honeyeaters as well as insects, and our bird attracting plants collection picks up where the pollinator list ends. How does delivery work? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Best Hedging Plants

This is the short list: forty hedging plants that have proven themselves in Australian gardens, chosen from the hundreds we sell for density, reliability and ease of care. The range spans clipped box borders under knee height, classic 2 to 3m privacy hedges, and narrow columnar screens for tight boundaries, with lilly pillies, viburnums, murraya, westringia and buxus doing most of the work. Settle the mature height you need first, then choose on look, climate and how often you want to clip. How to choose from this shortlist Decide the finished height before you look at a single photo; it rules most plants in or out. For borders under a metre, Japanese box, Korean box, English box and the compact coastal rosemarys hold a crisp line on one or two clips a year. Between one and two metres, 'Min a Min' murraya, 'Aussie Compact' lilly pilly and the larger westringias such as 'Naringa' fill the classic front garden bracket. From two metres up you are into the serious screeners: Lilly Pilly 'Resilience', Sweet Viburnum and its 'Dense Fence' and 'Quick Fence' selections, Photinia 'Red Robin' and box leaved privet. For tall and narrow spaces, 'Straight and Narrow' and 'Pinnacle' hold a screen around a metre wide. Match the hedge to your climate Every plant here is proven somewhere; the trick is pairing it with your somewhere. In humid subtropical and tropical gardens, lilly pillies and murraya are in their element, and modern psyllid resistant lilly pilly selections stay clean without spraying. In cool temperate and frost prone districts, box, photinia, privet and westringia are the safe bets, with murraya the one to avoid. In Mediterranean and dry inland gardens, coastal rosemary and the box family deliver a tight hedge on a fraction of the water a lilly pilly wants. On exposed coast, westringia is close to indestructible, which is why it appears here in eight forms. Spacing and how many plants to order Measure the run, divide by the spacing, and add one so a plant sits at each end. Formal box borders: 30cm to 40cm apart. A 6m edge takes 16 to 20 plants. Westringia and murraya hedges to 1.5m: 60cm to 70cm apart. Lilly pillies, viburnum, photinia and privet at 2m to 3m: 80cm to 1m apart. A 12m fence line takes 13 to 16 plants. Columnar lilly pillies: 60cm to 80cm apart for a narrow screen that closes fast. Resist planting tighter to speed things up; crowded hedges thin at the base within a few years. Training a dense hedge from year one Water new plants deeply twice a week through their first summer and feed in early spring and late summer with a controlled release fertiliser. Then trim early and lightly: tipping the new growth every few months from the first season builds the dense base that cannot be added later. Once the hedge reaches height, clip after each growth flush, which means two or three times a year for the fast growers and once for box. Our lilly pilly care guide covers feeding and pruning timing for the native half of this page. Common questions What is the fastest hedge on this page? Sweet Viburnum and the fastest lilly pillies ('Express' earns its name) can close a 2m screen in around two years from 200mm pots. Expect to trim them two or three times a year once they get there. Which hedge needs the least work? Coastal rosemary held near its natural 1.2m to 1.5m, or Japanese box kept at knee height. Both ask for one or two light clips a year and no summer watering once established. What should I plant near a pool or on the coast? Westringia first: it takes salt spray, wind and reflected heat without browning. Lilly pillies also behave well poolside, with contained roots and soft leaf drop. Is forty plants the whole hedging range? No. The complete hedging and screening collection runs to hundreds of options including bamboo and conifers, and the full lilly pilly range goes deeper on varieties and sizes.

Bird Attracting

Bird attracting plants work best when you match the plant to the bird. Honeyeaters and lorikeets come for nectar, bowerbirds and figbirds for fruit, parrots and finches for seed, and the small insect eaters stay only where dense foliage gives them cover. This collection holds over 700 plants that offer at least one of those four things, natives and exotics alike. Plant across the groups and the garden feeds birds in every month of the year. Choosing bird attracting plants by the birds you want Nectar feeders are the easiest to please. Grevillea 'Moonlight' carries large cream flower brushes on a 4m shrub, Kings Park Special Bottlebrush holds red brushes at a similar size, and Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) feeds honeyeaters from a tough 8m coastal tree. Fruit brings in a different crowd: Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' follows its flowers with berries on a dense 5m screen, Blueberry Ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus) hangs blue fruit through its canopy, and Native Gardenia offers perfumed flowers then yellow fruit in frost free gardens. For seed eaters, wattles such as the fast growing Brisbane Golden Wattle (Acacia fimbriata) do the work. One warning from experience: a garden of only large nectar plants ends up ruled by big aggressive honeyeaters. Mix in fine leaved, dense shrubs so wrens and finches have somewhere safe to retreat. Where these plants work With over 700 options the range covers every climate. Most suit subtropical and warm temperate gardens, around 300 handle cool temperate winters, and coastal gardeners have more than 400 salt tolerant choices. Nearly two thirds are Australian natives, and the grevillea range alone runs from groundcovers to small trees, so there is a bird feeder for a balcony pot as much as a bush block. Planting a layered bird garden Birds use a garden in layers, so plant it that way. A tree or two for canopy and nectar, shrubs in the middle storey for food and nesting, and groundcovers below for the foragers. Space Kings Park Special 1.5m apart as a screen, Snowstorm Melaleuca 1m apart for a low flowering hedge at 1.8m, and Grevillea 'Forest Rambler' 1m apart for full groundcover. Add a birdbath in the open near a dense shrub: cover close enough to escape to, but not close enough to hide a cat. Care that keeps the birds coming Water new plants deeply twice a week through their first summer and feed natives with a low phosphorus fertiliser in spring. Skip systemic insecticides anywhere near a bird garden, because insects are half the menu even for honeyeaters. Prune flowering natives lightly straight after they finish so next season's flowers multiply. Our guide to the top bird attracting native plants ranks the proven performers. Common questions Which plants attract honeyeaters and lorikeets? Nectar rich natives: grevilleas, banksias, melaleucas and the whole bottlebrush family. Larger flowering trees like Golden Penda and Ivory Curl Tree bring lorikeets down from the canopy. How do I attract small birds like wrens? Shelter first, food second. Dense, fine leaved shrubs planted in groups give small birds cover from predators and larger birds. Groundcover grevilleas and low melaleuca hedges work better for them than tall open trees. Do bird attracting gardens need to be all native? No. Fruiting and flowering exotics feed plenty of species, which is why they appear here. Natives simply carry more of the nectar load, especially through winter. How does delivery work? Every plant is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and everything carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Black & Charcoal Pots

Black and charcoal pots do a simple job well: they make green foliage look greener, and they suit almost any building, from heritage brick to new render. This collection covers every price point, from $2.95 growers pots and practical self watering troughs to terrazzo, fibre stone and premium glazed jars that stand close to a metre tall. Sizes run small enough for a windowsill herb and large enough for a mature tree. The guide below covers materials, sizing and where dark pots work best. Choosing black pots by material and budget This collection spans the widest price range on the site, so start by matching material to job. Black growers pots and tubes from $2.95 are the workhorses for propagation, holding stock and slipping inside decorative pots. The self watering plastics, including the Milano planters, Armour eggs and the Oslo and Roman troughs from $56.95, earn their keep on balconies and in courtyards where daily watering is not realistic. Terrazzo, fibre stone and the Riley and Isla ranges sit in the middle: real stone texture, sensible weight, prices mostly between $60 and $300. At the top, the Premium Glaze jars and urns run from the $239.95 Parlour Pot to a $2,999.95 French urn, and one of those alone can anchor an entry or a courtyard corner. Why dark pots work, and the one caution Black recedes. A dark pot pushes attention onto the plant, hides water marks and potting mix splash, and pairs cleanly with white walls, timber and stone. If you are running a row of pots along a fence or a pool, repeating one black shape reads as designed rather than collected. For contrast planting, silver and lime foliage look sharpest against charcoal. The caution is heat. Dark surfaces absorb sun, and in a west facing position in summer the root zone inside a black pot runs measurably hotter than in a pale one. In hot inland and northern gardens, keep planted black pots out of harsh afternoon sun, size up so extra soil buffers the roots, or use a pale pot from the white pots collection for the exposed spots and save black for shade and morning sun. Sizing and drainage When repotting, choose a pot 50mm to 100mm wider than the current root ball; a huge jump leaves cold, wet soil around the roots. Check for drainage holes before planting directly, raise outdoor pots on feet so the holes stay clear, and use a free draining potting mix rather than garden soil. The self watering designs hold a reservoir in the base, so most balcony plants need a top up once or twice a week instead of daily watering; there are more designs in the self watering pots collection. Common questions Do black pots get too hot for plants in summer? In full afternoon sun they can, particularly small pots with little soil volume. Position them for morning sun, group pots so they shade each other, and water in the evening during heatwaves. Empty or succulent planted black pots handle exposed spots far better than thirsty greenery. What are terrazzo and fibre stone? Terrazzo is stone chip set in a cement body, polished to show the speckle. Fibre stone is a resin and stone composite that gives the look of cast stone at a fraction of the weight, which matters once a pot passes 400mm. Which pieces suit a formal entry? A matched pair does the work. The Premium Glaze French Urn or a pair of Temple Jars flanking a door is the classic move, and there are more shapes in our urns and jars collection. How does delivery work for large pots? Everything is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost.

Bowl Planters

Bowl planters solve the situations tall pots cannot: a low centrepiece on an outdoor table, a wide dish of succulents on a step, a still water bowl for a courtyard. This collection runs from $10.95 Italian terracotta up to carved limestone cauldrons and landscape scale wok bowls, with terrazzo, glazed and lightweight stone finishes in between. Shallow and wide changes what you can grow, so the guide below covers plant choice, drainage and getting the scale right. What grows well in a bowl planter A bowl gives you width without depth, so it favours plants that root shallow and spread. Succulents are the obvious winners: echeverias, sedums and crassulas planted as a living mosaic will fill a 60cm bowl in a season and cope with the fast drying soil. Seasonal colour, herbs, native violets and trailing dichondra all work the same way. Bowls are also the traditional home of bonsai and clipped shapes, which is why the Pompeii Bonsai Bowl and the Izumi oval pots sit in this collection, and a single clipped ball of buxus or westringia in a wide bowl remains one of the easiest formal moves in gardening. The trade off is water. A bowl holds less mix than a tall pot of the same diameter and presents more surface to the sun, so it dries fast. Plant tough species, use a quality potting mix, and expect to water more often than you would a deep pot. Water bowls, ponds and cauldrons Several pieces here are made for water rather than soil. The Atlantis Lotus Pond, the GRC Lorraine Pond and the Old Stone Wide Sala Pond suit a dwarf waterlily or a pot of sedge with a still reflective surface, and a bowl pond is the fastest way to bring water into a courtyard without excavation. The cauldron shapes, from the Pompeii Cauldron up to the carved Thai limestone pieces, work either way: planted hard with succulents or filled as a water feature. Check the individual listing before you buy, because plantable bowls drain and pond bowls are sealed. Choosing size and material On a table, 30cm to 45cm is the useful band. On a step, plinth or beside a seat, go 45cm to 60cm. On open ground a bowl needs width to register, so start at 60cm and do not be afraid of the metre plus pieces; the GRC Wok Bowl and its giant siblings are built exactly for broad, low plantings at landscape scale. For material, Italian terracotta from $10.95 is the classic and breathes well for succulents, terrazzo and glazed finishes suit modern spaces, and GRC and StoneLite give big diameters at manageable weight. There are matching taller pieces in the large pots collection and more classic clay in the terracotta pots range. Common questions Do bowl planters dry out faster than normal pots? Yes, noticeably. Shallow mix and a wide surface mean more evaporation. In summer a planted bowl in full sun may need water every second day, so lean on succulents in the hottest spots. Can I use a bowl planter as a pond? Only the sealed pieces. The pond and water bowl listings are made for it; a drained bowl will simply empty itself. A 70cm to 90cm pond bowl comfortably holds a dwarf waterlily plus a marginal plant. What should I plant in a large wok bowl? One structural plant off centre, a carpet of two or three spreading species, and something to trail over the rim. In frost free areas mixed succulents are close to zero maintenance; in cold districts sedums, native grasses and prostrate rosemary do the same job. How does delivery work? Bowls are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. For statement height rather than width, see the urns and jars collection.

Brisbane & SEQ Ready

Cacti

Cacti earn their place as living sculpture that asks almost nothing in return. This range runs from thimble sized globes to columns that eventually pass 3m, and every one of them is slow growing, drought tolerant and happy in a pot. The choice is mostly about form: a bold upright column, a spined globe for a rockery, or a soft trailing jungle type for a basket. Get the drainage right and the rest is easy. Columns, globes or trailers: how to choose The upright forms carry a whole garden bed on their own. The Cowboy Cactus (Euphorbia acrurensis) makes a classic branched column to about 3m, and the Candelabrum Cactus reaches 4m in a frost free spot. Both are technically succulent euphorbias rather than true cacti, which matters for one reason: their milky sap irritates skin and eyes, so plant them with gloves on. Among the true cacti, the Golden Barrel (Echinocactus grusonii) is the collector's globe, taking decades to reach 0.6m, while Silver Ball and Thimble Cactus stay under 30cm for pots and rockery pockets. The odd one out is the Coral Cactus, a thornless trailing jungle species that suits a hanging basket indoors. Where cacti grow well in Australia Desert cacti are built for arid, Mediterranean and warm temperate climates: think Perth, Adelaide and everywhere inland. Most here are frost tender or take light frost only, so in cold districts grow them in pots you can shift under cover for winter. On the humid east coast the enemy is wet feet, not heat; a raised rockery, a north facing wall and gritty free draining mix keep them healthy through a Brisbane or Sydney summer. Half the range also grows well indoors on a bright windowsill, and the wider succulents and cacti collection adds softer companions. Potting, position and soil Full sun suits nearly everything here, with the Coral Cactus preferring bright shade. Use a dedicated cactus mix, never garden soil, in a pot only slightly wider than the plant, and unglazed terracotta dries fastest. In the ground, mound the bed 20cm to 30cm above grade and mulch with gravel rather than bark. Keep the fiercely spined Golden Barrel a metre back from paths, and site all spiny varieties out of reach of children and pets. Watering and feeding Water deeply, then let the mix dry out completely; in summer that is roughly fortnightly for pots, and in winter most cacti want almost nothing. Soft, discoloured growth means too much water, not too little. Feed once in spring with a half strength low nitrogen fertiliser. Our guide to growing the Cowboy Cactus covers the tall euphorbias in more detail. Common questions Are cacti safe around pets? Two here carry our Pet Friendly flag: the thornless Coral Cactus and the Thimble Cactus, which is non toxic but still spiny. The euphorbias are toxic if chewed and their sap irritates, so keep them out of reach. Can I grow cacti indoors? Yes, in the brightest spot you have. Coral Cactus, Silver Ball and Thimble Cactus all handle indoor life beside a sunny window. A column euphorbia will cope indoors for years if it gets several hours of direct sun. How fast do cacti grow? Slowly, which is part of the appeal. A Golden Barrel adds only a few centimetres a year, so buy close to the size you want to look at. How are cacti delivered? Carefully wrapped and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Cactus Collection

Cacti bring sculpture to a garden in a way no leafy plant can, and this collection keeps the choice simple: a handful of small collector globes from $17.95, including Silver Ball, Texas Nipple and Gym Ball Chin cactus, alongside advanced statement pieces such as Golden Barrel and the towering Cowboy and Candelabrum cactus. All of them want full sun, sharp drainage and very little of your time. Decide whether you are styling a pot or anchoring a garden bed, then choose your scale. How to choose from this collection The range splits neatly in two. The small globes, Silver Ball, Black Cactus, Gym Ball Chin, Texas Nipple and Easter Lily Cactus, sit between $17.95 and $22.95 and are made for pots, sunny sills and massed bowl plantings. The statement pieces are the investment end: the classic Golden Barrel slowly forming its ribbed sphere, and the branching Cowboy, Candelabrum and African Cathedral Cactus, which are strictly succulent euphorbias rather than true cacti but ask for identical care and deliver instant desert architecture. Where cacti work in Australian gardens Dry summer climates are home ground: Perth, Adelaide and inland gardens grow them in open beds on sunshine alone. Humid subtropical and coastal gardens can grow them too, on two conditions: full sun, and drainage so sharp that water never sits at the roots. There, mounded free draining beds or pots under an eave beat flat garden soil. Most tolerate light frost while dry; in hard frost districts keep the small varieties in pots and move them under cover for winter. They pair naturally with our wider drought tolerant plants and succulent range. Planting and care in real numbers Use a cactus and succulent mix in pots, or open garden soil cut with a third coarse sand. Water deeply, then let the mix dry completely: every two to three weeks in summer, monthly or less in winter, and not at all through cool wet spells. Feed once in spring at half strength. Wear thick gloves and wrap larger plants in folded cardboard to move them, and treat euphorbia sap with respect, since it irritates skin and eyes. Our guide to low maintenance cacti for the front garden covers placement and styling. Common questions How fast do cacti grow? Slowly, which is the point. A Golden Barrel adds perhaps 20 to 30mm of width a year, while the columnar euphorbias manage up to 30cm once settled. Buy close to the size you want to look at. Why is my cactus going soft at the base? Almost always overwatering or poor drainage. Stop watering and let the mix dry right out, then repot into grittier mix if the pot stays damp for more than a week. Are they safe around children and pets? Site the spiny globes and the euphorbias away from paths, play areas and dog runs, and never handle euphorbia sap with bare skin.

Callistemons

Callistemons, the Australian bottlebrushes, are among the most forgiving flowering natives you can plant. Every one of the 35 plus varieties here attracts birds, handles drought once established, and nearly all of them also tolerate wet feet, a combination few plant groups can claim. Sizes run from the 1m Little John to 7m small trees, in red, pink, purple, cream and white. Pick the mature size first, then let colour decide the variety. How to choose a callistemon Work down the size ladder. At the small end, Little John holds a tight 1m ball, ideal for borders, pots and low hedges. Captain Cook steps up to 1.8m with a weeping habit and red brushes in spring and again in autumn. For a narrow boundary, Callistemon Slim screens to 3m while staying only 1.3m wide without constant trimming. Kings Park Special makes the classic 4m privacy screen, and Hannah Ray at 4.5m or the 7m White Bottlebrush (Callistemon salignus) carry the family into small tree territory. Then choose colour. Red dominates, but Candy Pink flowers pink at 2m, Mauve Mist and Purple Splendour cover the purples, and the White Anzac types flower cream. Great Balls of Fire is the outlier, grown less for its flowers than for vivid red new growth on a 2.5m shrub. Where callistemons thrive Almost everywhere in Australia, which is why councils plant so many. Nearly every variety here is frost hardy, comfortable from subtropical Queensland to cool temperate Victoria and the Adelaide Hills, and the whole range is coastal and salt tolerant. Most remarkably, callistemons tolerate both drought and wet feet, so the soggy corner where the downpipe discharges, fatal to most Australian native shrubs, is a bottlebrush opportunity. Give them full sun; shade costs flowers. Planting and spacing For hedges and screens, spacing follows size. Plant Little John 60cm apart for a dense low hedge, Captain Cook and Candy Pink 1m apart, Mauve Mist 1.2m apart and Kings Park Special 1.5m apart. Callistemon Slim goes in at 1m centres for a narrow screen, while the big weepers, Hannah Ray and Dawson River Weeper, want 2m between plants. Dig each hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in well and mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch clear of the trunk. Care for heavy flowering Tip prune just behind the spent brushes once each flush finishes; this doubles the branch tips that carry next season's flowers and keeps the shrub dense to the ground. Feed with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring, water deeply through the first summer, then let rainfall do most of the work. An old leggy bottlebrush responds to a harder cut in late winter. Our guide all about callistemon covers renovation pruning step by step. Common questions Are callistemons frost hardy? Most are. Nearly every variety in this collection carries the frost hardy tag and handles cold winters in Canberra and Melbourne, though young plants appreciate protection through their first winter inland. Will a bottlebrush grow in wet soil? Yes. Callistemon viminalis grows along Queensland riverbanks, and nearly every variety here is wet feet tolerant, making bottlebrushes one of the few flowering natives for poorly drained ground. Are bottlebrushes pet friendly? Many carry our Pet Friendly flag, including Little John, Mauve Mist, Wildfire and Dawson River Weeper. Check the flag on each product page if animals share the garden. How are callistemons delivered? Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Camellias

Camellias carry the garden through the cold months, flowering from autumn to spring when little else does, on glossy evergreen shrubs that live for decades. The range splits two ways: sun tolerant sasanquas that flower in autumn and clip into first class hedges, and the larger flowered japonicas that prefer shade and bloom through winter into spring. You will also find the green tea plant and the camellia fertilisers to feed them all. Choose by position first, then by flower. Sasanqua or japonica: the first decision Sasanquas are the outdoor workhorses. They tolerate full sun once established, grow faster, flower from autumn into early winter and clip into dense hedges of 1.5m to 3m, which is why varieties like Setsugekka, Yuletide, Hiryu and Plantation Pink anchor so many Australian front gardens. Japonicas carry the show flowers: larger, often perfectly formal blooms from winter into spring, in whites, pinks, reds and striped forms such as Black Tie, Desire, Great Eastern and Brushfield's Yellow. They prefer dappled shade or morning sun and build slowly into a 2m to 4m shrub that will outlive the person who plants it. The collection also includes the green tea plant, Camellia sinensis, the species tea is actually picked from, plus the camellia and azalea fertilisers that keep the whole family fed. Where camellias grow well in Australia Camellias suit far more of the country than their reputation suggests. They are happiest from cool temperate to subtropical gardens: Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and Tasmania all grow them well. Established plants are frost hardy, though a hard frost will brown flowers that are open on the day. The further north you garden, the more shade a japonica needs; in Brisbane give it solid afternoon protection, while sasanquas take the sun in their stride. In Perth and Adelaide the real limitation is alkaline soil rather than climate, so grow them in pots of azalea and camellia mix or build up an acidified bed. In the true tropics flowering is unreliable, and a gardenia will give you more. Planting and soil Camellias want acidic, free draining soil around pH 5.5 to 6.5 with plenty of organic matter, the same bed conditions as azaleas, which is why the two are traditionally planted together. Plant with the root ball at or slightly above soil level, never buried deeper, water in well and mulch 50mm to 75mm keeping mulch off the stem. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer. For a sasanqua hedge, space plants 75cm to 1m apart and expect a clipped 1.5m to 2m hedge within three to four years. In pots, use a 40cm or larger container, a quality azalea and camellia mix, and a position with morning sun. Care through the year Feed once flowering finishes with a camellia and azalea fertiliser, and again lightly in midsummer. Keep water up through late summer and autumn while next season's buds are forming, because drought at bud set is the main reason camellia buds drop unopened. Prune straight after flowering, before the new flush hardens: sasanqua hedges take regular clipping as happily as box, while japonicas need only shaping and the removal of crossing branches. If leaves turn sooty black, treat the scale insects underneath with horticultural oil and the mould starves. Common questions Why are my camellia buds dropping before they open? Almost always water stress in late summer and autumn when the buds were forming, sometimes root disturbance or a sudden move. Mulch, deep water through dry spells and the problem usually disappears the following season. Can I grow camellias in pots? Very well, and in Perth and Adelaide it is often the best way. Use a 40cm to 60cm pot, azalea and camellia mix, morning sun and reliable water. Compact japonicas and the smaller sasanquas are the easiest long term potted subjects. Which camellias make the best hedge? Sasanquas, without much argument: fast enough to close at 75cm to 1m spacing, dense under clipping and in flower when the rest of the garden has finished. If you are comparing them against other evergreen hedges, the hedging and screening range puts the alternatives side by side. Do camellias need full shade? No. Deep shade gives you a healthy bush and very few flowers. Sasanquas flower best with at least half a day of sun; japonicas want morning sun or bright dappled light with protection from hot afternoon sun, especially north of Sydney. How do camellias arrive? As established container plants, delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Advanced specimen sizes are freighted at cost.

Ceramic & Glazed Pots

This is the fired clay collection: 94 pots across three finishes. Aged ceramic carries a weathered, handmade character that suits relaxed and Mediterranean gardens. Crisp plain ceramic is the indoor specialist. Double fired glazed ceramic brings deep ocean blues, greens and metallics that hold their colour outdoors for decades and shrug off frost. Sizes run from windowsill pieces to statement temple jars, with the Premium Glaze range at the top. The guide below sorts out which finish belongs where. Aged, plain or glazed: choosing a finish All three finishes start as fired clay; what happens to the surface decides where the pot belongs. Aged ceramic, the largest group here with over 50 designs, is finished to look weathered from day one, soft mottled surfaces that suit Mediterranean plantings, coastal gardens and anywhere a shiny new pot would look like it just left the warehouse. Plain ceramic is the crisp one: clean whites and blocked colours that read best indoors, on plinths and beside furniture. Double fired glazed ceramic is the outdoor performer, with a glass hard coloured surface fused to the clay at kiln temperature. Why double firing matters A glaze is not paint. The pot is fired once to harden the clay, coated, then fired again above 1000 degrees so the glaze vitrifies into glass bonded to the body. That surface gives UV nothing to fade and locks water out of the clay itself, which is why a quality glazed pot handles frost that would flake a cheap low fired one. It is the reason the deep blues, greens and metallics in this collection, including the Premium Glaze jars and tree planters, can hold their colour through twenty summers. Where each finish works Use glazed colour where the garden needs a fixed point: an ocean blue jar against green screening planting, a pair of green temple jars flanking steps, one metallic piece at the end of a path. Glazed interiors also make these the best fired pots for wet climates and pool surrounds, since the body never becomes waterlogged. Aged ceramic prefers company, clustering naturally with terracotta and stone in the broader outdoor pot range. Plain ceramic earns its keep indoors, where the porous breathing of the terracotta collection matters less and a wipe clean surface matters more. Planting and care Glazed walls do not breathe, so the mix inside holds moisture noticeably longer than terracotta of the same size. That is a gift for thirsty plants and a trap for succulents, which want a fast drying mix and a light hand with the hose in a glazed pot. Confirm the drainage hole before planting, stand outdoor pieces on pot feet, and skip the gravel layer in the base. Care is minimal: a soft brush and water for grime, never a pressure washer against an aged finish, and in hard frost districts keep pots draining freely so ice never forms inside the vessel. Common questions Will a glazed pot chip? Only with real impact, and a small rim chip on an aged ceramic piece usually disappears into the finish. Chips on brightly glazed pots show the clay beneath, so unpack and place them once rather than dragging them around the garden seasonally. Are these heavy? Middling. Fired clay is heavier than fibreglass and lightweight concrete but far lighter than stone. A 50cm glazed pot is a comfortable two person lift empty. Plant it where it will live, since it will not be portable once filled. Round glazed pots: anything to watch? Many glazed pieces are egg and jar forms where the opening is narrower than the belly, which changes repotting later. The egg and round pot guide covers the mouth versus belly measurement in detail before you buy. How do ceramic pots travel? Boxed, padded and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Statement jars ship the same way.

Citrus & Fruit

Every edible tree and bush in the nursery lives here: lemons, limes, oranges and mandarins alongside figs, avocados, mangoes, stone fruit, berries and native bush foods, over 90 fruiting plants in all. Choosing a fruit tree comes down to two questions: what your winter allows, and how much room you can give it. Dwarf grafted citrus stay near 2m in a pot, while a mango or avocado wants 6m of open sky. How to choose from an edible range this broad Rule plants out before you rule them in. Frost is the first filter: mango and avocado are the tender ones here, while figs, pomegranates and most stone fruit take a cold winter in their stride. Space is the second. A grafted Bowen mango (Mangifera indica) still reaches about 6m with a 4m spread, a Hass avocado much the same, and neither enjoys a cramped corner. Citrus sits in the flexible middle: full sized trees finish at 3m to 4m, and dwarf grafted forms such as the Cara Cara orange stay close to 2m. Speed is the last trade-off. Figs and passionfruit crop young, citrus builds to a full harvest over three or four seasons, and mango and avocado reward patience more than haste. Matching fruit trees to your climate In tropical and subtropical gardens almost everything on this page grows, and mango, avocado and the native gardenia (Atractocarpus fitzalanii) do their best work. Warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens around Sydney, Perth and Adelaide suit citrus, figs, pomegranates and avocados. In cooler southern gardens, shop from the frost hardy end: figs, pomegranates and low chill stone fruit such as White Opal peach, with Meyer lemon the most cold tolerant of the common citrus. Our dwarf and full sized citrus trees carry climate notes on every product page. Planting and spacing that pays off later Plant into full sun and free draining soil, in a hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper. Give a full sized citrus such as the Eureka lemon at least 3m clear of paths and fences, because it finishes near 4m tall and 3m wide. Keep figs well away from pipes and paving; the roots are vigorous. Pomegranates make an informal fruiting hedge planted 1.5m apart. Water new trees deeply twice a week through their first summer, and mulch 75mm deep with the mulch kept off the trunk. Feeding, pruning and protecting the crop Citrus are hungry trees. Feed in late winter and again in late summer, and keep water consistent while fruit is developing, because erratic watering sits behind most fruit drop and split skins. Prune deciduous fruiters in winter; a Black Genoa fig that would otherwise reach 5m is easily held at 3m this way. Net anything ripening if birds work your area, and our lemon tree care guide covers the citrus routine in more detail. Common questions Do I need two trees for pollination? Usually not. Citrus, figs and most stone fruit here are self fertile, so a single tree crops on its own. Avocados are the exception: they set heavier crops with a second variety of the opposite flowering type nearby. Which fruit trees grow well in pots? Dwarf citrus lead the list. The Imperial mandarin holds at about 2m in a large pot, and compact lemons bred for containers stay smaller again. Use a container of at least 50 litres with good drainage, and feed a little more often than you would in the ground. How long until the first harvest? Grafted trees fruit years sooner than anything raised from a pip. Expect a token crop early, then a proper harvest once the tree has a few seasons of growth behind it. How does delivery work for fruit trees? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Browse the full fruit tree collection for the rest of the orchard range.

Citrus Trees

This is the citrus tree range in full: lemons, limes, oranges, mandarins, kumquats, grapefruit and pummelo, with dwarf grafted forms alongside full sized trees. Two decisions matter. Pick the fruit your kitchen actually uses, then match the tree to your winter, because most citrus tolerate light frost only. Nearly everything here also thrives in a large pot, which puts a lemon within reach of a balcony in any capital city. Lemon, lime or something less common Most gardens only need one lemon, so choose it carefully. Eureka (Citrus limon 'Eureka') is nearly thornless, fruits close to year round and finishes about 4m tall. Lisbon is more vigorous and handles heat and wind better, which suits hot inland gardens, but it carries serious thorns. The Meyer lemon is the pick for cooler regions: a smaller tree at about 3m and the most cold tolerant of the common citrus. Among the limes, Tahitian is seedless, thornless and reaches about 3.5m, while Kaffir lime is grown for its leaves rather than juice and needs a frost free spot. Washington Navel remains the classic backyard orange at 3m to 4m, Imperial is Australia's most popular early season mandarin, and the Meiwa kumquat is the sweet one you eat whole, skin and all. Where citrus trees grow well Citrus thrive from the subtropics through warm temperate and Mediterranean climates, so most of the country qualifies. The honest limit is frost. Nearly every tree here is rated for light frost only, so in cold inland and southern gardens, plant against a north facing wall, protect young trees with frost cloth for their first two winters, and favour Meyer lemon or a kumquat. In the tropics, limes and pummelo (Citrus maxima) are the most reliable performers. Growing citrus in pots Any citrus on dwarf rootstock will live for decades in a container. The dwarf Meiwa kumquat stays near 1.5m, dwarf Cara Cara orange and Lemonicious lemon hold close to 2m, and even a full sized Imperial mandarin can be kept to 2m in a big pot. Start with a 50 litre container minimum, use a quality mix such as the Osmocote citrus and fruit potting mix, and accept that potted trees need more frequent water and feeding than their in-ground siblings. Planting and the first year Full sun, free draining soil, and a hole twice the width of the pot but no deeper. Leave 3m between full sized trees and keep them clear of paving so the canopy has room. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, mulch 75mm deep while keeping mulch off the trunk, and feed with citrus fertiliser in late winter and again in late summer. Remove any fruit that sets in the first year so the tree puts its energy into roots. Our guide to growing citrus in an Australian backyard walks through the routine. Common questions Why are my citrus leaves turning yellow? Usually hunger or cold. Yellowing across the whole tree in winter is normal in cooler regions, while yellow leaves with green veins point to a magnesium or iron shortage. Feed in late winter and the flush usually comes back green. Can I keep a citrus tree at 2m? Yes. Buy a dwarf grafted form, or prune a full sized tree lightly each year straight after harvest. Citrus fruit on new growth, so regular light pruning costs far less crop than one heavy cut. Are citrus trees safe for pets? No. Citrus foliage and oils can upset cats and dogs, so none of these trees carry our Pet Friendly flag. Most animals leave them alone, but plant away from a determined chewer. How do citrus trees arrive? Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every tree carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. The wider citrus and fruit collection adds figs, avocados, mangoes and berries.

City & Nature

City & Nature is our range for small urban spaces: compact, low maintenance plants that earn their spot in a courtyard, balcony or tight suburban block and still give something back to the birds and bees. Expect narrow screening lilly pillies, crepe myrtles and dwarf magnolias for structure, citrus and bay for the pots, and nectar rich natives for the wildlife. Filter by mature size and light needs, then use the guide below for spacing, pot sizes and climate notes. How to choose plants for a city garden Small spaces punish poor choices, so every plant has to do more than one job. The test worth applying: does it screen, feed, flower or shelter something while staying inside its allotted footprint? That is why this grid is heavy with columnar screeners, compact flowering trees, potted fruit and nectar rich natives rather than sprawling shrubs. Everything here carries our small gardens and low maintenance tags. Work vertically first. A Straight and Narrow lilly pilly holds about 1m wide at up to 5m tall, so a row of them screens a two storey neighbour from a bed barely wider than a path. Compact crepe myrtles like 'Acoma' and 'Zuni' give a small tree, three months of summer flower and handsome bark in a 3m footprint. For pots, citrus, bay laurel and dwarf olives take clipping and cropping in their stride. Bringing nature back in The nature half of the name is deliberate. Urban gardens have become the corridors that keep honeyeaters, insect eating birds and native bees moving through the suburbs, and small nectar plants punch far above their weight. Bottlebrush, melaleuca and tea tree flower heavily enough to feed birds for weeks, native violet carpets shaded corners while flowering most of the year, and a single grass tree gives lizards and insects the cover a paved courtyard never will. Plant even three natives among the exotics and you will notice the traffic change within a season. Where these plants work across Australia Compact does not mean fragile, but climate still matters. In the frost prone southern cities, Canberra through to Hobart, lean on crepe myrtles, box, bay and bottlebrush, all of which shrug off cold snaps. In the humid subtropics, lilly pillies, melaleucas and citrus power along with little help. Perth and Adelaide gardeners get the best from westringia, olives and grass trees, which hold their looks through hot dry summers on modest water. Coastal balconies cop wind and salt, so favour tough, leathery foliage; the plants for balconies collection filters for exactly that situation. Planting and care in tight spaces In beds, the numbers are the same as any planting: a hole twice the width of the pot, a deep watering twice a week through the first summer, and 75mm of mulch kept off stems. Pots change the arithmetic. A small tree or screening plant wants at least a 45cm to 50cm pot and a premium potting mix, then water two to three times a week in summer, because pots dry from every side. Feed potted plants with controlled release fertiliser in early spring and again in late summer, and refresh the top 5cm of mix each spring. Clip hedges and topiary lightly two or three times a year rather than hard once: small spaces show every rough haircut. Common questions What screens a fence without swallowing the yard? Columnar lilly pillies planted 60cm to 80cm apart give a dense 3m to 5m screen about a metre deep. If you have more room to play with, the full hedging and screening range sorts by mature width so you can match the screen to the space. Can I do all of this in pots? Almost. Citrus, bay, dwarf olives, compact crepe myrtles, native violet and most of the screeners here live happily in containers for years. The trade is water and feed: a potted plant relies on you for both. Which plants bring birds to a small garden? Bottlebrush, melaleuca and tea tree are the reliable trio, flowering hard and holding nectar for honeyeaters. Grass trees and dense screening plants add the shelter that convinces birds to stay rather than pass through. What has safe roots near paving and pipes? Crepe myrtles are the standout small tree for tight spots; the crepe myrtle collection runs from 3m courtyard forms to 7m avenue trees, none of them paving lifters. Lilly pillies and westringia are also well mannered. How does delivery work for courtyard and balcony orders? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Climbers

Climbing plants earn more cover per dollar than anything else in the nursery, using a fence or wall you already own instead of garden space. This range runs from self clinging climbing fig to fragrant star jasmine, flowering bougainvillea and white wisteria, over 80 climbers in all. The real choice is how the plant attaches and how much vigour you can manage: some cling politely, some need wires, and a few will swallow a weak pergola. Self clinging, twining or scrambling: how a climber attaches Match the plant to the surface before you think about flowers. Self clinging types such as climbing fig (Ficus pumila) and Boston ivy grip masonry with no wires at all, which makes them the answer for bare block walls, but their pads and rootlets can mark render and paint, so keep them off soft surfaces. Twiners, including star jasmine, pink jasmine and the native pandoreas, need something to wrap around: tensioned wire, mesh or a trellis. Scramblers like bougainvillea hold on loosely and need tying in while young. Vigour is the trade-off that matters A fast climbing plant never stops being fast. White Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis 'Alba') will cover 8m but demands a genuinely strong pergola and two prunings a year, and the thornless banksia rose spreads past 4m if left alone. If you have a courtyard rather than a farmhouse, scale down: a dipladenia stays under 2m on a small trellis, and the native Hardenbergia 'Sea of Purple' climbs to about 2m then stops. Buy the vigour you are prepared to prune. Where climbing plants work around Australia In tropical and subtropical gardens, bougainvillea, orange trumpet vine, stephanotis and passionfruit all thrive, though passionfruit needs a warm frost free spot to fruit well. In cooler southern gardens, work from the frost hardy list: star jasmine, pink jasmine, banksia rose, wisteria and Boston ivy, whose autumn colour is the best of any climber. Coastal gardens are well served by bougainvillea, climbing fig, star jasmine and the native snake vine. Several also work flat as bank cover; see the combined climbers and groundcover range. If privacy is the real goal, compare our hedging and screening plants first. Planting and spacing along a fence 1m apart. Star jasmine and climbing fig for full, fast coverage of a fence or wall. 1.5m apart. Pink jasmine, Bower of Beauty pandorea and Boston ivy. 2m apart. Bougainvillea, passionfruit and orange trumpet vine. 3m apart. Banksia rose, which covers a pergola from a single plant. Plant 30cm to 40cm out from the base of a wall, where soil stays dry, and lean the plant back to its support. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer and tie in new growth every few weeks; a climber trained early covers evenly, one left alone becomes a mop on a stick. Common questions Will a self clinging climber damage my wall? Sound brick, block and concrete cope well. The risk is render, paint and mortar in poor condition, where pads and rootlets leave marks that outlast the plant. On anything painted, grow a twiner on wires held off the surface instead. What is the fastest way to green a bare fence? Star jasmine planted 1m apart on horizontal wires is the reliable answer: fast growing, evergreen, fragrant in spring and frost hardy. Climbing fig is quicker still on masonry. Our climbing fig care guide covers keeping it flat and tidy. Are climbers safe for pets? Check each plant. The banksia rose carries our Pet Friendly flag, but many popular climbers do not: star jasmine has an irritant milky sap, and stephanotis pods and Boston ivy berries are toxic if eaten. Can I grow a climber in a pot? Yes. Dipladenia, pink jasmine and stephanotis all suit containers on a balcony with a small frame to climb. Use a pot of 40 litres or more and water more often than in the ground. Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, no minimum order and a 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Climbers & Groundcover

This combined range covers the two cheapest ways to fill a garden: groundcover plants that knit across bare soil and climbers that take a fence instead. Over 230 plants qualify, from no mow grass and native violet to star jasmine and bougainvillea. Decide which surface you are covering first, then filter by sun, foot traffic and climate. Most of these spread quickly, so a modest order covers serious ground. Pick the surface before the plant The two halves of this range solve the same problem in different directions. Climbers dress a fence or wall while using almost no ground, and they are compared properly in the dedicated climbers collection. The rest spread sideways to smother weeds, hold slopes and cool the soil. A few do both jobs: star jasmine climbs wires at 1m spacings or runs flat as a fragrant mat, and climbing fig will carpet a bank as readily as a wall. Choosing groundcover plants for the spot Foot traffic first. No mow grass (Zoysia tenuifolia) reads as lawn, takes regular walking and forms a soft undulating mat that rarely needs cutting. Kidney weed and white pratia handle light traffic and thrive between pavers, as does creeping thyme, which releases scent underfoot. For moist shade under trees, native violet (Viola hederacea) is the reliable answer, spreading by runners and carrying edible white and purple flowers. For hot, dry and coastal ground, look to creeping boobialla, seaside daisy, silver carpet and blue chalk sticks, all content in poor soil on little water. One honest note: seaside daisy self seeds readily, so keep it away from bushland edges. Spacing and how many plants to order 15cm to 20cm apart. Dwarf mondo grass and kidney weed for a solid, permanent carpet. 25cm to 30cm apart. White pratia, silver carpet, creeping thyme, native violet and no mow grass. 40cm to 50cm apart. Seaside daisy, trailing silver dichondra (Dichondra argentea), blue chalk sticks, liriope and Lime Tuff lomandra. 1m apart. Creeping boobialla and Cousin It, each spreading 1m to 2m wide. To estimate numbers, divide the bed area by the spacing squared: at 30cm spacing a square metre takes about eleven plants, at 50cm it takes four. Tubestock makes large carpets affordable and catches up faster than most people expect. Getting a living carpet established Weed thoroughly before planting, because nothing here outcompetes established weeds in its first months. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, mulch the gaps until the plants meet, and trim runners back from paths once cover closes. Most of this range is genuinely low maintenance after year one; the first season of weeding is the whole game. For shaded ground, our guide to the best shade groundcovers narrows the list further. Common questions Which of these can replace a lawn? No mow grass is the closest swap: walkable, pet friendly and holding at about 10cm high. Kidney weed suits shadier yards with light traffic. Neither takes the daily hammering of a dog run the way turf does. What covers a slope or retaining wall fastest? Creeping boobialla is the quick native answer, spreading up to 2m per plant from 1m spacings. Cousin It pours over wall edges, and the trailing silver dichondra cascades more than a metre from the top of a wall or a tall pot. Which options are pet friendly? No mow grass, kidney weed, native violet, creeping thyme, seaside daisy, silver carpet and Evergreen Giant liriope all carry our Pet Friendly flag. Blue chalk sticks and creeping boobialla do not, so plant them out of reach of a determined chewer. How does delivery work for a big groundcover order? Everything is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. The standalone groundcover collection shows the carpet half of this range on its own.

Coastal and Salt Tolerant Plants

Salt laden wind burns leaves, sand drains too fast to hold water, and the plants that shrug all that off are gathered here: over 900 coastal and salt tolerant plants for every line of defence. Westringia, banksia and casuarina hold the exposed frontline, while lilly pillies, olives, magnolias and star jasmine thrive a street or two back. Work out how much direct spray your garden cops before you choose, because exposure decides more than climate does on the coast. Match the plant to your exposure, not your postcode Start by working out which line of defence your garden sits on. A frontline position takes direct salt spray and near constant wind, and only genuine specialists last there: Coastal Rosemary (Westringia fruticosa), Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia), the prostrate she oak 'Cousin It' and low spreaders like Desert Star carissa. One or two streets back, where buildings and fences break the worst of the wind, the choice widens enormously: Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' builds a 5m screen, olives crop happily, and the Little Gem Magnolia gives a formal 5m column with non-invasive roots. Further back again, salt arrives only on storm winds and nearly everything here will thrive. The plants advertise their own toughness if you know the clues. Grey or silver foliage, small waxy leaves and fine needle growth all shed salt and hold moisture, which is why westringia, olives, casuarinas and succulents like blue chalk sticks dominate real beachfront plantings around Australia. Large soft leaves usually signal a plant for the second line or further. Where salt tolerant plants earn their keep On tropical and subtropical coasts, foxtail palms, evergreen frangipani, Native Gardenia and the Tuckeroo, an 8m shade tree with roots safe near paving, handle humidity and salt together. Warm temperate coasts around Sydney and Perth get the widest choice in the country, from lilly pillies to star jasmine and citrus. On cool southern coasts the wind is cold as well as salty, so lean on the frost hardy core: westringia, Coast Banksia, olives, Snowstorm Melaleuca and fountain grass. On dry Mediterranean coasts around Adelaide and much of Western Australia, olives, rosemary and succulents such as blue chalk sticks hold their looks on very little summer water. One caution with fountain grass: it self seeds and is a declared weed in parts of Western Australia and South Australia, so choose a lomandra there instead. Planting into sand and wind Coastal soil is usually sand, which drains instantly and holds few nutrients. Dig compost through the top 30cm of the whole bed rather than just the planting hole, water in with a slow bucket soak, then mulch 75mm deep and keep the mulch off the stems. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer. Wind rock tears new roots before they grip, so stake anything over 1m for its first year, and a temporary shadecloth screen on two star pickets makes a genuine difference to frontline plantings. Hedges and screens. Westringia at 70cm apart for a 1.5m hedge, Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' or 'Cascade' at 1m, Little Gem Magnolia and Weeping Lilly Pilly at 1.5m. Groundcovers. No Mow Grass at 30cm spacings, blue chalk sticks at 40cm, 'Cousin It' casuarina at 1m, Desert Star carissa at 60cm. Trees and windbreaks. Coast Banksia at 3m apart, Tuckeroo at 4m for an avenue or windbreak. Walls and fences. Star jasmine or climbing fig at 1m spacings, remembering climbing fig will mark painted render. Care in salty conditions After a big blow, hose the foliage down with fresh water; washing the salt off before it burns is the cheapest protection there is. Feed banksias and other Australian native plants with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring, and everything else with a controlled release fertiliser in early spring and late summer. Prune wind burnt tips in early spring once the worst weather has passed, and they will cover quickly. Expect even the specialists to look tired after their first winter and hit their stride in year two. Common questions What does salt tolerant actually mean? Salt tolerant plants cope with salt on their foliage and in the soil water far better than most, but they are not indestructible. Every plant on this page establishes faster with some wind protection in its first season, even the frontline specialists. Which plants survive direct beachfront exposure? Westringia, Coast Banksia, 'Cousin It' and Desert Star carissa are the reliable core, with no mow grass and blue chalk sticks at ground level. A useful local test: look at what your council plants in the dunes and streets nearest the water, and choose from the same families. Can I grow a proper hedge near the sea? Yes. Westringia clipped from 70cm spacings makes a dense 1.5m hedge on the frontline, and behind that first line of shelter, lilly pillies planted at 1m build taller screens quickly. The full hedging and screening range filters by mature height and position. What should I plant around a coastal pool? No Mow Grass is the standout poolside groundcover, with westringia, liriope and Little Gem magnolia close behind, all tidy plants that cope with splash and reflected heat. Keep seed dropping grasses a few metres back from the waterline to spare the filter. How does delivery work? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock, including mature olive trees, is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Concrete & Stone Pots

Concrete and stone pots give a garden weight, in look if not always in kilograms. This collection spans budget friendly lightweight concrete and GRC pieces, which carry the raw mineral finish at about a third the weight of cast concrete, through to hand carved Thai limestone. A small planter costs less than a decent pot plant; hand carved stone runs into the thousands. Choose the shape and size for the plant first, then let the material decide how much lifting you are signing up for. Concrete, GRC, lightweight concrete and limestone: what the labels mean Four materials share this collection and they behave very differently. Cast concrete is the traditional article, poured solid and heavy, stable in wind and cool around roots. GRC (glass reinforced concrete) achieves the same surface with fibreglass strands through a thin concrete shell, so a pot that would weigh 90kg in cast concrete comes in nearer 30kg. Lightweight concrete pieces such as the Harper and Emmerson ranges use a similar shell construction and make up most of the collection, which is why metre wide troughs here can still be lifted by two people. Thai limestone is the exception to every weight saving: each Essence, Barrel and Stella piece is carved from a single block, priced and weighted accordingly, and effectively permanent once placed. Choosing the right size Match the pot to the nursery pot the plant is growing in. A 200mm nursery pot drops into a decorative pot around 30cm wide, a 300mm pot wants roughly 40cm, and a 400mm to 500mm pot needs 60cm or more. Going one size larger than strictly necessary buys you a year or two before repotting. If you plant directly, keep the mix line 3cm to 5cm below the rim for watering. The collection runs from small cylinders and cubes through troughs and bowls to tree planters; the biggest mineral finish pieces also appear in the extra large pots collection. Weathering, care and drainage Concrete finishes are honest about their age, and that is mostly a virtue. Expect the surface to mellow over the first year, sometimes with faint white lime bloom as free lime works out of new concrete; it rinses off with water and a soft brush. New cast concrete and GRC can raise the pH of the first few waterings, so flush a new pot through two or three times before planting anything lime sensitive. Limestone develops a soft grey patina and, in shade, a little moss, which suits it. All pieces here have or accept drainage holes. Sit pots on feet rather than flat on paving so the hole stays clear, and use a premium potting mix. If the raw grey palette is what draws you, the grey and concrete look pots gather every shade of it in one place. Common questions Is GRC as durable as cast concrete? For garden use, yes. The fibreglass reinforcement resists cracking and chipping well, and GRC copes with frost and coastal exposure. Cast concrete still wins where brute stability matters, such as a windy rooftop with a tall plant acting as a sail. Will concrete pots stain my paving? They can leave a damp ring if they sit flat. Pot feet solve it, keep drainage working and let the base dry out, which is worth doing under any material. Can concrete and stone pots stay out in frost? Yes. Concrete, GRC and limestone are among the most frost proof pot materials available, which makes them the safe choice for cold inland and southern gardens. How does delivery work for heavy pots? Standard sizes are delivered Australia wide from $29.95 with no minimum order. The largest and heaviest pieces are freighted at cost, quoted for your address. If a piece needs styling with warmth beside it, the rustic and aged pots collection pairs naturally with raw concrete.

Conifers

Conifers do the structural work other plants cannot: pencil thin verticals for formal gardens, fast evergreen hedges, clipped topiary, groundcovers and grand feature trees, all holding their shape and colour through every season. The range runs from small junipers to advanced pencil pines and Australia's own hoop and kauri pines. Most are frost hardy and, once established, genuinely drought tolerant. Choose on the job first, hedge, column, groundcover or feature, then match the mature size to your space. How to choose a conifer Match the form to the job. For formal verticals, Pencil Pine and Mediterranean Cypress make the classic Italianate columns at 8m to 10m, with Skyrocket and Spartan junipers doing the same work at half the scale. For a fast evergreen hedge, nothing in the range beats Leighton Green, which puts on up to a metre a year and clips into a solid wall from 2m to 6m; Emerald Green Arborvitae is the neat, slower alternative that holds 3m to 4m with barely any trimming. For gold tones and topiary, Golden Biota and Lemon Cypress take clipping well, while All Gold shore juniper covers dry banks at ankle height. And for feature trees with real presence, the Australian araucarias, Hoop Pine, Norfolk Island Pine and Queensland Kauri, grow into grand, long lived specimens. The clipped and columnar types are gathered in the conifers for formal gardens selection. Where conifers work in Australian gardens Cool temperate and frost prone gardens are conifer heartland: Melbourne, Canberra, the tablelands, the Adelaide Hills and Tasmania suit almost everything here, and hard frost is no threat. In the Mediterranean climates of Perth and Adelaide, cypress and junipers rank among the most drought tolerant formal plants you can buy, holding their colour through dry summers that finish softer hedges. In the humid subtropics, give conifers full sun, open air movement and sharp free draining soil, and lean on the araucarias, which are the local heroes; Norfolk Island Pine also shrugs off front line coastal salt and wind anywhere in the country. The one condition no conifer forgives is waterlogged soil, which kills more of them than any climate does. Planting and spacing Full sun and drainage are the two non negotiables. Dig each hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, water in well and mulch, keeping mulch off the trunk. For a Leighton Green hedge, plant 75cm to 1m apart and expect a clipped 3m screen in about three years. Pencil pines flanking a gate or lining a drive go 1m to 1.5m apart; groundcover junipers 80cm apart to close within two seasons. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, after which established conifers largely look after themselves on rainfall outside the driest months. Feed once in early spring with a controlled release fertiliser. Pruning: the one rule that matters Never cut back into bare brown wood. Cypress, juniper and most other conifers do not reshoot from old wood, so a hedge cut hard past its green growth stays brown in that spot permanently. The discipline is little and often: two or three light trims through the growing season, always leaving green foliage behind, with the face of a hedge kept slightly wider at the base so the bottom stays in light. Decide the final size early and never let the plant get more than about 30cm past it. Whole books have been written on hedge repair; none of them beat not needing it. Common questions How fast does Leighton Green grow? Up to a metre a year once established in good conditions, which is why it remains the quickest way to put a tall evergreen wall on a boundary. Budget two to three trims a year to keep it crisp. If that maintenance puts you off, compare slower options in the hedging and screening range. How tall do pencil pines get? Around 8m to 10m over a couple of decades, but only about 60cm to 1m wide, which is why they fit gardens their height suggests they should not. A light annual trim holds them at 4m to 6m indefinitely. Will conifers cope in Brisbane humidity? The araucarias thrive, and Leighton Green, junipers and the thujas perform in full sun with good airflow and sharp drainage. Avoid tight, shaded, damp corners, which invite foliage diseases in any humid climate. Can advanced conifers be delivered? Yes. The range includes advanced and ex ground specimens well beyond standard pot sizes. Everything is delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order; advanced and large stock is freighted at cost with specialist transport quoted. Every plant carries the 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Conifers for Formal Gardens

Formal gardens run on repetition and clean lines, and these conifers are chosen because they hold that structure with almost no help. Pencil Pine and Mediterranean Cypress give tall dark columns, Spartan and Pyramidalis Juniper make tough mid-height sentries, Emerald Green Arborvitae keeps a neat teardrop at hedge scale, and Golden Biota and Lemon Cypress add colour to pots and parterres. Choose on the height and shape you need, because the form you buy is the form you keep. All delivered Australia wide. How to choose a formal conifer Start with the silhouette. For the classic Mediterranean column, plant Pencil Pine (Cupressus sempervirens 'Nitschke's Needles') or the blue toned Mediterranean Cypress, both reaching 6m to 9m while staying around a metre wide. Spartan Juniper is the workhorse: a dense 3m to 4m column, establishing quickly from $16.95 tubestock. Emerald Green Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd') holds a neat 3m cone for cooler gardens, while Golden Biota and Lemon Cypress stay compact and bring gold and lime tones to parterres, borders and pots. Where formal conifers work in Australia All eight are full sun plants that insist on free draining soil. They are at their best in Mediterranean and dry climates around Perth, Adelaide and inland New South Wales and Victoria, where low humidity keeps foliage clean, and all are frost hardy once established. In humid subtropical gardens, lean towards the junipers, which handle sticky summers better than the true cypresses. Planting and spacing Flanking a gate or entry: a matched pair, each set at least 1m clear of paving. A solid formal screen: Spartan Juniper at 1m spacing closes into a wall of green. A colonnade or driveway rhythm: pencil pines at 2m to 3m centres, so each column reads separately. Pots: a container at least 50cm wide suits Golden Biota and Lemon Cypress for years. Care: one rule above all Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, feed with controlled release fertiliser in spring, and trim lightly in late spring, again in early autumn for razor edges. The rule that matters: never cut into bare brown wood, because conifers do not reshoot from it. Browse the full conifer range for informal shapes, or the hedging and screening collection for broader hedge options. Common questions How fast do they grow? Spartan Juniper is the quickest at 30cm to 45cm a year. The Italian cypresses manage around 30cm, and the Thuja selections a steadier 15cm to 25cm. How much clipping do they need? Less than almost any other formal planting. One light trim a year keeps them crisp, two for perfection. Why is my conifer browning? Inner foliage browning each autumn is normal shedding. Browning from the top or one side usually means waterlogged or bone dry roots, so check drainage first. Every plant here is delivered Australia wide with a 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Cordylines

Cordylines colour a garden with foliage rather than flowers, so the display runs all year. The range splits in two: broad leaved ti plants in reds, pinks, chocolates and limes for frost free gardens, and the hardier spiky leafed cabbage trees that shrug off frost, wind and coastal salt further south. Match the type to your winter first, then argue about colour. Most sit between 1m and 2m, and every one of them is happy in a pot. Ti plant or cabbage tree: the split that matters Everything on this page is a cordyline, but the two main species behave very differently. The ti plants (Cordyline fruticosa) carry the loud tropical foliage: Firestorm and Red Edge at about 1.5m, near black Negra and Caruba Black at 2m. They love warmth and humidity, take partial shade and resent frost. The cabbage trees (Cordyline australis) are the tough ones: Red Sensation and Red Star form spiky burgundy fountains to about 3.5m and stand up to frost, drought, wind and coastal salt. Between the two sit our native species. Cordyline stricta makes a narrow 3m screen for shade, and the broad leaved palm lily (Cordyline petiolaris) follows its cream flowers with showy red berry sprays that bring in the birds. Where cordylines work around the country In tropical and subtropical gardens the ti plants are foundation planting: poolside, massed along a fence, or colouring the dry shade under palms. In warm temperate and coastal gardens both camps thrive, with the cabbage trees earning their keep in exposed, salty positions where little else with colour survives. In cooler southern gardens, plant Red Sensation or Red Star outdoors with confidence and treat the ti plants as bright light indoor or patio plants that winter under cover. Deep foliage colour holds best with a few hours of gentle sun; hard afternoon sun can bleach the pinks. Planting and spacing For a massed colour block, plant ti plant varieties 60cm apart; the same spacing gives a dense narrow screen of Cordyline stricta. Space palm lilies 1m apart, and give a cabbage tree about 1.5m of clear width as a feature. Dig the hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in well, mulch 75mm deep off the stems, and water deeply twice a week through the first summer. In pots, use a premium free draining mix and a container 40cm or wider. Care is genuinely minimal Cordylines ask little once established. Peel away tired lower leaves as the stems extend, water during long dry spells, and feed once in spring. If a ti plant grows leggy, cut the cane back by half in late spring and it reshoots below the cut, usually with more than one head. Our cordyline garden guide covers styling and companions in more detail. Common questions Are cordylines frost hardy? The cabbage tree varieties are, and they handle cold snaps across southern Australia without damage. The ti plants are frost tender, and one hard frost will burn them badly. The native stricta and petiolaris sit in the middle, coping with light frost only. Are cordylines safe for dogs and cats? No. Cordyline foliage contains saponins that are toxic to cats and dogs, so none of this range carries our Pet Friendly flag. Most animals ignore them, but choose something else for a garden with a persistent chewer. Can I grow a cordyline indoors? The ti plant varieties do well inside in bright indirect light, and several in this range are sold for exactly that. Cabbage trees want full sun and belong outdoors. Browse our indoor plant range for more options that thrive under a roof. How do they arrive? Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee, and the rest of the lush look lives in our tropical plant collection.

Corymbias

Corymbias are the bloodwood and spotted gum side of the eucalypt family, and this collection holds six of the best: lemon scented gum, two spotted gums, pink bloodwood, Moreton Bay ash and the grafted flowering gum 'Beeliar Orange'. Five are true landscape trees for acreage, rural blocks and big gardens. The grafted flowering gum is the compact exception for suburban yards. Decide how much space you can honestly give the tree, then choose from there. How to choose between the six Mature size settles most of it. Lemon scented gum (Corymbia citriodora) and the two spotted gums reach 25m to 35m with smooth, sculptural trunks, far too big for a standard backyard. Moreton Bay ash (Corymbia tessellaris) sits in the same league, with a dark stocking of bark under a clean white trunk. Pink bloodwood (Corymbia intermedia) is a step smaller at 15m to 20m and flowers heavily in summer. The flowering gum 'Beeliar Orange' is the one bred for gardens: a grafted selection around 4m to 6m, covered in orange blossom that lorikeets and honeyeaters swarm through summer. Where corymbias work These are trees for space and sun: rural driveways, windbreaks, shelter belts and large native gardens. All handle drought once established, and the spotted gums cope with heavier clay better than most eucalypts. They are at home from subtropical Queensland through New South Wales, and grow well in Victoria and South Australia away from the coldest frost hollows. Young lemon scented gums need frost protection for their first two winters. Only 'Beeliar Orange' belongs near a house, and even then give it 4m clear of paving and pools. Planting and care Plant into full sun and free draining soil, in a hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper. Small trees establish fastest, and tubestock often overtakes advanced stock within three or four years. Water deeply once or twice a week for the first two summers, then leave established trees to natural rainfall. Feed only with low phosphorus native fertiliser in the first couple of springs. Give grafted flowering gums a light trim after flowering, and remove any shoot from below the graft. Common questions Can I grow a corymbia in a small garden? Only 'Beeliar Orange'. The species trees are honest 15m to 35m natives that need rural or acreage space. For more compact options, browse our Australian native trees. How fast do they grow? Fast. Expect 1m or more a year from spotted gum, lemon scented gum and Moreton Bay ash, which is why they anchor so many windbreak plantings. Do they attract wildlife? Heavily. Pink bloodwood and 'Beeliar Orange' are among the best nectar trees going, and mature spotted gums feed everything from lorikeets to gliders. All six are delivered Australia wide with our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Crepe Myrtles

Crepe myrtles earn their place with a long summer flowering season, clean autumn colour and smooth mottled bark that carries the garden through winter. The varieties here run from compact 3m shrubs suited to courtyards and large pots up to 7m avenue trees, in white, pink, red and lavender. Most are frost hardy and drought tolerant once established, and the modern hybrids shrug off the powdery mildew that plagued older types. Work out your mature height first, then choose on colour. Every variety here is delivered Australia wide. How to choose a crepe myrtle Start with mature height. It is where most people go wrong. The compact selections top out near 3m and stay about 2.5m across: Acoma, Zuni, Hopi and the dark leaved Diamonds in the Dark range suit courtyards, small front gardens and large pots. Comanche and Tonto sit in the middle at 3.5m to 4m. For a small shade tree or a driveway avenue, look to Miami, Sioux, Tuscarora, Biloxi or Kiowa, which reach 5m to 7m with a 4m spread. Colour is the easier decision, and every variety here flowers for months rather than weeks. Whites read as the most formal: the White Crepe Myrtle 'Natchez' is the tall choice at 6m, Acoma the small weeping one. Pinks run soft to deep coral through Tuscarora, Miami and Biloxi. Reds make the strongest statement: Grande Red at full tree size, the Diamonds in the Dark reds compact against near black foliage. Yuma and Lipan carry the lavenders. Why they suit Australian conditions Few flowering trees handle our summers this well. Crepe myrtles are heat tolerant, drought tolerant once established and untroubled by poor soil, and most varieties here are frost hardy, so they perform from subtropical gardens through Sydney, Perth and Adelaide down to cool temperate Victoria. Tuscarora and Slender Black also handle arid and semi arid conditions. The roots are non-invasive, which is why they are planted so freely near paving, driveways and pools. Flowering is less reliable in the humid tropics. Like all deciduous trees, they drop their leaves, and that is a feature rather than a compromise. Autumn turns the foliage orange, red and bronze before the leaves fall, letting winter sun through and revealing smooth cinnamon to mahogany bark. Planting and spacing Full sun is not negotiable: six hours minimum, eight is better. In shade you get leggy growth and half the flowers. Plant into free draining soil, water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then taper off. Space the larger varieties 3m apart for an avenue, and the compact Diamonds in the Dark types 2m apart for an informal screen. Feed once in early spring with a complete fertiliser. Heavy feeding buys leaves, not flowers. Pruning, and the mildew question Do not cut the tree back to knuckled stubs each winter. It destroys the vase shape, hides the bark and produces weak whippy growth that flops under the weight of the flowers. Prune in late winter before growth starts, because the flowers form on the current season's wood. Remove dead and crossing branches, lift the lower limbs to expose the trunks, and tip back last season's growth lightly. Our crepe myrtle care guide covers it step by step. Powdery mildew is the other regular complaint. Older straight Lagerstroemia indica forms are prone to it in humid weather. Nearly everything here is either an indica x fauriei hybrid or a modern bred selection, both chosen for mildew resistance, so in full sun with air movement you should not need to spray. Common questions How fast do they grow? Around 30cm to 50cm a year once established. Natchez, Tuscarora, Miami and Grande Red are the quickest. When do crepe myrtles flower? Summer into early autumn, roughly December to March, shifting a few weeks either way depending on how far south you garden. Can I grow one in a pot? Yes, with a compact variety and a large container. Acoma, Zuni, Hopi and the Diamonds in the Dark range all do well in a 60cm pot with good drainage and regular summer water.

Cube & Square Pots

Square pots do what round ones cannot: sit flush against walls, line up in perfect rows and hold a formal rhythm along a path or entrance. The range here covers low cubes, tall squares and tapered squares in StoneLite, GRC and terrazzo, plus budget plastic and self watering options for the practical jobs. Buy in pairs or runs rather than singles: the geometry is the point, and repetition is what makes it land. Cube, tall square or taper The proportions do different jobs. A low cube suits clipped balls, succulents and anything you want to read as grounded and solid. Tall squares, like the 300mm grey tall square planter, add height beside doors and gates without spreading into the walkway, and a pair either side of an entrance is the most reliable formal move in the book. Tapered squares soften the geometry slightly and make repotting easier, because the root ball slides out instead of jamming. For sizing, keep the opening 3cm to 5cm wider than the nursery pot you are dropping in, or 10cm wider than the root ball if planting direct. Materials and weather StoneLite and GRC are lightweight composite concretes: the crisp cast look at a weight one person can still manage, and both stand up to frost and coastal exposure in every state. The terrazzo squares carry a speckled stone finish over a fibreglass core. The charcoal plastic squares are the budget workhorses, and the large self watering version suits balconies where daily watering was never going to happen. In hot northern and inland gardens, remember that dark squares in western sun run hot, so lighter finishes are kinder to roots. Setup and care Outdoor squares need drainage holes plus feet or risers, especially on decks, and the square rubber pot risers in this collection exist for exactly that. A 40cm cube takes about 30 litres of potting mix, so fill it where it will live. Composite and terrazzo finishes wipe clean with a damp cloth; no sealing required. Common questions What goes either side of a front door? A matched pair of tall squares or tall tapered squares, sized so the pot is roughly a third the height of the finished planting. Keep both pots and both plants identical; symmetry is the whole trick. Do square pots hold more soil than round ones? Yes, roughly 20 to 25 per cent more than a round pot of the same width, which means more root room and slower drying in the same footprint. What matches these pots? The trough planters continue the straight lined look for longer runs, the terrazzo pots share the speckled finish across other shapes, and bigger formal sizes sit in the large pots and planters collection. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order.

Cylinder Pots

The cylinder is the workhorse shape of container gardening: no taper to tip over, maximum root volume for its footprint, and a clean line that suits both period and modern houses. This collection runs from $7.95 glazed indoor cache pots through Italian terracotta cylinders to StoneLite and GRC statement pieces, including clusters, half cylinders and fluted profiles for entrances. Sort by where the pot will live, indoors or out, then buy the size the plant will need in two years, not the one it fills today. How to choose a cylinder pot Decide indoor or outdoor first, because it changes everything else. Indoors, glazed ceramic cylinders like the Enna, Panna and the small cache pots are usually used as cover pots: the plant stays in its plastic nursery pot and simply sits inside. For that to work, choose a cylinder 3cm to 5cm wider than the nursery pot, so a standard 200mm indoor plant needs roughly a 230mm to 250mm opening. Outdoors, where you plant directly, go bigger again: a pot 10cm wider than the current root ball gives about two years of growing room. Then pick the profile. Straight cylinders are the neutral choice. Tapered cylinders soften the look and release the root ball more easily at repotting time. Tall cylinders add height beside a doorway without eating floor space, and the StoneLite clusters and half cylinders are designed to group, three heights reading as one arrangement. Where cylinders work around the home A pair of tall cylinders flanking a front door remains the classic move, and the fluted StoneLite versions do it with more shadow play. On balconies and rooftops, lightweight fibre cement and fibreglass cylinders keep weight down where it matters, and the same materials handle coastal salt and frost, so they suit exposed positions in every state. Terracotta cylinders bring warmth to Mediterranean style courtyards but dry out faster in hot climates because clay breathes. Indoors, a glazed cylinder with a saucer, or the wooden base ceramic pot, protects timber floors. Drainage, weight and setup Every outdoor cylinder needs a drainage hole and something to lift it off the surface: feet on paving, risers on decks. A 40cm cylinder holds around 30 litres of potting mix and a 50cm one over 50 litres, which is 30 kilograms plus before the plant goes in, so position first and fill second. For big pieces that move with the seasons, a heavy duty trolley from the saucers, stands and pot accessories range turns a two person job into a push. Common questions What size cylinder suits a 250mm nursery pot? An opening of 280mm to 300mm if you are dropping the nursery pot in, or 350mm and up if you are potting directly. When in doubt, take the nursery pot's diameter and add 3cm to 5cm. Do I need to seal or treat the pots? No. Glazed ceramic, fibreglass, StoneLite and GRC are all sealed as supplied. Raw clay is porous by design: it develops a patina rather than failing, and the terracotta range is bought for exactly that character. Can cylinders stay outside through winter? The concrete, StoneLite and fibreglass cylinders handle frost anywhere in Australia. Glazed ceramics cope in most districts but appreciate pot feet so they never sit in freezing water. How does delivery work? Cylinders are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. For bigger statement sizes from 50cm to 80cm, browse the large pots and planters collection.

Deciduous Shrubs

Deciduous shrubs trade a bare winter for the heaviest flowering in the garden. This range gathers over 50 of them: repeat flowering Knock Out and Drift roses, hydrangeas for shaded walls, buddleias that feed the butterflies, smoke bush grown for its foliage, plus blueberries and raspberries that fruit on the same leafless routine. Most flower hardest from Sydney and Perth southwards, where winter chill works in their favour, though the low chill picks handle the subtropics. Choose by the job, not the photo For months of repeat flower in full sun, the landscape roses are the workhorses: Knock Out types hold about 1.2m and flower spring to autumn with minimal fuss, Iceberg makes a 1.5m flowering hedge, and the Drift series stays at 40cm as a flowering groundcover. The wider rose range carries the rest. For shaded and south facing beds, hydrangeas are the answer, from 1.2m mophead types to the reliable Annabelle. Buddleia and gaura pull in butterflies and bees, purple smoke bush earns its place on foliage alone, and the shrub form crepe myrtles such as Zuni at 3m add summer flower plus autumn colour. Blueberries and Heritage raspberries do the same leafless winter routine and hand you fruit for it. Where deciduous shrubs perform Cool and temperate gardens get the best of this range. Winter chill deepens autumn colour and ripens flowering wood, and frost is no threat to a dormant, leafless shrub, which is why nearly all of these carry our Frost Hardy flag. In subtropical gardens, choose with more care: crepe myrtles, Knock Out roses and gaura handle heat well, hydrangeas want morning sun and afternoon shade, and blueberries should be low chill types such as Gulf Coast. Buddleia can self seed in mild climates, so deadhead it and check local weed listings. Planting and spacing Winter is the ideal planting window, while the plants are dormant and transplant stress is lowest. Dig each hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in well and mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch off the stems. Space Knock Out and Iceberg roses 1m apart for a hedge, Drift roses 60cm, gaura 50cm, mophead hydrangeas 80cm and Annabelle 1m. May bush and Japanese quince make informal hedges at 1m spacing, blueberries a productive edible hedge at 1m in acidic soil, and Heritage raspberries go 60cm apart in rows with support for the canes. Pruning is the one job that matters Almost everything here is pruned once, in late winter. Cut buddleia back hard, shorten roses by about a third above outward facing buds, and thin smoke bush to shape. Hydrangeas are the exception worth learning: mophead types flower on last season's wood, so limit yourself to spent heads and the oldest canes, while Annabelle flowers on new growth and takes a harder cut. Our guide to hydrangea colour and growth explains the difference properly. Common questions Will deciduous shrubs look bare in winter? Yes, for a couple of months, and it is an honest trade for denser flowering and easy pruning access. Mix them among evergreens rather than using them as your only structure and the bare season reads as texture, not absence. Which of these are safe for pets? The roses, gaura, blueberries, Heritage raspberry and the Zuni crepe myrtle all carry our Pet Friendly flag. Hydrangeas do not: leaves, buds and flowers are toxic to cats and dogs, so site them away from a chewing puppy. When should I plant? Winter and early spring are ideal, because the shrub wakes up already rooted into your soil. Potted stock can go in during any month if you keep water up through the first summer. What arrives if I order in winter? A healthy dormant or semi dormant plant with strong roots, which is exactly what you want. Delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95, no minimum order and our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. For the same seasonal logic at tree scale, see our deciduous trees.

Deciduous Trees

A deciduous tree gives you shade in summer, sun in winter and a season of autumn colour in between. This is the full range, over 240 trees, and it reaches well beyond the cool climate classics: alongside Japanese maples, ornamental pears and liquidambars sit jacarandas, poincianas and flame trees that drop their leaves in the warm north. Start with mature size and root behaviour, not the flower photo, and the tree will still fit in twenty years. Size and roots decide more than flowers do Match the tree to the block first. In a courtyard or small front garden, stay under 6m: Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) sit near 5m after fifteen years, Forest Pansy redbud at 5m, weeping cherries at 3.5m, and the crepe myrtles run from 3m shrubs to the 6m Natchez. For a genuine shade tree or avenue there are jacarandas at 12m, liquidambars at 15m and Cleveland Select, a narrow ornamental pear at 9m tall and about 4m wide. Roots are the honest second question. Crepe myrtles, Japanese maples, Forest Pansy and Cleveland Select are non invasive and safe near paving. Liquidambar, jacaranda and poinciana all run vigorous surface roots, so give them lawn rather than paths, and keep river birch away from drains. The Queensland bottle tree is the surprise, with a deep taproot and no spreading roots. Deciduous trees are not just for cold climates In the tropics and subtropics, the deciduous habit turns showman. Royal poinciana spreads a red flowering canopy as wide as the tree is tall, the Illawarra flame tree drops its leaves before flowering scarlet on bare wood, and pink trumpet tree is briefly deciduous before its mass display. Jacarandas thrive from the tropics to warm temperate gardens with only light frost. In cooler southern gardens the classics take over: maples, weeping cherries, ornamental pears, liquidambar and river birch are all fully frost hardy, and autumn colour deepens further south. Our guide to evergreen versus deciduous trees covers the trade-off properly. Planting and spacing Winter is the best time to plant, while the trees are dormant. Dig the hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in hard and mulch 75mm deep, clear of the trunk. Stake tall stock for the first year. For an avenue, space Cleveland Select 3m apart and larger crepe myrtles 3m to 4m; river birch makes a screen or grove at 4m centres. Water deeply twice a week through the first two summers, then most of this range needs only a soak in long dry spells. Care through the seasons Feed once in early spring, rake leaves straight under the tree as mulch, and prune in winter when the structure is visible: remove dead, crossing and inward growth, and never top. Japanese maples want shelter from hot afternoon sun and drying wind. Crepe myrtles should never be cut back to stubs; light tip pruning keeps the vase shape and the bark display. Common questions How long do deciduous trees stay bare? Roughly eight to twelve weeks in the south, less in warm climates, where some barely pause. The bare season lets winter sun reach the house, which is why you plant one on the northern side. Which trees are safe near paving and pools? Crepe myrtles, Japanese maples, Forest Pansy, Cleveland Select and the Queensland bottle tree all carry non invasive roots. Keep liquidambar, jacaranda and poinciana at least a canopy width away from paving, pipes and pools. Will a jacaranda grow in Melbourne? Established trees handle light frost, so warm suburbs usually succeed, though young trees need frost protection for their first winters and flowering is lighter than in Sydney. In cold districts an ornamental pear or maple is the safer avenue tree. How does delivery work for advanced trees? Everything is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every tree carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. For the same winter logic at shrub height, see our deciduous shrubs.

Deciduous Trees & Plants

Deciduous plants give a garden a calendar: fresh spring growth, summer flowers, autumn colour, then bare branches that let the winter sun through. This collection holds all of them, crepe myrtles, jacarandas, Japanese maples, magnolias, hydrangeas, roses, wisteria, and fruiting figs, blueberries and pomegranates. Losing leaves is the feature, not the flaw. Choose by mature size and climate first, and remember that almost everything here establishes best when planted dormant in winter. Why plant deciduous A deciduous tree is a seasonal machine. In summer it throws dense shade exactly when you want it; in winter it drops its canopy and hands the sun back to your windows, lawn and solar panels. In between come the bonuses evergreens cannot offer: flowers on bare wood, autumn foliage in orange, red and claret, and the sculptural branch structure that carries the garden through July. That yearly rhythm is why the classic street trees of Australia, jacarandas, crepe myrtles and liquidambars among them, are nearly all deciduous. How to choose from this collection The range covers far more than trees, so start with the layer you are filling. For feature and shade trees, the crepe myrtle range runs from 3m courtyard forms to 7m avenue trees, with jacaranda, Illawarra flame tree and saucer magnolia for larger blocks and Japanese maples for cooler gardens. For the shrub layer there are hydrangeas for shaded beds and roses for full sun. Wisteria and Boston ivy cover pergolas and walls. And the edible end is strong: figs, pomegranates, blueberries and other fruiting plants that crop hard precisely because they rest each winter. Climate: chill hours and warm climate exceptions Cool temperate gardens, including Melbourne, the ranges, Canberra and Tasmania, get the best autumn colour. Japanese maples, river birch and liquidambar all colour hardest where autumn nights are cold. Warm temperate gardens suit nearly everything here. Crepe myrtles are the standout, flowering for months in summer heat and still colouring in autumn. Subtropical and tropical gardens have their own deciduous set: poinciana, frangipani and pink trumpet tree drop leaves in the dry season rather than the cold, and hold their rhythm even in Brisbane and Darwin. True cold climate plants like maples struggle north of the border. Mediterranean and inland gardens do well with pomegranates, figs, crepe myrtles and roses, all of which shrug off hot dry summers. Planting, pruning and the winter advantage Winter is the deciduous planting season. A dormant plant moves with almost no transplant shock, so a tree planted leafless in June is fully at home before its first summer. Dig the hole twice the width of the rootball and no deeper, water in well even if the plant looks asleep, and mulch 75mm deep with mulch kept off the trunk. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer. Prune in late winter for plants that flower on new wood, such as crepe myrtles and roses, but wait until straight after flowering for spring performers like wisteria and saucer magnolia, or you will cut off next year's show. The crepe myrtle care guide walks through the pruning method that keeps trees shapely rather than stubbed. Common questions Will my plant arrive looking dead in winter? If you order between roughly May and September, quite possibly, and it is nothing to worry about. A dormant deciduous plant is bare sticks with healthy roots. Scratch the bark lightly and you will find green underneath. It will leaf out on schedule in spring. How much mess do the leaves make? An honest fortnight or two of raking each autumn for a mature tree, less for shrubs. Drop is concentrated and predictable rather than constant, unlike many evergreens that shed year round. Keep large deciduous trees away from gutters and pool skimmers, or choose a compact form. Can I grow deciduous plants in pots? Yes, and some prefer it. Japanese maples, dwarf crepe myrtles, figs and blueberries all perform in a 50cm to 60cm pot with premium mix and reliable summer water. Repot or root prune every three to four years in winter. Do I lose all privacy in winter? From these plants, yes, which is why they are best used as features rather than boundary screens. If year round screening is the goal, pair them with an evergreen hedge and let the deciduous tree do the seasonal work in front of it. How does delivery work? The whole collection is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large trees are freighted at cost, and every plant carries the 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Driveway Trees

A tree lined driveway sets up the whole property, and this range is filtered for exactly that job: over 350 trees suited to driveways and avenues, from strict columns like pencil pine and upright olives to flowering crepe myrtles and native shade trees. The right driveway trees come down to three checks: how the roots behave beside concrete, how wide the canopy sits at maturity, and whether you want evergreen structure or seasonal colour. The buying guide below the grid covers all three. Roots first, then width The non-negotiable beside concrete is root behaviour. A driveway is a long slab with garden down one side, and an aggressive root system finds the joins within a decade. Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) is the honest example: unbeatable in November, but its vigorous surface roots lift paving, so it belongs in the lawn, not beside the drive. Choose trees flagged for non-invasive roots instead. Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis anacardioides) makes an 8m coastal shade tree with roots safe near paving and pipes, Little Gem Magnolia holds a tidy 5m by 2.5m column, and the taller crepe myrtles reach 5m to 7m with no root drama. Our non-invasive root trees collection gathers every safe option in one place. Then check mature width. Half the canopy will hang over the drive, which is welcome shade in summer, but the trunk still needs to sit at least 1m off the edge, and 2m or more for trees finishing above 8m. Matching driveway trees to climate and style For formal lines, the narrow evergreens do the work: Pencil Pine at 5m tall and only 1m wide, Spartan Juniper at 5m by 1.2m, and Tolleys Upright, a columnar selection from our olive tree range at 4m by 1.5m. All three are frost hardy and drought tolerant once established, so they perform from Perth and Adelaide through to Canberra. For a flowering avenue, crepe myrtles carry months of summer colour, autumn foliage and smooth mottled bark across subtropical through cool temperate gardens; the White Crepe Myrtle 'Natchez' is the tall one at 6m. In tropical and subtropical gardens the natives lead: tuckeroo where salt and wind are the problem, or Luscious Water Gum (Tristaniopsis laurina 'Luscious') at 6m to 8m with a dense glossy canopy and well behaved roots. Spacing an avenue: the numbers Large shade trees, 4m to 5m apart. Tuckeroo at 4m centres. Brisbane Box wants 5m, but it reaches 12m and suits a long rural entrance. Mid sized flowering trees, 3m apart. The taller crepe myrtles and Luscious Water Gum close into a continuous canopy. Formal columns, 1m to 3m apart. Pencil Pine and Spartan Juniper read as a solid rib at 1m centres, or as spaced sentries at 2m to 3m. Establishing trees beside concrete Concrete radiates heat and sheds water away from the root zone, so a young tree beside a drive dries out faster than the same tree in open lawn. Water deeply twice a week through the first two summers, mulch 75mm deep to the drip line, and keep the mulch off the trunk. Feed with a controlled release fertiliser in early spring. As the tree grows, remove the lowest branches over two or three seasons until vehicles have about 2.5m of clearance. Common questions Which trees will not crack a concrete driveway? Trees carrying our Non-Invasive Roots flag: tuckeroo, Little Gem Magnolia, crepe myrtles and Luscious Water Gum are all considered safe planted 1m off the slab. No tree is risk free hard against concrete, so give even the safe ones that metre. Evergreen or deciduous beside a driveway? Evergreen magnolias, olives and conifers hold their look year round and drop little. Deciduous crepe myrtles give flowers, autumn colour and winter sun through bare branches, but expect a few weeks of leaf drop on the drive each autumn. Can large driveway trees be delivered? Yes. Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every tree carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Drought Tolerant Plants

Drought tolerant does not mean no water ever; it means that once established, usually after a first summer of deep watering, these drought tolerant plants ride out dry spells that would kill thirstier choices. The collection holds over 500 of them, from silver groundcovers and native tussocks to olives, bottlebrush and avenue cypress. The real decisions are drainage, frost and the look you are after: Mediterranean, native or succulent. The guide below the grid helps you choose and space them. What drought tolerant actually means Every plant here carries our Drought Tolerant flag, which means it holds its looks through a dry summer once the roots are down, not that you can plant it and walk away. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then taper off. The quieter requirement is drainage. Most waterwise plants come from sandy or rocky country, and far more are killed by wet winter feet than dry weather. On heavy clay, mound beds 200mm to 300mm high before planting. Choosing drought tolerant plants for your climate and style For the Mediterranean look that suits Perth, Adelaide and inland gardens, build around olives, cypress and herbs. The Kalamata Olive reaches 6m unpruned but holds happily at 3m to 4m with one annual prune, and our olive tree range runs from compact fruiters to narrow columns. Mediterranean Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens 'Glauca') makes a 10m blue grey column. French Lavender (Lavandula dentata) flowers most of the year in mild climates, though it only takes light frost, while Tuscan Blue Rosemary is fully frost hardy. The native route is just as waterwise and better for wildlife. Coastal Rosemary 'Jervis Gem' makes a 90cm dome, Lomandra 'Lime Tuff' a fine leaved 50cm tussock, and Kings Park Special Bottlebrush a fast 4m screen with red brushes the birds work over. The Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea glauca) is the slow sculptural one, adding only a centimetre or two of trunk a year. Our Australian native range holds hundreds more. In frost free coastal and inland gardens, succulents and cacti like Blue Chalk Sticks give colour on almost no water. Spacing for cover without crowding Groundcovers. Blue Chalk Sticks at 40cm centres for a dense blue carpet; No Mow Grass at 30cm for quick lawn coverage. Borders and low hedges. French Lavender and Tuscan Blue Rosemary at 60cm apart, 'Jervis Gem' and 'Lime Tuff' at 50cm. Screens and trees. Kings Park Special at 1.5m for a dense screen, Kalamata olives at 3m for a grove, Mediterranean Cypress at 1.5m for a formal line. Care in the first two summers Deep, infrequent water beats a daily sprinkle, because it pushes roots down where the moisture lasts. Mulch 75mm deep with gravel for succulents and Mediterranean plants, or coarse organic mulch for natives, and keep it clear of stems. Feed lightly in spring, using a low phosphorus native fertiliser for banksias and other natives. Trim lavender, rosemary and westringia straight after flowering so they stay dense rather than woody. Common questions Do drought tolerant plants still need watering? Yes, while they establish. Give deep soakings through the first summer, then most manage on rainfall in all but the harshest spells. Anything in a pot is the exception and always needs regular water. Which plants handle frost as well as drought? Olives, rosemary, westringia, lomandras and grass trees are all frost hardy, so they suit Canberra, the Adelaide Hills and inland gardens. French Lavender and Blue Chalk Sticks take light frost only, so give them a warm wall in cold districts. Can drought tolerant plants grow in pots? Most of the smaller ones thrive in pots, provided the mix drains sharply and the pot has open holes. A pot dries out far faster than garden soil, so even tough plants need summer water once or twice a week. How do larger trees arrive? Everything is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Edible Plants and Bush Tucker

You do not need an orchard to grow food. These edible plants and bush tucker natives, over 190 of them, are chosen to hold their own in an ornamental garden: citrus and olives that double as feature trees, blueberry and pomegranate hedges, herbs for clipped borders, and Australian natives with genuine food history, from riberries to lemon myrtle. The choice comes down to space, climate and how long you are prepared to wait for the first harvest. How to choose food plants that earn their space Start with the room you can give the roots. A Eureka Lemon in the ground wants 4m by 3m, while the same variety on dwarf rootstock stays nearer 2m and lives happily in a large pot. A Black Mulberry spreads 7m by 6m with vigorous surface roots and staining fruit, so it belongs on a lawn well away from paving and the pool, where a blueberry at 1.5m fits a balcony trough. Between those extremes, most of the citrus tree range, plus figs, pomegranates and olives, suits an ordinary suburban backyard. Then look for double duty, because the best edible gardens hide in plain sight. A pomegranate planted at 1.5m spacings makes an informal flowering hedge that also fruits. Gulf Coast blueberries at 1m centres build a productive low hedge, bay laurel clips into formal shapes at 1m apart, Tuscan Blue rosemary edges a path at 60cm, and a Kalamata olive at full size is as handsome as any feature tree. Patience is the last filter: citrus and blueberries usually offer fruit within a season or two, while olives, figs and avocados are trees you plant for the years ahead. Bush tucker worth growing The Australian natives here are not novelty plantings. Lilly pillies such as 'Resilience' and the riberry (Syzygium luehmannii) produce tart berries traditionally used for jams and cordials while doubling as dense screens planted 1m to 1.5m apart. Lemon Scented Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) gives leaves for tea and cooking on a handsome 6m tree. Native Gardenia carries perfumed white flowers and edible yellow fruit in frost free gardens, Red Back Ginger offers edible blue berries in shade at 1m spacings, and native violet spreads an edible flowered groundcover under it all. A bush tucker bed is one of the easiest ways to grow food in poor sandy soil, because these species evolved for exactly that. Where edible plants thrive across Australia In tropical and subtropical gardens, mangoes, monstera, Native Gardenia and citrus all crop generously, and low chill blueberries such as 'Gulf Coast' and 'Vitality' were bred for precisely those mild winters. Warm temperate gardens around Sydney, Perth and Adelaide are the citrus heartland, and everything in this collection is on the table there. In cool temperate gardens, pomegranates, mulberries, figs, bay and blueberries shrug off frost, olives crop well, and the Meyer lemon is the hardiest citrus for a north facing wall. In dry inland and Mediterranean climates, olives, pomegranates and figs are outstanding, fruiting on modest water once established. Frost tender choices like mango and monstera stay north or live in pots you can shelter. Planting, feeding and picking positions Nearly everything edible wants six hours of direct sun and free draining soil. Plant into a hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in well, and mulch 75mm deep with the mulch kept off the trunk. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, and remember pots dry out roughly twice as fast as beds. Feeding is where edibles differ from ornamentals: citrus are hungry and want a dedicated citrus food three times a year, while blueberries need acidic soil, so grow them in azalea and camellia mix if your soil is alkaline. Olives sit at the other end of the scale and crop best kept slightly lean, spaced 3m apart for a grove or screen. Our lemon tree care guide walks through the citrus year in detail. Common questions Is everything in this collection safe to eat? Edible refers to a specific part of the plant, prepared the right way, and the rest may not be safe. Monstera fruit is only edible fully ripe, and several edible plants here, including citrus, bay and lemon myrtle, carry oils that are toxic to cats and dogs. Check the product page before planting where pets graze. Which fruiting plants suit pots and balconies? Dwarf citrus around 2m, blueberries, chillies, rosemary and a clipped bay cover most of it. A 40cm pot with quality mix, six hours of sun and slightly more frequent feeding than the label suggests will produce genuine harvests from a few square metres. Do I need two trees to get fruit? Mostly no. Citrus, figs such as 'Celeste' and most olives sold here are self fertile, so one tree crops on its own. Blueberries set fruit alone but crop noticeably heavier with a second variety nearby, which is the easiest upgrade in the edible garden. What are lilly pilly berries actually like? Crisp, tart and closer to a spiced cranberry than a supermarket fruit. Riberries from Syzygium luehmannii are the pick for flavour and turn into excellent jam. Birds agree, so net a branch if you want your share. How does delivery work? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced stock, including the mature trees in our fruit tree collection, is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Egg & Round Pots

Egg pots, ball planters, tubs and drums: this is the collection of soft curves, 98 designs that loosen up the hard edges of decks, courtyards and modern builds. The shapes run from a $7.95 Italian terracotta pot to metre wide statement eggs, in terracotta, aged and glazed ceramic, concrete and terrazzo. One caution before you choose: on a true egg form the opening is smaller than the belly, and that changes what you can plant. The guide below explains. Measure the mouth, not the belly Round pots are sold on their widest point, but the opening is what decides what fits. A 50cm egg pot commonly has a 32 to 38cm mouth, so it takes a 250mm or 300mm nursery pot, not the 400mm the headline number suggests. Check the opening measurement on the listing, and allow a few centimetres of clearance for your hands. The shape has a second consequence. A plant grown for years in a true egg form builds a root ball wider than the opening, which means it cannot come out intact at repotting time. Either keep the plant in its nursery pot and drop it in, hiding the rim with pebbles or bark, or plant directly and accept that the eventual repot involves cutting the root ball down. The drop in method is the smart default for anything vigorous. Straight sided drums, tubs and bowls carry none of this baggage. Where curves earn their place Modern landscaping is a grid of straight lines: fence, deck, rendered wall, paving joints. A curved pot is the punctuation that stops the geometry feeling like a car park. Round forms work best in odd numbered clusters of three or five with the sizes staggered, a large egg at the back, medium and small stepping down in front. Hold one element constant across the group, the material or the colour, and let the sizes vary. Low bowls and tubs also make natural centrepieces for outdoor tables. Materials and weathering The choice runs the full spread of the pots and planters range. Terracotta eggs, including the Terracotta Egg Shaped Pot from $28.95, weather to a pale patina and breathe through their walls. Aged ceramic and stone art finishes give the weathered look from day one. Glazed ceramic holds deep colour and handles frost, terrazzo and lightweight concrete read contemporary and keep the weight manageable at large sizes. All of them live outdoors year round; see the outdoor pot collection for the full weather ready selection. Planting and care basics The rules are the same as any container, with one addition. Use a premium potting mix, keep the drainage hole clear by standing the pot on feet, and skip the gravel layer in the base. The addition: because the belly holds a larger reserve of mix than the opening suggests, egg pots dry out slower than straight pots of the same mouth size. Check moisture with a finger before watering rather than watering on schedule, especially in winter. Common questions Do round pots blow over in wind? Less than most shapes. The weight sits low and the base is wide relative to the height, which is why ball and egg forms are a safer choice for exposed decks and rooftops than tall narrow planters. What size should I buy for a cluster? For a group of three, a spread of sizes about a third apart works: for example 60cm, 40cm and 30cm at the widest point. Identical twins side by side read as leftovers; deliberate size steps read as design. Can I plant a tree in an egg pot? Plant trees and large shrubs in drums, tubs or open bowls instead, or in the wide mouthed egg shapes from the large pot range. A tree in a narrow mouthed egg cannot be repotted intact, and vigorous roots can eventually stress the shoulder of the pot. How are they delivered? Delivered Australia wide, boxed and padded, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Curved forms are packed with extra padding around the shoulder.

Evergreen Shrubs

Evergreen shrubs are the working backbone of a garden: they hold their foliage through winter, hide fences, fill borders and give the showier seasonal plants something to stand against. This is the full range, close to 600 varieties from lilly pillies, viburnums and murrayas to grevilleas, camellias and coastal rosemary. Narrow it down by the mature size you need, the sun the spot actually gets, and how often you are willing to prune. How to choose an evergreen shrub Three questions sort this entire collection. First, mature size: check the height and width on each listing and match it to the job, because a shrub that wants to be 3m will never be happy clipped at 1m, and the fight will cost you two prunes a year for the life of the plant. Second, growth rate: fast growers give quick cover but need trimming two to four times a year, while slower varieties hold a tidy shape with a single annual prune. Third, position: most hedging and border shrubs want at least half a day of sun, though there are dependable choices for shaded beds too. The main groups in the range The hedging staples are here in depth: lilly pillies led by Lilly Pilly Resilience, sweet viburnum, murraya, photinia and box, the plants that build most Australian green walls. The native contingent is even larger, with more than fifty grevilleas plus bottlebrush, banksia, tea tree, westringia and correa bringing flowers, toughness and honeyeaters. Then come the classic flowering exotics: camellias, gardenias, azaleas, abelia, Indian hawthorn, lavender and hibiscus, along with foliage colour from nandina and loropetalum. Whatever the style of the garden, its backbone is somewhere in these three groups. Where evergreen shrubs work across Australia Tropical and subtropical gardens. Murraya, gardenia, hibiscus, ixora and the lilly pillies power through heat and humidity. Choose psyllid resistant lilly pilly selections in humid areas. Warm temperate and coastal gardens. The widest choice in the country. On the coast itself, lean on westringia, banksia, Indian hawthorn and other salt tolerant natives for the front line. Cool temperate and frost prone gardens. Camellia, azalea, box, viburnum, photinia and lavender all take frost in their stride. Murraya and ixora do not. Dry inland gardens. Westringia, grevillea, lavender and rosemary hold their looks on a fraction of the water a lilly pilly needs. Spacing and planting numbers For hedges, space plants that finish at 3m or more, like lilly pilly, sweet viburnum and murraya, about 1m apart. Shrubs finishing near 1m to 1.5m, such as westringia and compact Indian hawthorn, go in at 50cm to 70cm, and formal box edging at 30cm to 40cm. Planting tighter than this does not buy a faster hedge, it buys root competition and thin bases by year three. For feature and border planting, set each shrub half its mature width from paths and fences. Water new shrubs deeply twice a week for the first eight to ten weeks, mulch 50mm to 75mm keeping mulch clear of stems, and tip prune young plants early and often to build density from the base. Care basics for the category Feed hedges and flowering shrubs in early spring and again in late summer. Natives are the one exception that matters: grevilleas and banksias want a low phosphorus native fertiliser, not the general purpose feed you give the viburnums. Prune flowering shrubs straight after their flush so you never remove the coming season's buds; foliage hedges can be clipped whenever they look shaggy. Camellias, azaleas and gardenias prefer slightly acidic soil, so feed them with a camellia and azalea blend and mulch well. Common questions What is the best evergreen shrub for shade? For genuine part shade, camellias are the standout, flowering through autumn and winter where little else will, with azaleas and gardenias close behind in morning sun positions. Our camellia collection covers both sasanqua and japonica types. Deep, full shade under dense trees is a harder brief, and groundcovers usually beat shrubs there. Which evergreen shrubs need the least work? The ones that stop near the size you need. Westringia holds 1m to 1.5m with one clip a year, Indian hawthorn barely needs that, and slower compact lilly pilly selections keep a 2m hedge tidy on two light trims. High maintenance is almost always a size mismatch, not a difficult plant. What should I plant for a fast screen? Lilly pilly, sweet viburnum and murraya close a 2m to 3m screen within two to three seasons planted at 1m spacings. The full hedging and screening range lets you filter by height and growth rate, and the lilly pilly care guide covers establishment and pruning timing. Are native shrubs better than exotics? Not automatically, but our grevilleas and their fellow natives flower for months, feed the birds and survive on less water once established. The honest trade off is that many natives resent heavy pruning, so give them room to be themselves rather than clipping them into boxes. How does delivery work for a big border order? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries the 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Evergreen Trees

An evergreen tree holds its foliage all year, which means privacy that never takes winter off, permanent shade and a garden with structure in July. This collection brings together more than 260 of them, weighted towards Australian natives: eucalypts, wattles, bottlebrushes, lilly pillies and figs, alongside evergreen magnolias and coastal hardy pohutukawa. Sizes run from affordable tubestock to advanced ex ground trees several metres tall. Choose by mature height first, then by how fast you need the result. How to choose an evergreen tree Mature height is the decision that cannot be undone, so make it first. For small gardens and spaces near the house, Little Gem Magnolia at 4m to 6m, Luscious Water Gum and the compact bottlebrushes give year round foliage without ever threatening the roofline. In the 6m to 10m band sit the great all rounders: Tuckeroo, Weeping Lilly Pilly, Ivory Curl Tree and lemon scented myrtle. Above that, Brisbane Box, hoop pine, Moreton Bay fig and the larger eucalypts are genuine landscape trees for acreage, parks and wide verges. Then decide on purpose: a row of Weeping Lilly Pilly for screening, a single Golden Penda or wattle as a flowering feature, or a broad canopied fig for shade you can sit under. Evergreen or deciduous Evergreen wins wherever the tree is doing a job that cannot stop: screening a neighbour, hiding a shed, softening a fence. The trade off is winter shade. A deciduous tree on the north side of a house lets winter sun through, so many gardens do best with both, evergreens on the boundary and a deciduous feature near living areas. If you are weighing it up, our guide to evergreen versus deciduous trees in Australia works through the decision room by room, and the deciduous tree collection holds the other half of the argument. Where these trees work in Australia The native backbone of this collection is the reason it travels so well. Tuckeroo, Brisbane Box, water gum and the paperbarks handle coastal wind and sandy soil from Queensland around to Perth. Pohutukawa (Metrosideros) is the front line seaside choice, shrugging off direct salt spray. For frost prone inland and southern gardens, evergreen magnolias, water gum, hoop pine and most eucalypts and wattles are reliable, while the tropical figs and Golden Penda are best from Sydney north. Every product page lists a climate match, so check it against your region before you buy. Roots, boundaries and common sense Evergreen does not mean invasive, but a few of the giants here earn respect. The large figs (Moreton Bay, Hills Weeping, small leaved) belong on acreage, a minimum of 10m from structures, pools and pipes. For planting near paving, driveways and services, Tuckeroo, water gum, lilly pillies and Little Gem Magnolia are the well behaved choices. As a rule of thumb, plant any tree at least as far from the house as half its mature canopy width. Planting and establishment Dig the hole twice the width of the rootball and no deeper, so the trunk flare sits at ground level. Backfill, water in with 20L to 40L, then mulch 75mm deep keeping mulch off the trunk. Water deeply twice a week for the first summer, weekly for the second. Stake advanced trees loosely for the first 12 months only, with two stakes and soft ties, so the trunk can flex and thicken. Feed with a controlled release native safe fertiliser each spring. Most evergreens here put on 50cm to a metre a year once established, and the fast natives considerably more. Common questions Do evergreen trees drop any leaves? Yes, all trees shed. Evergreens drop a portion of old foliage year round, heaviest in spring as new growth pushes through, rather than all at once in autumn. Expect some raking, just never a bare tree. What is the fastest evergreen tree for privacy? Among trees, Weeping Lilly Pilly and Brisbane Box are quick, at up to a metre a year with water and feeding. Plant screening rows at 2m to 3m spacings. If speed matters more than tree form, hedging shrubs and bamboo close a gap sooner. Which evergreen trees suit a small garden? Little Gem Magnolia, Luscious Water Gum, Ivory Curl Tree and the dwarf bottlebrushes all stay under about 6m and have compact, non invasive roots. Our small trees for urban gardens collection gathers every option under one roof. Can I buy a mature evergreen tree rather than wait? Yes. Much of this collection is available as advanced container stock from 45L to 400L, and selected varieties as ex ground trees at several metres tall. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and everything is delivered Australia wide with our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Evergreen Trees & Plants

Evergreen plants hold their foliage through winter, and they are the bones of nearly every Australian garden: the hedge, the shade tree, the border that never goes bare. This range collects over 1,700 evergreen trees and plants, from clipped box and columnar conifers to lilly pilly screens, magnolias, groundcovers and climbers. The choice is less about evergreen versus not and more about the job: screening, structure, cover or a pot by the door. The guide below the grid narrows it quickly. Start with the job, not the label A range this size only makes sense if you arrive with a job in mind. Privacy points you to the lilly pillies and conifers, formal structure to box and magnolia, holding a bank to the groundcovers, perfume by a doorway to star jasmine or mock orange. Decide the task first, then use the filters for height, climate and position to cut the grid to a shortlist. The trade-off hiding inside every evergreen choice is growth rate against maintenance. Mock Orange (Murraya paniculata) races to a 3m perfumed hedge in warm climates but asks for two or three trims a year to stay crisp. Japanese Box creeps by comparison, yet holds a formal edge on a single annual clip. Where evergreen trees and plants earn their keep For screening, Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' reaches about 5m untrimmed, sits comfortably at 2m to 3m as a clipped hedge and resists the psyllid that disfigures older varieties. In a tight side passage, 'Straight and Narrow' holds close to 1m wide without pruning. Both suit tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens but take light frost only; the full hedging and screening range includes hardier choices. In cooler southern gardens, build on the frost hardy backbone: Japanese Box, Star Jasmine, Liriope 'Evergreen Giant' and the southern magnolias, with 'Teddy Bear' making a dense 4m column with well behaved roots. In frost free northern gardens the Evergreen Frangipani (Plumeria pudica) flowers almost year round. Planting and spacing Screens and hedges. 'Resilience' at 1m apart, 'Straight and Narrow' at 60cm to 80cm, 'Teddy Bear' magnolia at 1.5m. Formal edges. Japanese Box at 30cm to 40cm for a low border. Groundcovers and borders. Liriope 'Evergreen Giant' at 40cm centres, Native Violet at 300mm in moist shade. Dig each hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in heavily, then mulch 75mm deep and keep it off the stems. Keeping evergreens dense Evergreen does not mean unchanging. Every evergreen sheds its oldest leaves in a steady trickle, so expect some litter, just never a bare plant. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, feed with controlled release fertiliser in early spring, and trim hedges lightly from the first year so they thicken at the base instead of towering thin. Our lilly pilly care guide covers hedge pruning timing in detail. Common questions Do evergreen plants ever drop their leaves? Yes, a few at a time all year rather than all at once in autumn. A thin scatter of yellowing older leaves is normal; a sudden heavy drop usually means waterlogging or drought stress. What is the fastest evergreen screen? Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' planted 1m apart closes into a solid wall within two to three seasons. Mock Orange is nearly as quick in warm climates and adds fragrance, though it needs more trimming. Which evergreens handle frost? Japanese Box, Star Jasmine, Liriope 'Evergreen Giant' and the grandiflora magnolias are all frost hardy, so they suit Canberra, Melbourne and the hills. Lilly pillies tolerate light frost only and prefer the warmer half of the country. Should I plant evergreen or deciduous? Evergreen wherever privacy or year round structure matters. If you want summer shade, winter sun and autumn colour, a deciduous tree in the right spot does what no evergreen can. Most good gardens use both.

Ex Ground Trees

These are field grown trees measured in metres and tonnes, not pot sizes. Every tree here has spent years in the ground at the farm, root pruned and prepared for lifting, so it arrives with the trunk calibre and full canopy a container tree takes a decade to build. The range runs from flowering avenue trees like jacaranda and poinciana to natives such as ivory curl and golden penda. Specialist freight is quoted for every order. What ex ground trees actually are An ex ground tree is grown in open farm soil rather than a container, root pruned over successive seasons to build a compact, fibrous rootball, then lifted for sale. The result is a tree of 4m to 12m with real trunk calibre, ready to give shade and structure in its first summer. This is how avenue plantings, resorts and premium residential projects get an established landscape on day one instead of year ten. How to choose Start with climate, because at this price a mismatch is expensive. For subtropical and tropical projects, jacaranda, poinciana, Tabebuia trumpet trees, golden penda and frangipani are the proven avenue and feature choices. In warm temperate gardens, water gum, weeping lilly pilly, native frangipani and ivory curl tree all perform. For cool temperate and frost prone sites, look to the deciduous options here, ornamental pear and liquidambar, which also carry the strongest autumn colour in the range. Then choose on role. Screening runs suit weeping lilly pilly 'Warners Select' and 'Green Avenue'. Flowering feature trees include the Michelia magnolias, Bauhinia and Cassia. The boab is a sculptural one off for a project that wants a centrepiece nothing else can provide. Container grown alternatives at everyday prices are in our flowering trees and deciduous trees collections. Site access and delivery These trees travel on trucks and are placed by crane or large excavator, so access decides feasibility before budget does. Check gate widths, overhead wires and the swing path for the crane. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, with specialist transport quoted for every ex ground order, so talk to us with your site details before you buy. Smaller advanced sizes of many of the same species are in the advanced trees collection. Planting and establishment Dig the hole no deeper than the rootball and twice as wide, sit the tree at its original soil level and backfill with the excavated soil. Water in with at least 100L, then build a soil berm around the rootball edge and fill it two or three times a week for the first three months, tapering over two years. Stake or guy wire for the first 18 months. A tree this size is buying you time, not skipping establishment: the watering schedule is the difference between a landmark and a loss. Common questions How big are these trees on arrival? Most are between 4m and 12m tall depending on species, with several years of trunk development. Each listing states the current height and rootball details, and we can supply photos of the actual trees before you commit. Why do ex ground trees cost so much more? You are paying for five to fifteen years of farm growing, repeated root pruning, then lifting, cranage and freight. Priced against a decade of waiting on a landscape, established projects usually find the numbers reasonable. Do they transplant reliably at this size? Yes, because the root pruning program builds a dense rootball long before lifting. Survival comes down to handling and the first two years of watering, and every tree is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Can I order one for a normal suburban backyard? If a crane can reach the planting position, yes. Rear yards with no side access are usually the sticking point, so measure access first and send us the details for a freight and placement quote.

Exotic and Rare Plants

This is the collector's corner of the nursery: eight plants held in small numbers because they are slow to produce and rarely offered in Australia. Most are rare shade palms, including three Licuala species, the huge undivided leaves of Johannesteijsmannia and the red emergent fronds of the Houailou Palm, alongside a Brownea grown for its hanging scarlet flower heads. Prices reflect years of growing time, from $144.95 to advanced specimens. If it shows as in stock, it is here and ready to freight. How to choose from a collector's list Choose on foliage, because that is what you will look at for the next decade. The entire leaf fans are the showpieces: the Sumawongii Fan Palm carries pleated circular leaves over a metre across, and Johannesteijsmannia magnifica holds huge undivided leaves silvered underneath. Mapu Licuala is the one collectors chase for its mottled, mosaic patterned leaflets, while the Houailou Palm from New Caledonia unrolls each new frond in deep red. Pelagodoxa and Sabinaria are genuine botanical rarities, grown as much for their story as their form. The Brownea is the only non palm here, a small evergreen tree that dangles dense scarlet flower heads from its branches. Where they can be grown Outdoors, these are plants for frost free, humid gardens from far north Queensland down the coast into northern New South Wales, planted in shade under an established canopy with genuine wind protection: one hot dry wind can shred a leaf that took a year to produce. Further south, collectors grow them in shadehouses, conservatories and bright sheltered courtyards, and the Licualas and Johannesteijsmannia also make superb long term indoor plants for a warm bright room. For hardier options in the same style, see the palm tree range and the wider tropical plants collection. Care for rare palms Give around 70 per cent shade while plants are young, soil rich in organic matter that still drains freely, and steady moisture without waterlogging. Feed lightly with controlled release fertiliser in spring and summer. Growth is slow and that is normal: two to four new leaves a year is healthy for a Licuala. Frost is fatal, so anywhere it freezes, these live under cover. Common questions Why do these plants cost more? Time. Seed is scarce, germination is slow and a plant of the size we ship is often five to ten years old. You are buying the years, not just the pot. Can I keep one indoors? Yes. A bright room away from direct afternoon sun and air conditioning draughts suits the Licualas and Johannesteijsmannia well. Stand the pot on a pebble tray for humidity and accept a slow, steady pace. How does delivery work? Everything here is delivered Australia wide. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost with specialist packing, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Extra Large Pots

Extra large pots are the anchors of a garden: pieces over 80cm that hold small trees, mature olives and generous mixed plantings without crowding the roots. This collection runs from lightweight GRC troughs and bowls through glazed jars to hand carved limestone, from lightweight troughs through to statement pieces that cost as much as a small tree. Weight matters as much as looks at this scale, so check the material before you choose, and read the buying guide below the grid. How to choose an extra large pot Start with the spot, not the pot. Measure the space, then decide whether the piece will be planted or stand as a feature on its own. A planted pot over 80cm is staying where you put it once it is full of mix and roots, so settle position, sun and hose access first. Then choose the material to suit the job. Lightweight GRC pieces such as the Harper and Emmerson troughs weigh around a third of cast concrete, so two people can still lift a metre wide piece into place. Glazed jars from the Premium Glaze range bring colour and shine, while Thai limestone is carved stone with real mass, positioned once by trolley and never moved again. What fits in a pot this size A pot over 80cm across takes a 400mm to 500mm nursery pot dropped straight in, the easy way to style seasonal colour or hold a plant you may move later. Planted directly, an 85cm to 100cm pot holds roughly 200 to 400 litres of mix, enough root room for an olive, a citrus or a clipped bay for a decade or more. Leave 5cm to 10cm between nursery pot and decorative wall if dropping in, and keep the rim 5cm above the mix line if planting directly so water soaks in rather than sheeting off. For pieces between 50cm and 80cm, see the large pots collection. Weight, moving and setup Think in filled weight, not empty weight. Moist potting mix runs close to a kilogram per litre, so a 30kg GRC pot can pass 300kg once planted. Position the pot empty, check it is level, and raise it on pot feet so the drainage hole never sits flat on paving. On balconies, confirm the load rating before committing to stone or cast concrete. Oversized pieces are freighted at cost, and everything here is delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Drainage and weathering At this scale drainage is not negotiable: a metre wide pot with a blocked hole becomes a pond after one storm. Cover the hole with mesh or shade cloth rather than a layer of rocks, and use quality potting mix, never garden soil. Materials weather differently. GRC softens slightly in tone and may show faint lime bloom early on, which rinses off. Glazed ceramic holds its colour for decades, and limestone develops the grey patina that is the point of buying stone. If you want weathered character from day one, the rustic and aged pots arrive with it built in. Common questions Do I need to fill the whole pot with potting mix? Only for trees and large shrubs. For shallow rooted plantings, fill the bottom third with upturned plastic pots, cover with shade cloth, then add mix. It saves weight and money without harming the plant. Will a large pot crack in frost? GRC, lightweight concrete and glazed ceramic handle Australian frosts well. Unsealed earthenware is the risk, and in cold inland districts porous pots should sit raised so they drain fully before a freeze. What plants suit a pot over 80cm? Olives, citrus, frangipani, dwarf magnolias and clipped bay all live happily long term in this volume. It is the size where small trees stop being temporary residents. Is there anything even bigger? Yes. The grandest jars and metre wide bowls sit in the statement pots collection, and the mineral finishes have their own concrete and stone pots page.

Fast Growing Plants

Every plant here is tagged fast growing for a reason: screening shrubs that put on 60cm to a metre a year, shade trees adding a metre or more, bamboo that does several, plus quick climbers, groundcovers and tropical foliage. It is one of the largest collections on the site, so filter by mature size, climate and position rather than scrolling. Speed always brings a maintenance bill, and the guide below is honest about which plants are worth it and how to keep them in bounds. What fast growing actually means Growth rate claims are the most inflated numbers in horticulture, so here are realistic ones. A fast shrub in good conditions puts on 60cm to 1m a year: sweet viburnum, murraya, privet and the quickest lilly pillies all sit in that band. A fast tree adds 1m or more a year for its first decade; jacaranda, Illawarra flame tree, spotted gum, silky oak and the poincianas manage it in the right climate. Clumping bamboo is the outlier, with new culms reaching full height in a single season, which is why a slender weavers screen can hit 4m within two to three years. Climbers such as star jasmine and pandorea run 2m to 3m of new stem a year once settled, and fast groundcovers like myoporum and dichondra cover a square metre in a season. Halve all of it for poor soil, no water or the wrong climate. The trade off nobody mentions A plant does not stop being fast the day it reaches the height you wanted. The same vigour that closes a screen in two years produces the regrowth you will trim for the next twenty, so buy speed only where you need it. A useful rule: go fast where you are desperate for privacy or shade, and go moderate where the planting just needs to end up somewhere eventually. Fast pioneers can also be shorter lived; a wattle gives you a beautiful tree in three years and often bows out inside fifteen, which is fine if you planted slower trees behind it as the succession plan. Fast plants, job by job Privacy and screening. Sweet viburnum, murraya, box leaved privet and lilly pillies such as 'Express' and 'Superior' for hedges; clumping bamboo where you need 4m to 8m in a hurry. The full hedging and screening range lets you filter these by height. Shade and feature trees. Jacaranda, flame tree, silky oak, spotted gum, Brisbane box and ornamental pears all cast useful shade within four to six years. Climbers for fences and screens. Star jasmine for shade or sun, pandorea and pink jasmine for flowers, climbing fig for bare walls. Groundcovers. Myoporum, gazania, seaside daisy and native violet knit bare soil together in a single growing season. Instant tropical structure. Giant bird of paradise, heliconias, cordylines and fast palms such as bangalow and foxtail. Choosing fast growers for your climate Speed depends on warmth and water, so the same plant is fast in Brisbane and merely steady in Hobart. In tropical and subtropical gardens nearly everything here sprints, including the palms, heliconias and figs that stall further south. Warm temperate coastal gardens from Sydney to Perth suit the broadest slice of the range. In cool temperate and frost prone districts, choose photinia, privet, ornamental pears, crepe myrtles and Leighton green cypress, which stay quick through cold winters, and skip murraya and the tropical foliage. In dry inland gardens, the fast natives, wattles, gums, bottlebrush and myoporum, outrun any exotic on the same water. Planting for speed: the numbers The fastest plant in the nursery is the one that gets watered. Dig each hole twice the width of the pot, plant at the original soil level, and soak immediately. Water deeply twice a week for the whole first summer, not a daily splash, and feed with a controlled release fertiliser in early spring and again in late summer; that feeding rhythm alone can double first year growth. Mulch 75mm deep to hold soil moisture, keeping it off the stems. For screening runs, space fast shrubs at about 1m and resist going tighter, because crowded plants compete below ground and slow each other down. Tip prune screens lightly from the start so the speed goes into density as well as height. When fast is not fast enough If the deadline is a settlement date rather than a season, planting bigger beats planting faster. Advanced container stock gives you 1m to 3m of head start, and field grown ex ground advanced trees deliver a finished canopy on day one, freighted at cost. The honest comparison is cost versus years: a fast plant is cheap and takes three years, an advanced tree costs more and takes none. Common questions What is the fastest screening plant you sell? For sheer speed to height, slender weavers bamboo: 4m within two to three years and done at around 6m to 8m. Among conventional shrubs, Sweet Viburnum is the quickest to a dense 2m to 3m hedge. Our guide to fast growing screening trees compares the tall options. Which fast growing trees are safe near paving and pools? Tuckeroo, water gum, crepe myrtles and clumping bamboo all combine good pace with contained, non invasive root systems. Keep figs, poplars and large gums at least 10m from paving, pipes and pools; their speed above ground is matched below it. Can I plant fast growers in winter? Yes, in most of the country. Deciduous trees actually prefer winter planting, and evergreens establish fine wherever soils stay workable. In frost prone districts hold tropical species, murraya, heliconias and palms, until the soil warms in spring. Do fast growing plants die young? Some pioneers do: wattles and some acacia relatives give 10 to 15 spectacular years. Most of this collection, the lilly pillies, viburnums, gums, jacarandas and bamboo, are long lived plants that simply start quickly. Check each product page for life expectancy notes. How does delivery work for large orders? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Fast Growing Shade Trees

When the west side of the house cops full summer sun, waiting a decade for relief is not an option. Every tree here is a proven fast grower, from jacarandas, planes and oaks to eucalypts, figs and flame trees. Decide first between deciduous shade that lets winter sun through and evergreen cover that works year round, then match the tree's mature size honestly to your block. Stock runs from tubestock to advanced ex ground trees, delivered Australia wide. Deciduous or evergreen: pick your kind of shade This is the decision that sorts the whole collection. Deciduous trees like plane trees, oaks, elms, ashes and the jacaranda give dense summer shade, then drop their leaves and let winter sun warm the house, which is exactly what you want over a north facing lawn, a driveway or an entertaining area. Evergreen trees such as Brisbane box, tuckeroo, the figs and most eucalypts hold their canopy all year, which suits screening, western boundaries and anywhere the view matters more than winter sun. There is no universally right answer, only a right answer for the spot; our comparison of deciduous trees and evergreen trees goes deeper on both. How fast do fast growing shade trees actually grow? The quickest species here, the eucalypts, wattles and she oaks, put on 1m to 2m a year in reasonable conditions. Jacaranda, plane tree, claret ash, tipuana and the poincianas typically manage 60cm to 1m a year. In practice that means a healthy tree planted from a 45L bag gives you a canopy you can sit under in three to five years, and tubestock catches up faster than most people expect because it establishes without transplant shock. If the deadline is this summer, the collection also includes advanced ex ground trees with instant canopy, freighted at cost. Choosing for your climate Tropical and subtropical gardens. Poinciana, tipuana, yellow poinciana, the figs, tuckeroo and golden penda thrive in heat and humidity. Most of the northern hemisphere deciduous trees sulk without winter chill. Warm temperate gardens. Jacaranda, Brisbane box, claret ash, Chinese tallow and the crepe myrtles all perform, alongside nearly every native in the collection. Cool temperate gardens, including Melbourne, Canberra and Tasmania. This is oak, elm, plane, maple, liriodendron and ash country, with brilliant autumn colour as the bonus. Hot, dry inland gardens. River red gum, spotted gum, casuarina, white cedar and the wattles handle heat, frost and low rainfall in a way exotics cannot match. Where to plant a big fast tree Speed and size travel together, so give these trees honest clearances: at least 5m from the house, pool and major structures for medium growers like jacaranda and claret ash, and considerably more for the giants. The figs, especially Moreton Bay and Hills weeping fig, are acreage and parkland trees with root systems to match; keep them well away from paving, pipes and boundaries. On smaller blocks, choose the compact end of the range, such as a crepe myrtle or silk tree, and get your shade at 4m to 6m instead of 15m. Our guide to the best shade trees for Australian gardens matches species to block sizes in more detail. Planting and the first two summers Dig the hole twice the width of the rootball and no deeper, water in heavily, and mulch 75mm deep to the drip line, keeping mulch off the trunk. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer and weekly through the second; a deep soak grows the deep roots that make the tree self sufficient. Stake loosely only on windy sites and remove stakes after the first year. Formative pruning in the first three years, lifting the lowest branches and removing crossing limbs, builds the clear trunk and high canopy you actually want to sit under. Common questions What is the fastest shade tree in Australia? Among widely planted trees, the eucalypts and wattles are the fastest, with 1m to 2m a year common in good conditions. For a garden setting, jacaranda, tipuana and plane tree combine near that speed with a canopy shape built for sitting under. Should I buy tubestock or an advanced tree? Tubestock costs a few dollars, establishes with no transplant shock and often overtakes a container tree planted the same day within three years. Advanced and ex ground stock buys you instant presence and is freighted at cost. The honest middle ground is a 45L tree: real size, sensible freight. Will the roots damage paving or pipes? Any fast tree planted too close will eventually win against paving. Respect the clearances above, keep figs for acreage, and where space is tight choose deep rooted, better behaved species like crepe myrtle or claret ash rather than trying to prune a giant into staying small. What should I plant for paddock shade? River red gum, spotted gum, casuarina and tipuana are the proven performers for stock shade in exposed paddocks. Our guide to shade trees for farm paddocks covers spacing, guards and establishment away from mains water. Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Fast-Growing Privacy Trees

When a fence or hedge cannot give you the height, a fast growing privacy tree is the answer: these are the trees that put screening above the fence line quickly, blocking a neighbour's second storey or an open paddock. Speed has a price, though. The fastest growers are also the largest trees with the hungriest roots, so matching the tree to the space matters more here than anywhere else in the nursery. The guide below the grid keeps you out of trouble. Speed always has a price The quickest trees are quick because they are big, and some here are very big indeed. Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla) is a parkland tree of 15m or more with buttressed, highly invasive roots: magnificent on acreage, wrong anywhere near a suburban house. Hills Weeping Fig hedges beautifully and densely, but its vigorous roots must stay well away from pipes, paving and pools, or the tree goes in a very large container. Always check mature size and root behaviour before you check growth rate. For a standard suburban boundary, the mid sized natives are the smarter buy. Willow Leaf Hakea (Hakea salicifolia) is one of the fastest native screens at about 5m and takes hard pruning to stay dense at the base. Sticky Wattle weeps gracefully to 6m and clips into a tall hedge, and Elaeocarpus 'Green Dream' makes a narrow 7m by 3m column for tighter runs. Where fast growing privacy trees work In tropical and subtropical gardens, 'Green Dream', Cardwell Tea Tree and the figs (given room) all move quickly. In cooler southern and frost prone gardens, Willow Leaf Hakea and Sticky Wattle are both frost hardy, Western Red Cedar builds a 12m conifer wall, and Chanticleer Pear gives a narrow 10m screen with brilliant autumn colour, though it stands bare through winter. On wet or flood prone ground, White Paperbark Melaleuca thrives where most trees drown. For rural windbreaks, River She Oak is frost hardy, copes from the coast to semi arid country, and filters wind rather than blocking it. Spacing a tree screen 1.5m apart. Willow Leaf Hakea, Hills Weeping Fig, 'Green Dream' and Western Red Cedar for a dense wall. 2m apart. Sticky Wattle as a tall clipped or informal screen. 3m apart. River She Oak and White Paperbark as windbreaks, Chanticleer Pear as a tall narrow line. Planting tighter does not speed things up; it just sets the trees competing for water and light. Care while they race up Fast trees are hungry and thirsty while young. Water deeply twice a week for the first two summers, mulch 75mm deep, and feed in early spring with a controlled release fertiliser, using a native formulation for the wattles, hakeas and she oaks. Start formative pruning in the first year: tipping the leaders and side shoots early keeps the screen furnished to the ground, which no amount of pruning fixes later. Common questions How fast will these trees actually grow? In good soil with reliable water, the quickest here put on a metre or more a year once established. Growth is slower in the first season while roots settle, and slower again in dry or exposed sites. Are the fig trees safe near a house? No. Screening figs are superb where there is room, but their roots seek water aggressively, so keep them well clear of pipes, paving, pools and boundaries. On a small block, choose the hakea or 'Green Dream' instead, or browse the ficus range for contained and indoor options. What if I need privacy immediately? Our mature ex ground stock delivers instant height rather than a two year wait. These advanced trees are freighted at cost, and everything carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Would a hedge suit better than a tree? If 2m to 4m of height solves the problem, yes: a hedge is easier to hold at size and cheaper to maintain. Start with the hedging and screening collection and come back to trees only if you need real height.

Feature Trees

A feature tree is the one plant in the garden chosen to be looked at, so it has to earn attention across more than one season. This collection holds over 150 of them: Japanese maples, ornamental pears and cherries, crepe myrtles, evergreen magnolias, ginkgo, grass trees and sculptural yuccas. The decision comes down to your climate, the space you can give it, and whether you want seasonal drama or year round presence. The guide below the grid works through it. Choosing one tree to carry the garden Apply the four season test. A tree planted as the centrepiece should give you at least two acts a year, not one fortnight of flower and eleven quiet months. The White Crepe Myrtle 'Natchez' passes easily: months of summer flower, orange autumn foliage, then smooth cinnamon bark all winter. Cercis 'Forest Pansy' opens with pink pea flowers on bare wood, then holds burgundy heart shaped leaves until autumn. The whole crepe myrtle range works this way, which is why they anchor so many Australian front gardens. Be honest about scale too. American Sweetgum colours brilliantly but reaches 15m with aggressive surface roots, so it needs a large lawn, not a courtyard. In small spaces look at trees that finish at 3m to 5m instead. Matching feature trees to your climate In cool temperate gardens the classics all perform: Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) reach about 5m in fifteen years, Silver Birch grows fast to 10m, and Mount Fuji cherry spreads its horizontal white tiers, though it needs winter chill and birches sulk in hot inland and subtropical gardens. In warm temperate and Mediterranean climates, Chinese Pistachio gives scarlet autumn colour on a 9m tree with deep, well behaved roots, and Ginkgo builds slowly to about 8m. In the subtropics, lean evergreen: 'Teddy Bear' magnolia makes a dense 4m column with fragrant cream flowers. For dry, sculptural gardens, grass trees and yuccas hold their form on almost no water; our architectural plant range carries the full set. Positioning and planting Place the tree where you actually look: framed by a window, at the end of a path, or off centre in the front lawn rather than dead middle. Keep trunks at least 1m from paving, and give a weeping form like 'Inaba Shidare' a full 3m of width, because it spreads wider than its 2.5m height. Dig the hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in well, and mulch 75mm deep with the mulch clear of the trunk. Care in the early years Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then taper. Feed once in early spring with a controlled release fertiliser. Prune for shape only: remove crossing or dead wood in winter and let the natural habit develop, because a feature tree clipped like a hedge loses the outline you bought it for. Shelter Japanese maples from hot afternoon sun and drying wind. Common questions What is the best feature tree for a small garden? Japanese maples at 4m to 5m, 'Forest Pansy' at 5m and 'Teddy Bear' magnolia at 4m all fit tight spaces. For a courtyard pot, a weeping maple like 'Inaba Shidare' stays around 2.5m. Which feature trees are safe near paving? Japanese maples, Ginkgo, Chinese Pistachio and 'Teddy Bear' magnolia all have non-invasive roots. American Sweetgum is the one to keep well away from paths, pipes and pools. Can I grow a Japanese maple in a warm climate? Warm temperate gardens, yes, with morning sun, afternoon shade and wind protection. They are not suited to tropical or subtropical conditions, where an evergreen magnolia or crepe myrtle is the better choice. Evergreen or deciduous for a feature tree? Evergreens give year round presence and screening as a bonus. Deciduous trees give the bigger show: flowers, autumn colour and winter branch structure. If the tree stands where bare branches would matter, go evergreen.

Ferns for Shady Areas

The shaded side of the house, the gap beneath established trees, the courtyard that never sees direct sun: this is where ferns do what almost nothing else can. The range here covers ferns for shady areas at every scale, from 5m tree ferns for instant rainforest structure down to birds nest ferns for a pot by the door. The real choice is between depth of shade, available moisture and your winter temperatures, and the guide below the grid walks through each. Choosing ferns for shady areas Start with the scale of the space. For height and canopy, the Fern Tree (Cyathea cooperi) is the fastest growing of the tree ferns, reaching about 5m with a 3.5m spread of fronds, while the Rough Tree Fern (Cyathea australis) builds its trunk slowly, taking around fifteen years to reach the same height. At ground level, Silver Lady Fern makes a neat 90cm rosette on a short trunk, the Variegated Giant Sword Fern fills space quickly at 1.2m, and birds nest ferns hold glossy 80cm shuttlecocks of foliage. The Elkhorn Fern skips soil altogether: mount it on a board or tree trunk and let the clump spread to a metre across. Then be honest about the shade itself. Dappled or morning light suits nearly everything here; deep permanent shade with constant moisture is King Fern territory, and hot afternoon sun burns fern fronds no matter how much you water. Ferns and your winter temperature In tropical and subtropical gardens every fern in this collection grows outdoors year round. In warm temperate gardens most still thrive in a sheltered spot. In cooler southern gardens the list narrows: the Rough Tree Fern is fully frost hardy, the Fern Tree takes light frost in a protected position, and the frost tender birds nest, crocodile and king ferns are best grown in pots and moved under a verandah or indoors for winter. Our partial shade range has broader company for them. Planting and spacing Tree ferns. Plant 2m apart for a grove, closer than any other tree spacing, because the trunks stay slim and the canopies layer. Understorey ferns. Variegated Giant Sword Fern at 1m centres, Terrestrial Elkhorn at 50cm for a massed carpet. Epiphytes. Elkhorns strap to a hardwood board or tree with soft ties; no soil, just a pad of sphagnum behind the plant. All ground planted ferns want rich, moisture holding soil with compost dug through, and 50mm to 75mm of mulch. Water, humidity and feeding Moisture is the whole game. Water tree ferns down the crown and trunk in summer, not just at the roots, and never let the root zone dry out completely in the warm months. Shelter all ferns from hot dry wind, which desiccates fronds faster than sun. Feed sparingly: half strength liquid fertiliser through the growing season is plenty, and slow release pellets suit pots. Common questions Which ferns handle frost? The Rough Tree Fern is frost hardy and grows as far south as cool temperate gardens. The Fern Tree copes with light frost once established. The rest are frost tender, so treat them as pot plants in cold districts. Are ferns safe around pets? Most ferns here carry our Pet Friendly flag, including the birds nest ferns, Elkhorn, Silver Lady and the sword ferns. Handle tree ferns with gloves though, as the trunk scales and frond hairs can irritate skin. Can these ferns grow indoors? The birds nest ferns, Crocodile Fern and Terrestrial Elkhorn all suit bright rooms out of direct sun, and they appreciate a bathroom's humidity. Browse our tropical plant range for companions. How fast do tree ferns grow? The Fern Tree is the quick one, putting on noticeable trunk each year with summer water. The Rough Tree Fern moves slowly, which is exactly why advanced specimens cost more and are worth it.

Ficus

Few plant names cover as much ground as ficus. The one genus gives you the fiddle leaf fig in the lounge room, the edible fig on the back fence, the creeping fig softening a brick wall and the big evergreen screening trees lining older Australian streets. They share glossy foliage, quick growth and real vigour, which is the thing to respect: the larger figs have roots that demand distance from pipes and paving. The guide below the grid sorts the range by job. One genus, four different jobs Sort the range by what you need and the choice becomes simple. Indoors, the Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata) grows to about 3m in a container, its dwarf form 'Bambino' stops at 1.5m, and the rubber plants (Ficus elastica) run from the deep toned 'Burgundy' to the variegated 'Tineke'. For fruit, the Ficus carica varieties such as Black Genoa and Brown Turkey crop heavily and prune easily to 3m. For covering a surface, Climbing Fig (Ficus pumila) self clings and greens a wall or fence fast. And for large scale screening there are the landscape figs: Hills Weeping Fig, the native Rusty Fig and their relatives. Matching a ficus to your climate The indoor figs are frost tender, which is why the fiddle leaf and rubber plants live in pots and bright rooms across most of the country, though they grow outdoors in tropical and subtropical gardens. The edible fig trees are the cold tolerant exception: Black Genoa and Brown Turkey are fully frost hardy, and Brown Turkey shrugs off heat, salt and poor soil from the coast to semi arid inland towns. The landscape figs sit in between, taking light frost at most, so they are trees for the warmer half of Australia. Planting, spacing and the root question Climbing Fig. Plant 1m apart to cover a wall quickly. Its clinging roots can mark render and paint, so give it masonry, not weatherboard. Edible figs. Give a free standing tree full sun and keep it well away from pipes and paving; hold it at 3m with winter pruning for easy picking. Screening figs. Hills Weeping Fig at 1.5m centres, Rusty Fig at 5m. Both have vigorous invasive roots, so allow generous clearance from pools, pipes, paving and boundaries, or grow them in large containers. Care basics Indoors, give figs bright indirect light, water when the top few centimetres of mix dry out, and wipe the big leaves so they can breathe. Outdoors, water new plantings deeply twice a week for the first summer and feed in spring. Wear gloves when pruning: every ficus bleeds a milky sap that irritates skin. Prune edible figs in winter, screening figs any time in the warm months. Common questions Which ficus is best indoors? The Fiddle Leaf Fig remains the statement plant, 'Bambino' suits smaller rooms, and rubber plants are the forgiving choice for beginners. All want bright light without harsh direct sun; see the full indoor plant range for companions. Are ficus plants safe for pets? No. The milky sap in fiddle leaf figs, rubber plants and weeping figs is an irritant and toxic to cats and dogs that chew the leaves, so place them out of reach of persistent nibblers. Will a fig tree damage pipes or paving? Planted too close, yes. Edible figs have vigorous roots and the big screening figs have genuinely invasive ones. Keep edible figs several metres from services, and treat the landscape figs as parkland trees or container specimens. Why is my weeping fig dropping leaves? Weeping figs shed when their conditions change: a move, a draught, less light. Settle the plant in one bright position, water consistently, and it almost always releafs within a few weeks. Which figs give the fastest privacy? Hills Weeping Fig is one of the fastest hedges in warm climates where its roots can be kept clear of structures. Compare it with the other options in our fast growing privacy trees collection.

Fig Trees

These are true edible fig trees, Ficus carica, not ornamental lookalikes. The choice comes down to fruit and footprint. Black Genoa and Brown Turkey crop heavily on trees that reach about 5m, while Adam and White Genoa finish nearer 3.5m to 4m for smaller gardens and large pots. All are deciduous, frost hardy and drought tolerant once established, and every one can be held at picking height with a single winter prune. Picking the right fig variety Size first, flavour second. Brown Turkey is the biggest tree in the range at about 5m tall and 5m wide, a self fertile, heavy cropping workhorse that also copes with coastal salt and poor soil. Black Genoa is our best seller and matches it for vigour at 5m by 4m, though it is easily kept to 3m with winter pruning. Celeste carries small, sweet, purple brown figs on a 5m tree, and Preston Prolific is the heavy cropping white skinned choice at a similar size. If space is tight, Adam finishes at about 3.5m by 3m and White Genoa at 4m, and both take well to large pots. Where fig trees thrive Figs come from the Mediterranean and the Middle East, so they are built for hot dry summers and cool winters. Every variety here is frost hardy, heat tolerant and drought tolerant once established, and all perform in warm temperate, Mediterranean and cool temperate gardens. Most also handle the subtropics, while Brown Turkey, Adam and Celeste extend into arid and semi arid inland areas. In humid coastal districts give the tree full sun and open air movement so the fruit ripens cleanly. Alongside the other fruit trees in our range, figs are among the most forgiving of neglect. Planting, spacing and those roots Plant in full sun, at least six hours a day, into free draining soil. Dig the hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, water in well, and soak deeply twice a week through the first summer. If you are planting more than one tree, space them 4m to 5m apart. The one genuine caution: fig roots are vigorous and water seeking, so keep the tree at least 5m from pipes, paving, pools and tanks. Where that clearance does not exist, grow one in a large container instead, which restricts the roots and keeps the tree compact. Our guide to planting fruit trees through the seasons covers site preparation in more detail. Care through the year Prune in winter while the tree is bare, taking it back to a height you can pick from, usually 2.5m to 3m. Wear gloves, because the milky sap irritates skin. Feed once in early spring with a complete fertiliser, water while the fruit is swelling for a better crop, and net the tree as figs colour up or the birds will beat you to every one. Like all deciduous trees they drop their leaves in autumn, which is exactly why they shrug off frost in cooler areas. Common questions Do I need two fig trees to get fruit? No. The common fig varieties grown in Australian gardens set fruit on their own, and Brown Turkey and Celeste in particular are noted heavy self fertile croppers. One tree is plenty for most households. How long until a fig tree fruits? Expect a first taste within two to three years of planting, with crops building each season after that. Figs are fast growing, so the wait is shorter than for most fruiting trees. Can I grow a fig in a pot? Yes, and it is the smart option near paving or pipes. Choose a container at least 50cm across with good drainage, use Adam, White Genoa or Preston Prolific, and prune each winter to hold the tree around 2m. Why do fig trees lose their leaves? They are deciduous. The leaves yellow and drop in autumn, the tree rests bare through winter, and new growth follows in spring. A leafless fig in July is healthy, not dying.

Flowering Plants

Flowering shrubs do the heavy lifting in an Australian garden, and this collection holds close to 500 of them: gardenias, camellias, azaleas, grevilleas, hydrangeas, roses, callistemons and more. The right choice comes down to your climate, the position you are filling and when you want the colour, because a garden planned across the seasons is never without a bloom. Filter by flower colour, mature size and growing conditions below, or start with the buying guide under the grid. How to choose flowering plants for your garden Start with when you want the colour, not just how much of it. Most gardens are planted in a single spring weekend, which is why they peak in October and sit quietly green for the other eleven months. Check the flowering season on each product page and aim to have two or three different plants opening in any given month. Camellias and grevilleas carry autumn and winter, azaleas and roses own spring, and gardenias, hydrangeas and tibouchinas run right through summer. Then match the plant to the job. Gardenias and other fragrant plants earn their spot beside paths, doors and windows, where the scent is actually part of daily life. Taller growers such as camellias and lilly pillies double as flowering hedges and screens. Compact performers such as dwarf callistemons, hebes and lavender hold the front of a border at under a metre. If you need real height along with the colour, step up to our flowering trees instead. Where flowering plants work across Australia Climate decides more than catalogue photos do, and this range covers every zone in the country. Tropical and subtropical gardens. Gardenias, ixoras, hibiscus, tibouchinas and the gingers thrive on the same humidity that makes roses sulk. Flowering here runs longer, often eight or nine months of the year. Temperate gardens from Sydney through Melbourne and Adelaide. Camellias, azaleas, roses and hydrangeas are the backbone, with hydrangeas asking for protection from hot afternoon sun. Cold and frost prone districts. Choose proven hardy shrubs: may bush, buddleja, lavender and most grevilleas shrug off frost once established, while gardenias and ixoras need a warm microclimate or a pot you can move. Dry and Mediterranean climates around Perth, Adelaide and inland. Rosemary, westringia, callistemons and banksias flower heavily on very little irrigation once their roots are down. Planting and care basics Dig each hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, so the plant sits at its original soil level. Water in well, then mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch clear of the stems. Through the first summer, water deeply twice a week rather than lightly every day; after that, most established flowering shrubs need water only through extended dry spells. Space shrubs at roughly two thirds of their mature width for a full border, or at half their width for a solid flowering hedge. Feed once in early spring with a controlled release fertiliser, switching to a low phosphorus native formula for grevilleas, banksias and other Australian natives. The single most common pruning mistake is timing: prune immediately after flowering finishes, because many shrubs, camellias and azaleas among them, set next year's buds within weeks of the old flowers fading. Common questions How do I keep something flowering all year? Plan in seasons, not species. A workable starting mix for most temperate gardens is a camellia for winter, azaleas and a rose for spring, gardenias or hydrangeas for summer, and a grevillea or salvia to bridge autumn. Check the flowering months listed on each product page and fill the gaps you find. Which flowering shrubs handle full sun? Roses, callistemons, grevilleas, lavender, westringia, hibiscus and tibouchinas all want six hours of direct sun or more and flower harder for it. Azaleas, hydrangeas and gardenias prefer morning sun with afternoon protection, especially north of Sydney. Why has my shrub stopped flowering? The usual suspects, in order: it was pruned at the wrong time and the flower buds went in the green bin, it is getting more shade than it used to as surrounding trees grow, or it is being fed a high nitrogen fertiliser that buys leaves at the expense of blooms. Fix the timing first, it is the most common cause by far. What size do the plants arrive at? Most shrubs here are offered in several sizes, from affordable tubestock through 200mm and 300mm pots, and the product page shows what each size looks like on arrival. Everything is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and every plant covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Flowering Trees

From jacarandas and crepe myrtles to magnolias, ornamental pears and flame trees, this is the full flowering tree range: more than 200 varieties across every colour and climate. The right choice comes down to three things: when you want the colour to arrive, how much room the canopy has, and whether the tree needs to hold its leaves through winter. Stock runs from tubestock to advanced ex ground specimens, all delivered Australia wide. How to choose a flowering tree Start with timing, because no tree flowers all year and the best gardens stagger the show. Deciduous magnolias open in late winter and early spring on bare branches. Flowering plums, cherries, crab apples and ornamental pears follow with spring blossom. Jacarandas turn on their purple haze in late spring, and summer belongs to the crepe myrtles, frangipanis, golden pendas and the tropical spectaculars like poinciana. Then be honest about space. This collection runs from compact crepe myrtles that top out near 3m to a poinciana that wants an 8m canopy and a lawn to itself. A flowering tree jammed into a space half its size gets hacked into a shape that never flowers properly, so match the mature dimensions on each listing to the spot before you commit to the colour. The big families in the collection Two dozen crepe myrtle varieties anchor the summer end: compact Diamonds in the Dark selections for courtyards through to 7m avenue trees like Natchez and Tuscarora, all heat and drought tolerant once established. The magnolia range covers both camps, deciduous tulip flowered types for cool climate spring drama and evergreen grandifloras with year round glossy foliage. Blossom trees, the pears, plums, cherries and crab apples, are the cool climate champions, many doubling up with strong autumn colour. Australian natives carry the nectar: bottlebrush, wattle, grevillea, the Illawarra flame tree and golden penda all pull honeyeaters into the garden. And for frost free gardens there are the tropical showstoppers: poinciana, tabebuia, cassia, bauhinia and frangipani. Matching tree to climate Tropical and subtropical gardens. Poinciana, golden penda, tabebuia, cassia, bauhinia and frangipani are at their best here. Deciduous blossom trees that need winter chill, like cherries and crab apples, flower poorly north of about Coffs Harbour. Warm temperate gardens around Sydney, Perth and Adelaide. The widest choice: jacaranda, crepe myrtle, magnolia, ornamental pear and all the natives perform. Cool temperate gardens, including Melbourne, Canberra, Tasmania and the ranges. Ornamental pears, flowering plums, cherries, crab apples, deciduous magnolias and crepe myrtles all handle frost well. Skip the tropical group entirely. Dry inland gardens. Crepe myrtle, wattle, bottlebrush and white cedar cope with heat and low rainfall better than the blossom trees, which want a deep drink to flower well. Planting and early care Almost every tree here flowers hardest in full sun, six hours or more a day. Dig the hole twice the width of the rootball and no deeper, water in heavily, and mulch 75mm deep keeping mulch off the trunk. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer rather than a light daily sprinkle, and stake loosely only if the site is windy. Keep large growers 4m to 5m clear of the house and major paving, and give avenue plantings 4m to 6m between trees. Feed once in early spring with a complete fertiliser; overfeeding a flowering tree buys you leaves at the expense of blooms. Common questions Which flowering trees keep their leaves? Golden penda, bottlebrush, grevillea and the evergreen magnolias hold their foliage year round, which matters where the tree doubles as screening. Most of the rest, including jacaranda, poinciana and the blossom trees, drop leaves in winter or in the dry season. That is often a feature: winter sun comes through exactly when you want it. Our guide to deciduous trees covers where leaf drop works for you rather than against you. What suits a small garden? Compact crepe myrtles sit near 3m, evergreen magnolias like Teddy Bear stay narrow, and a frangipani grows so slowly it can hold a courtyard corner for decades. All three also handle large pots. How long until a new tree flowers? Most grafted and cutting grown varieties here flower within two to three seasons of planting. Seed grown shade species can take longer, and a tree in too much shade may never flower properly, so position matters more than patience. How does delivery work for larger trees? Everything is delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95, and there is no minimum order. Advanced and large ex ground stock is freighted at cost, quoted for your address. Every tree carries the 30 day healthy plant guarantee. For pruning and variety detail on the summer flowering favourites, the crepe myrtle care guide and magnolia care guide are the places to start.

Fragrant Plants

This is our full range of fragrant plants, over 250 of them, from gardenias, star jasmine and murraya through scented magnolias, citrus, lavender and native trees like lemon scented myrtle. The real decision is placement and timing: strong perfume belongs beside a door, a path or a window you pass daily, and mixing bloom seasons keeps scent in the garden most of the year. Filter by height, position and climate, then read the guide below the grid. Choosing scent you will actually notice Fragrance is wasted at the back of a garden bed. Perfume pools in still, sheltered air, so the strongest performers belong within a few metres of a door, a window that opens, or your outdoor seating. Gardenias, murraya and star jasmine are the reliable heavy hitters in warm gardens. Then think about timing. Murraya flushes repeatedly through the warm months, French lavender flowers most of the year in mild climates, sweet osmanthus carries its apricot perfume on tiny autumn flowers, and port wine magnolia (Magnolia figo) owns spring. Plant two or three staggered seasons together and the corner never goes quiet. The other split is flower versus foliage. Flower perfume comes and goes with the season. Scented leaves, on rosemary and lemon scented myrtle (Backhousia citriodora), release fragrance whenever you brush or clip them, which is why they suit paths and gateways. Matching fragrant plants to your climate In tropical and subtropical gardens the classics all thrive: gardenias, murraya, port wine magnolia and the native frangipani (Hymenosporum flavum), a slim 8m tree with cream flowers that age to yellow. In cooler southern gardens, frost decides. Star jasmine, sweet osmanthus, rosemary and Little Gem magnolia are all frost hardy, while gardenias and murraya take light frost only, so give them a warm wall in Melbourne or Adelaide and skip them in Canberra. Dry Mediterranean gardens around Perth and Adelaide suit lavender and rosemary, both drought tolerant and happy in poor soil. Planting for perfume, with spacings Most fragrant shrubs double as hedges, which turns a single sniff into a wall of scent. Plant Gardenia 'Florida' at 60cm centres for a low fragrant hedge, murraya at 1m for a 3m screen, port wine magnolia at 1m, sweet osmanthus at 1.5m, and French lavender at 60cm along a path edge. Star jasmine covers a fence planted 1m apart. Little Gem magnolia, at 5m tall and only 2.5m wide, makes a fragrant privacy screen at 1.5m spacing with roots that are safe near paving. More screening spacings live in our hedging and screening range. Keeping the fragrance coming Scent follows flowers, and flowers follow sun: most plants here want five to six hours of it. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, mulch 75mm deep, and feed in early spring. Gardenias are the one fussy group, needing acidic, well drained soil and regular feeding to stop the leaves yellowing, covered on our gardenia collection page. Prune lightly after each flush rather than hard once a year to extend the season. Common questions Which fragrant plant has the strongest perfume? Gardenia and murraya carry the furthest in warm humid air, with star jasmine close behind in late spring. Sweet osmanthus surprises people by drifting a long way from very small flowers. What fragrant plants handle frost? Star jasmine, sweet osmanthus, rosemary and Little Gem magnolia are all frost hardy. Gardenias, murraya and port wine magnolia handle light frost only, so in cold districts grow them in pots you can shift under cover. Can I grow fragrant plants in pots? Yes, and pots let you move the perfume to wherever you sit. Gardenias, dwarf murraya 'Min a Min', lavender and rosemary all do well in containers of 40cm or more with free draining mix. How do I get fragrance all year? Layer seasons: port wine magnolia for spring, gardenias and murraya through summer, osmanthus for autumn, rosemary and lavender flowering through the mild months. Our guide to the most fragrant plants for Australian gardens maps a full calendar.

Frost Hardy Plants

A hard frost sorts a garden out quickly, and every one of the over 1000 frost hardy plants here has earned its place on the survivors' list. The range covers clipped hedges, narrow conifers, camellias and crepe myrtles, plus a deep bench of tough natives like westringia, bottlebrush and lomandra. The real decision is structure: evergreens that hold the garden together through winter, or deciduous trees that trade bare branches for autumn colour and summer shade. What frost hardy actually means We grade every plant on the site into three tiers. Frost hardy plants, the ones on this page, take regular winter frosts in their stride once established. Light frost only plants shrug off the odd mild morning but burn in a hard freeze, and frost tender plants belong in the tropics or in pots you can move. The distinction that matters most is age: even the toughest plant here is vulnerable in its first winter or two, because young growth and shallow roots freeze faster than established wood. Buy frost hardy, but still protect new plantings. Watch your own block too. Cold air drains downhill and pools, so the bottom of a sloping garden can frost a week earlier and a season longer than the top. If one corner blackens the lawn first each winter, give it the hardiest plants you have and save the borderline choices for beds near the house, where walls leak enough warmth to make a real difference. Choosing between winter structure and summer show Evergreens carry a cold climate garden through winter. The Little Gem Magnolia holds a glossy 5m column in any frost, Pencil Pine and Spartan Juniper give formal 5m exclamation points under 1.2m wide, and camellias flower in the coldest months. Photinia 'Red Robin' and Sweet Viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum) remain the fast hedging workhorses, both fully frost hardy. The deciduous camp answers with a different argument: a Japanese Maple or crepe myrtle gives spring growth, summer canopy and blazing autumn colour, and cold nights actually sharpen the display. Most good gardens in frost country run both, evergreen bones with deciduous highlights. One caution that surprises people: frost hardiness says nothing about humidity. Emerald Green Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd') handles freezing winters yet sulks through humid subtropical summers, so match the whole climate, not just the winter minimum. Where frost hardy plants matter most This collection is built for Canberra, the tablelands, inland New South Wales and Victoria, the Adelaide Hills, Tasmania and Melbourne's outer fringe, where frosts arrive most winters and stay for weeks. It matters more widely than that, though. Inland valleys behind Perth frost regularly, and even subtropical gardens west of the coastal strip cop several white mornings a year. The natives hold up remarkably well: westringia, Kings Park Special bottlebrush, Coast Banksia, lomandra, kidney weed and the grass tree (Xanthorrhoea glauca) all carry frost hardiness alongside drought tolerance, which is why they anchor low water gardens in cold country. The wider Australian native range can be filtered by frost tolerance. Planting, spacing and frost protection In frost prone areas, plant hardy evergreens and deciduous trees in autumn so roots establish over winter, and hold anything borderline until after the last frost in spring. Water in the morning rather than the evening, since wet foliage overnight freezes first. Hedges. Sweet Viburnum, Photinia 'Red Robin' and Camellia 'Black Tie' at 1m apart, Japanese Box at 30cm to 40cm for formal edging. Narrow screens. Pencil Pine and Spartan Juniper at 1m, Emerald Green Arborvitae at 60cm, Little Gem or Teddy Bear magnolia at 1.5m. Native screens and borders. Kings Park Special bottlebrush at 1.5m, Snowstorm Melaleuca at 1m, Lomandra 'Lime Tuff' at 50cm, kidney weed at 20cm for groundcover. Massed colour. Annabelle hydrangea at 1m apart for a cold climate classic. For the first two winters, keep frost cloth handy for new plantings and mulch 75mm deep to insulate the roots. A full guide to screening choices in cold districts sits in our hedging and screening range. Common questions My plant burnt in a frost. Should I prune the damage off? Not yet. The scorched foliage is ugly but it shields the growth underneath from the next freeze. Leave it until all danger of frost has passed in spring, then cut back to clean wood and the plant will replace it quickly. Are there frost hardy plants for pots? Plenty. Japanese Box, camellias, Teddy Bear magnolia, rosemary and Lomandra 'Lime Tuff' all live well in containers in cold climates. Remember roots in pots feel the cold more than roots in the ground, so use larger pots and stand them against a wall in the depths of winter. Will frost hardy plants also cope with heat and drought? Many here do both: olives, rosemary, pencil pines, westringia, grass trees and most lomandras handle freezing nights and scorching summers, which is exactly what inland gardens need. Check the drought tolerant filter to combine the two. How cold is too cold for a new plant? Established stock on this page handles regular frost, but avoid planting anything into ground that frosts nightly. Wait for a mild spell, water in well, and give the plant a few weeks of growth before its first hard freeze. How does delivery work in winter? We deliver Australia wide year round, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Fruit Trees

More than 80 fruit trees for Australian backyards: lemons, limes, oranges and mandarins, olives, figs, avocados, apples, pears, stone fruit, and subtropical favourites such as mango and guava. Your climate makes most of the decision, since citrus and tropical fruit want warmth while apples and pears fruit best with real winter chill. Most varieties here are self fertile, so a single tree will crop. Sizes run from affordable tubestock to advanced trees that fruit within a season or two. How to choose a fruit tree Climate first. Citrus, avocados, figs and olive trees suit most of mainland Australia, though young citrus need frost protection for their first couple of winters in cold districts. Mangoes and guavas want a frost free subtropical or tropical garden. Apples, pears and stone fruit run the other way: they need winter chill to set fruit properly, so they perform best from the highlands and southern states, though low chill selections such as the Anna apple and White Opal peach crop well into warm temperate areas. Then think about pollination and space. Most of this range is self fertile, including nearly all citrus, figs and stone fruit here, so one tree crops on its own. Olives and some apples set much heavier crops with a second variety nearby. For small gardens, choose grafted or dwarf forms and keep them pruned to picking height; a lemon tree held at 2.5m will still supply a household all season. Planting and care Every fruit tree here wants the same foundation: six hours or more of direct sun and soil that drains freely. Dig the hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, water in well, and mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch off the trunk. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then weekly while fruit is developing. Feed citrus in late winter and again in late summer with a citrus food, and other fruit trees with a balanced fertiliser in early spring. Space full size trees 4m to 5m apart, dwarf forms 2m to 3m. Net the crop as it ripens or the birds will harvest it for you. Our guide to growing citrus in Australian backyards covers feeding and pest timing in more detail. Common questions How long until I pick fruit? From the common 200mm to 300mm pot sizes: citrus and figs usually crop within one to two seasons, stone fruit and apples in two to three, olives in three to four, and grafted avocados in three to five. Advanced trees shorten the wait, often fruiting the first summer after planting. Can I grow fruit trees in pots? Yes, and in cold or space poor gardens it is often the better option. Dwarf citrus, figs, olives and low chill apples all perform in a 50cm to 60cm pot with premium potting mix, full sun and a fortnightly liquid feed through the warm months. Potted trees dry out faster, so summer watering is close to daily. Do I need two trees for fruit? Usually not. Citrus, figs, most stone fruit here and self fertile olives like Arbequina crop alone. Check the product page: where a variety benefits from a cross pollinator, it is noted, and the fix is simply planting two different varieties within about 15m of each other. How do fruit trees arrive? Delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95, while advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Trees travel in their pots with the rootball secured, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Garden Features & Accents

Garden features earn their place by giving a bed structure when nothing is in flower, and every piece here works for its living. The range centres on Northcote Pottery bird baths in terracotta, glazed and classic pedestal styles from about $80, alongside a 90cm slate water feature and a simple hydro planter for growing plants in water. Choose on scale first: a feature should sit slightly below eye level in a bed, not tower over it. Choosing a bird bath birds will actually use Birds choose on safety and water depth, not on looks. A bowl 30mm to 50mm deep at the edge suits the small honeyeaters, wrens and finches you most want to attract, and a pedestal height of 50cm to 70cm keeps bathing birds out of reach of cats. Every pedestal bath in this range sits in that band, from the compact 37 x 47cm Cafestyle Villa to the 60cm Miami. Position the bath within a couple of metres of a dense shrub so small birds have an escape route, but not so close that a cat can ambush from cover. Materials and how they weather Terracotta with a Cottaseal finish is sealed against the moss and water staining that mark raw clay, and it mellows well over years outside. Glazed pieces such as the blue Balmoral hold their colour and wipe clean easily. All cope with an Australian summer, but in hard frost districts empty the bowl before freezing nights, since expanding ice is the one thing that cracks fired clay. The 90cm Cascade slate water feature is a recirculating unit, so it needs an outdoor power point nearby and a top up roughly weekly through summer. Placement and upkeep Tip out and refill the water every two or three days in warm weather, for hygiene and to break the mosquito cycle, and scrub the bowl monthly with a stiff brush and plain water rather than chemical cleaners. Frame the bath with a few bird attracting plants and it quickly becomes the busiest spot in the garden. Our backyard bird sanctuary guide covers layered planting for birds in detail. Common questions Where should a bird bath go? Light shade, visible from the house, near shrubs but with open sightlines all round. Afternoon shade matters most in hot climates, because shallow water heats fast in full sun. How do these arrive, and are they heavy? Pedestal baths arrive in separate pieces one person can assemble: the bowl simply sits on the pedestal. That makes emptying and cleaning easy, but lift the bowl rather than dragging it. Everything here is delivered Australia wide. What is a hydro planter? A vessel for growing plants in plain water rather than soil. Devil's ivy, monstera cuttings and herbs such as mint grow happily this way for months, which suits benchtops, shaded verandahs and offices.

Gardenias

Few shrubs earn their spot like gardenias: glossy evergreen foliage and thick white flowers with a perfume that carries across a whole patio. The range here runs from 40cm groundcover forms through 1m to 1.8m hedging varieties up to a 5m native rainforest tree, plus the acid loving fertilisers that keep them green. They are warm climate plants at heart, happiest from Perth and Sydney north, and they reward the small amount of fuss they ask for. Matching the variety to the job Size is the main separator. At the small end, Radicans hugs the ground at about 40cm tall and 80cm wide, planted 50cm apart as a massed border. Four Seasons holds 1m and flowers right across the warmer months. The middle band does the classic low hedge: Florida, True Love and Golden Magic all sit near 1.2m, with Golden Magic opening white and ageing to deep gold. Aimee Yoshiba carries the largest flowers of the common varieties on a 1.5m shrub, while Magnifica and Star reach 1.8m for a taller informal hedge. The outlier is the Native Gardenia (Atractocarpus fitzalanii), a coastal Queensland rainforest tree of about 5m with strongly perfumed flowers and edible yellow fruit. Treat it as a screening or small feature tree rather than a shrub, and give it a frost free position. Where gardenias grow well These are warm climate plants. Every variety here thrives in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens and handles humidity and heat with ease. Most tolerate light frost only, so in Melbourne, Adelaide and colder inland districts give them a warm north facing wall or keep them in pots that can shift under cover for winter. They grow in full sun or part shade. In the tropics some afternoon shade extends the flowers, while in cooler areas more sun means more buds, so morning sun with afternoon protection is the safe middle. Planting and spacing They want acidic, free draining soil with plenty of organic matter. Dig the hole twice the width of the pot, plant at the original soil level, water in well and mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch clear of the stems. For hedges and borders, use the spacing each variety was bred for: Radicans at 50cm, Four Seasons and Florida at 60cm, Golden Magic at 70cm, True Love and Aimee Yoshiba at 80cm, Magnifica and Star at 1m. Screen with the native form at 1.5m centres. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer. Feeding, yellow leaves and bud drop Yellowing foliage is the most common complaint, and it is nearly always cold nights, hungry soil or alkaline pH rather than disease. Feed in early spring and again in late summer with a fertiliser blended for acid loving plants; this collection carries matched Osmocote and Richgro options alongside the plants. Iron chelate or a little magnesium corrects stubborn cases. Bud drop follows sudden swings in moisture, so keep the watering steady while buds are forming. Our gardenia care guide works through both problems step by step. Common questions Why are the leaves turning yellow? A few yellow older leaves in late winter is normal renewal. Widespread yellowing usually means the soil is too alkaline or the plant is hungry, so check pH, feed with an acid loving fertiliser and be patient as nights warm up. When do they flower? Spring through summer is the main season, stretching into autumn in warm climates. Four Seasons is the pick for the longest display, flowering across the warmer months. Can I grow one in a pot? Yes. Most varieties here suit containers of 40cm or more filled with a quality acid loving potting mix. Pots also solve the frost problem, because the plant can winter somewhere sheltered. Are gardenias toxic to pets? Yes, they are listed as toxic to cats and dogs, so site them away from animals that chew. If that rules them out, our wider range of perfumed plants includes pet friendly options such as sweet osmanthus and rosemary.

Grasses and Strappy Leaf Plants

Grasses and strappy leaf plants are the workhorses of modern Australian landscaping: they edge paths, hold banks, soften paving and bring movement the rest of the garden cannot. This collection of over 100 runs from 25cm mondo grass to metre high lomandras and flowering kangaroo paws, more than half of them Australian natives that live on rainfall once established. The choice splits two ways: evergreen strappy structure that lasts decades, or true grasses that trade a yearly cutback for constant motion. Strappy structure or true grass movement Grasses and strappy leaf plants get sold side by side, but the two halves behave differently, and the difference matters more than variety names. Strappy leaf plants such as lomandra, dianella, liriope and agapanthus are evergreen perennials: they hold their shape all year, live for decades and ask for almost nothing. True ornamental grasses such as fountain grass, Japanese blood grass and common tussock grass give you seed heads, seasonal colour and constant movement, but most want one hard cutback a year and can look scruffy through winter. Permanent structure or seasonal drama, and most good plantings use both. Then buy by finished height. Mondo grass and blue fescue sit around 25cm, Japanese blood grass at 45cm, Lomandra 'Tanika' makes a fine weeping mound at 60cm, blueberry lily and agapanthus hold 80cm, and Slender Mat Rush (Lomandra hystrix) and Common Tussock Grass (Poa labillardierei) reach a full metre. Purple fountain grass tops the range at 1.2m in flower. For massed colour, dwarf kangaroo paws like 'Bush Bonanza' flower at just 60cm. Where grasses and strappy leaf plants earn their keep These are problem solvers first and ornaments second. Lomandras and dianellas grip slopes and retaining wall plantings where mulch washes away. Lomandra hystrix and knobby club rush (Ficinia nodosa) tolerate wet feet, which makes them the standard picks for drainage swales and rain gardens, and hystrix is equally happy poolside. Mondo grass edges paths in sun or shade. By climate: the humid north suits hystrix, dianella, liriope and mondo, while blue fescue dislikes humid summers and does its best work in the south alongside poa and the lomandras, nearly all of which are fully frost hardy. Purple fountain grass burns back in cold winters and reshoots in spring. In dry inland gardens, established lomandras and dianellas get through most years on rainfall alone, which is why councils plant them by the thousand. More than half this collection sits within our Australian native plants range. Spacing for a planting that closes over Mass planting lives or dies on spacing, and tighter is not better: crowded clumps thin out and stay permanently hungry. 20cm apart. Mondo and black mondo grass for solid borders and carpets. 30cm to 40cm apart. Blue fescue, Japanese blood grass, agapanthus and dwarf kangaroo paws. 50cm to 60cm apart. Blueberry lily, knobby club rush, Lomandra 'Tanika', long leaf lomandra, common tussock grass and both fountain grasses. 70cm apart. Lomandra hystrix for full sized mass plantings. At 50cm centres you need 4 plants per square metre; at 60cm, closer to 3. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, mulch between clumps, and after that most of this page looks after itself. For groundcovers and shrubs that repeat just as well, browse the wider mass planting range. Care: one cutback and not much else Feed natives with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring and exotics with a standard controlled release feed. The one job that matters is the annual cut: take true grasses such as fountain grass, blood grass and poa down to 10cm to 15cm in late winter just before new growth. Strappy plants skip that entirely; halve a lomandra every three or four years if it gets leggy, and lift and divide agapanthus clumps in autumn when the centres go hollow. One honest warning: common fountain grass self seeds and is a declared weed in parts of Western Australia and South Australia, so choose the sterile purple form or a lomandra in those areas. Common questions What grows in dry shade under established trees? Mondo grass, liriope and dianellas handle root filled dry shade better than almost anything else in the nursery. Plant slightly closer than standard spacing and water well through the first summer, and they will hold ground where lawn has already failed. Do I have to cut everything back every year? Only the true grasses, which rebuild from the base after one hard late winter cut. Lomandras, dianellas and liriope can run three to five years between tidies, which is why strappy natives dominate low maintenance commercial plantings. Are these plants safe near pools and paving? Yes. Their fibrous roots will not lift paving, and Lomandra hystrix is specifically suited to poolside planting. Keep seed dropping grasses a few metres back from the waterline to spare the filter. Which ones are pet friendly? Lomandra 'Tanika', long leaf lomandra, Lomandra hystrix, common tussock grass, blue fescue and black mondo all carry our Pet Friendly flag. Blueberry lily misses out because its berries can upset pets, and agapanthus sap is toxic to cats and dogs, so site those away from chewers. How does delivery work for a mass planting order? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, which most mass planting orders clear easily. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Grasses for Landscaping

Ornamental grasses and strappy leaf plants do the quiet structural work in Australian gardens: edging paths, holding banks together, filling mass plantings and softening hard landscaping, all on very little water. This collection covers more than a hundred options, from tough native lomandras and dianellas through mondo grass and liriope for shade to fountain grass, blue fescue and flowering kangaroo paws. Most are sold in economical tube and 140mm sizes, so planting by the dozen stays affordable. Filter by position and water needs below. How to choose landscaping grasses Sort the collection into three working groups and the choice gets simple. The native strappy plants, lomandra and dianella above all, are the workhorses: evergreen, drought hardy once established, happy on verges, banks and baking western aspects where little else persists. The true ornamental grasses, fountain grass and blue fescue among them, bring movement and seed heads and earn feature positions where light catches them. The shade fillers, mondo grass and liriope, tolerate dry root filled ground under established trees, which is some of the hardest real estate in any garden. Kangaroo paws sit apart as flowering accents rather than fillers, planted in threes and fives for months of colour. Where they work in Australian gardens Grasses are climate flexible in a way few plant groups are. Lomandra and dianella handle everything from the tropics to frosty inland gardens, which is why councils plant them by the thousand. Fountain grass performs in warm and temperate zones but browns off after frost, returning in spring. Mondo and liriope suit shaded courtyards nationwide. For coastal gardens, lomandra and westringia companions cope with salt wind where soft leaved grasses burn. On slopes, lomandra is the honest answer to erosion: its deep fibrous roots knit banks together and it never needs mowing. Many of these are also Australian natives, so they support local birds and insects while asking almost nothing in return. Spacing and how many to buy Lomandra and dianella: 50cm to 60cm centres, about 3 to 4 plants per square metre, or one per metre as an edging row. Liriope: 25cm to 30cm centres, roughly 10 plants per square metre for solid cover within two seasons. Mondo grass: 15cm to 20cm centres, 25 or more per square metre. Slow but permanent. Fountain grass and other clumpers: 80cm to 1m apart so each clump reads as its own fountain. For big areas, buy tubestock. Tubes cost a fraction of potted stock, establish quickly, and a mass planting closes over within 12 to 18 months. They also pair well planted as a skirt in front of a hedge from our best hedging plants, hiding the bare lower stems. Care basics Water new plantings deeply once or twice a week for the first 8 to 12 weeks, then most of this collection looks after itself. Feed lightly in spring, using a low phosphorus native fertiliser for lomandra, dianella and kangaroo paw. Maintenance is one job a year: cut deciduous ornamental grasses back to about 10cm in late winter before new growth, and rake or comb dead leaves out of evergreen clumps. Lomandra can be cut back hard to 15cm every three or four years in late winter to renew a tired clump. Mondo needs nothing at all. Common questions Should I cut my grasses back, and when? Cut back grasses that brown off, such as fountain grass, in late winter. Evergreen strappy plants like lomandra only need a tidy up, with a hard renewal cut every few years. Never shear mondo or liriope; just remove spent leaves. Will any of these grow in full shade? Mondo grass and liriope are the reliable choices under trees and on the south side of buildings. Lomandra tolerates part shade but thins out in deep shade, and flowering choices like kangaroo paw need sun to perform. Do ornamental grasses die off in winter? Some go dormant. Fountain grass browns after frost and shoots away again in spring, which is normal. Lomandra, dianella, mondo and liriope stay green year round in almost all Australian climates. How fast will a mass planting fill in? At the spacings above, lomandra and dianella plantings look established in 12 to 18 months, liriope in about two seasons, and mondo in two to three years. Planting tighter speeds the effect but raises the bill quickly, and these are among the fast growing plants that genuinely reward patience.

Grevilleas

Grevilleas are the workhorses of Australian native gardens, and this range covers over 70 of them, from 40cm groundcovers to full silky oak trees. Every one is bird attracting, evergreen and drought tolerant once established, and most shrug off poor soil. The real decision is form and climate: the low south eastern spreaders take frost in their stride, while the big Queensland bred hybrids flower almost year round in warmer gardens. Filter by height and climate below. Start with the form, not the flower The flowers will win you over either way, so choose on size and habit first. For groundcover, 'Mt Tamboritha' hugs the ground at 40cm tall and 1.5m across, 'Forest Rambler' spreads to 2m at just 50cm high, and 'Winter Delight' carries pink and red spider flowers through the coldest months. For borders, pots and small gardens, 'Mini Marvel' stays under 1m and flowers most of the year. In the middle sits 'Robyn Gordon', the most planted of all at 1.5m tall and 2.5m wide with red brushes almost year round. For screening, 'Moonlight' reaches 4m and 'Honey Gem' 4.5m, both fast. At the top end, Brown Silky Oak makes an 8m feature tree and Southern Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta) a genuine 15m shade tree for acreage. Matching grevilleas to your climate All of them want full sun and free draining soil. From there, breeding decides. The low spreaders bred from south eastern alpine species, Mt Tamboritha, Winter Delight, Forest Rambler and 'Lilliane', are frost hardy and suit Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart and the hills, though Winter Delight sulks in humid summers and is a poor choice north of Sydney. The reverse applies to the big Queensland hybrids: Robyn Gordon, Honey Gem and Red Silky Oak thrive from the tropics through subtropical and arid gardens but handle light frost only. Perth and Adelaide gardeners have the widest choice from our Australian native plant range, since most are built for dry summers and take little water. Planting and spacing Drainage decides success. On heavy clay, mound the bed 200mm to 300mm high rather than digging deep, and never add rich compost or manure to the hole. Space groundcovers 1m apart for full cover within two seasons, Mini Marvel at 80cm, Robyn Gordon and 'Superb' at 1.5m, screening varieties at 2m and Brown Silky Oak at 3m. Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, mulch 75mm deep, then step back: an established plant needs almost nothing. Feeding, pruning and the phosphorus rule Grevilleas are phosphorus sensitive. Feed only with a low phosphorus native fertiliser, once in spring, and skip the blood and bone. Tip prune after each flowering flush from the first year, because a plant clipped little and often stays dense for a decade, while one left alone goes woody in the centre. Wear gloves when pruning: the foliage of Robyn Gordon and Superb can irritate sensitive skin. Common questions Which grevilleas handle frost? The low growers bred from southern species: Mt Tamboritha, Winter Delight, Forest Rambler and Lilliane are all frost hardy. The large flowered Queensland hybrids take light frost only, so in cold districts plant them against a warm wall or choose the southern types. Can I use normal fertiliser on them? No. Standard fertilisers and manures carry too much phosphorus, which yellows the foliage and can kill the plant over time. Use a native specific low phosphorus blend once a year and they will not ask for more. Will they really bring birds? Yes, and quickly. The brushes are nectar factories, and varieties like Robyn Gordon and Mini Marvel that flower most of the year feed honeyeaters through winter when little else does. Our guide to designing a native garden for wildlife shows how to layer them. Why did my grevillea die suddenly? Almost always root rot from wet feet, and it can take out a healthy looking plant in a fortnight of summer rain. Plant into a mound on clay soils, keep mulch off the trunk and resist the urge to water established plants.

Grey & Concrete Pots

Grey is the most forgiving colour in the garden, at home against timber, brick, render and every shade of green. This collection gathers our grey and concrete look pots in one place, from pale shale and speckled terrazzo to raw charcoal, across eggs, bowls, cylinders, troughs, urns and matching saucers. Most pieces are lightweight concrete, so even the larger sizes move without a crane, and there is a size for a windowsill through to a courtyard centrepiece. Pick the shape for the plant, then the shade for the backdrop. Why grey works so hard Grey does what terracotta and glazed colour cannot: it disappears politely and lets the plant do the talking. Foliage always reads greener against a neutral, silver leaved plants like westringia and lavender look deliberate rather than washed out, and a row of mismatched plants gains instant coherence when the pots match. It also bridges materials. A charcoal egg pot ties a timber deck to a rendered wall; a pale shale trough softens face brick. If you are buying several pots for one area, keeping them in the same grey family but varying the shapes is the easiest styling formula there is. Choosing shade and shape Pale greys and speckled terrazzo suit bright, open positions where dark pots can look heavy, and they show water marks less than charcoal. Darker charcoals ground a light coloured wall and hide soil splash. For shapes, match the vessel to the plant's habit: egg and round pots flatter strappy and mounding plants, cylinders and tall planters give small trees presence, low bowls suit succulents and seasonal colour, and troughs make instant balcony screens. Sizes here run from small table top pieces to statement scale, and most shapes repeat across three or four sizes so you can build a graduated cluster. The full mineral finish range, including cast concrete and carved limestone, lives in the concrete and stone pots collection. Sizing, drainage and everyday care Match the pot to the nursery pot: a 200mm nursery pot drops into roughly a 30cm decorative pot, a 300mm into a 40cm, and anything larger wants 60cm or more. Planting directly, leave 3cm to 5cm between mix and rim. Every pot needs its drainage hole working, so cover it with mesh rather than rocks, stand the pot on feet, and pair it with one of the matching saucers in this collection if it lives on a deck or indoors. Lightweight concrete may show a faint white lime bloom in its first months; it rinses off with water and a soft brush. Beyond that, grey concrete finishes are about as low maintenance as pots get, happy in full sun, coastal spray and frost alike. Common questions Are these real concrete? Most are lightweight concrete or terrazzo composite: a genuine cement based shell over reinforcement, with a fraction of the weight of solid cast concrete. You get the mineral surface without the two person lift, and the handful of solid concrete pieces are labelled as such. Will the colour fade in the sun? The colour is in the material rather than painted on, so it weathers gradually and evenly. Expect the finish to soften a little over the years, which suits the raw aesthetic rather than spoiling it. What plants look best in grey pots? Almost anything, which is the point. Green foliage intensifies, whites and silvers stay crisp, and hot flower colours pop. If you want contrast in material rather than colour, warm clay pieces from the terracotta pots collection mix well with grey in the same courtyard. How does delivery work? Pots are delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. If you are shopping for a tree sized vessel above this range, the large pots collection carries pieces from 50cm to 80cm across.

Ground Covers for Low Maintenance Gardens

Every plant here is a proven ground cover carrying our Low Maintenance flag, over 290 of them, from no mow lawn substitutes to succulent mats and native spreaders for slopes. The honest trade off is speed against control: fast runners knit over bare soil in a season but keep running, while tidy clumpers hold their line and take longer. Match the plant to sun, soil and traffic first, then check spacing in the guide below the grid. Runners or clumpers: the real choice Low maintenance does not mean no decisions. Spreading ground covers like creeping boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium) and pigface cover a metre or two per plant and smother weeds quickly, but they will keep going past the bed edge, so plan on trimming the margins once or twice a year. Clumping plants such as Lime Tuff lomandra and Evergreen Giant liriope never wander, which makes them the lazier choice along paths and driveways even though full coverage takes an extra season. If the area gets walked on, that decides it: no mow grass, kidney weed and creeping thyme all take light foot traffic, and thyme is happy between pavers. Matching the plant to the spot For hot, dry, open ground, the succulent mats (blue chalk sticks, pigface) and silver growers like Dymondia shrug off heat, salt and poor soil. For moist shade under trees, native violet and kidney weed spread indefinitely by runners where lawn gives up, and dwarf mondo builds a solid dark green carpet. On slopes and retaining walls, Cousin It spills its soft weeping foliage 2m wide, with silver trailing dichondra (Dichondra argentea) cascading more than a metre down the face. Coastal gardens are the easy case, since more than half the range tolerates salt. In frosty southern gardens choose frost hardy types such as creeping boobialla, lomandra, seaside daisy and thyme; no mow grass and the succulents prefer light frost only. Spacing and how many to buy Spacing sets how fast the gaps close. Divide the bed area by the spacing squared for plant numbers. 15cm to 25cm apart. Dwarf mondo, kidney weed and Dymondia, roughly 16 to 40 plants per square metre for a solid carpet within a year. 30cm to 40cm apart. No mow grass, creeping thyme, native violet, liriope and seaside daisy, about 6 to 11 plants per square metre. 50cm to 60cm apart. Lime Tuff lomandra and pigface, 3 to 4 per square metre. 1m apart. The big spreaders, creeping boobialla and Cousin It, a single plant per square metre. Tubestock makes big areas affordable: a 20 square metre bank is often cheaper to plant than to mulch. The first year is the only hard year Weed thoroughly before planting, because nothing suppresses weeds until it has knitted. Mulch between the young plants, water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, and tip prune the fast growers to push them sideways. After that the jobs shrink to edging the spreaders and an annual cut back of seaside daisy, which self seeds readily and is best kept away from bushland margins. Common questions Which ground covers spread fastest? Creeping boobialla, pigface, kidney weed and native violet are the quickest here, each covering their full spread in one to two growing seasons from a 1m or closer spacing. Which are safe around dogs? No mow grass, kidney weed, native violet, creeping thyme, Dymondia, pigface and liriope all carry our Pet Friendly flag. Creeping boobialla and blue chalk sticks do not, so browse the pet safe plant range if your dog chews. Can a ground cover replace my lawn? In low traffic areas, yes. No mow grass forms a soft undulating mat that rarely needs mowing, and kidney weed handles light foot traffic. Our no mow lawn alternatives guide compares the options honestly. Do ground covers really suppress weeds? Once fully knitted, a dense planting blocks most annual weeds from germinating. Until then it does nothing, which is why close spacing and pre-planting weed control matter more than the plant you pick.

Groundcover

Groundcovers are working plants: a living mulch that smothers weeds, holds moisture and soil, and turns bare dirt into something worth looking at. This range covers more than 150 options, from lawn substitutes such as no mow grass and dichondra to flowering carpets of pratia, gazania and seaside daisy, shade lovers like native violet and mondo, and tough bank binders such as creeping boobialla. Choose by the job first: foot traffic, slope, sun or shade. The guide below has real spacing numbers. Choose by the job, not the photo Groundcovers fail when they are picked for looks and asked to do work they cannot do, so be honest about the task first. Lawn replacement with light foot traffic. No mow grass (Zoysia tenuifolia), kidney weed (Dichondra repens), white pratia and thyme all take being walked on occasionally. None handle daily kids and dogs traffic like turf does. Weed suppression on banks and slopes. Creeping boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium), Grevillea 'Carpet Layer', juniper and pigface root as they spread, binding soil while they smother weeds. Dry, sunny and coastal ground. Gazanias, seaside daisy, pigface, blue chalk sticks and silver carpet thrive on heat, sand and salt with almost no summer water. Shade. Native violet, mondo grass, ajuga and selaginella carpet the ground under trees and on the south side of buildings where lawn gives up. Edges, spillers and detail. Silver falls dichondra pours over walls and pots, liriope and lomandra tidy borders, and pratia stitches paving joints together. Where groundcovers work in Australian gardens In hot dry climates around Perth, Adelaide and inland towns, succulent and silver leafed covers such as pigface, gazania and dymondia do the work lawns cannot, staying green through water restrictions. In humid Brisbane and coastal New South Wales, choose covers that cope with summer downpours and airflow, such as native violet, dichondra and lomandra. Cooler southern gardens suit ajuga, thyme, pratia and heuchera, all frost hardy. Nearly everything here also earns its keep on retaining walls and slopes, where spreading roots hold batters together and trailing growth softens the hard edges. Spacing: how many plants per square metre Spacing decides both your budget and how long the bare dirt phase lasts. As working numbers: Vigorous spreaders (creeping boobialla, pigface, Grevillea 'Carpet Layer'): 1 plant per square metre, 80cm to 1m apart. Cover in 12 to 18 months. Medium spreaders (gazania, seaside daisy, ground morning glory, thyme): 3 to 4 per square metre, 50cm apart. Cover in about a year. Small carpeters (pratia, kidney weed, native violet, ajuga): 5 to 6 per square metre, 40cm apart. Cover in one to two growing seasons. Tufting plants (mondo, liriope, lomandra): these do not run, so plant at their finished width, 15cm for dwarf mondo up to 40cm for lomandra. For instant coverage with zero establishment gap, our plant tiles arrive as pre grown mats ready to lay like turf. Getting groundcovers established Kill or remove every weed before planting, because you cannot weed inside a groundcover later without pulling the cover with it. Plant into moist soil, water in, then mulch the gaps 50mm deep so weeds do not claim the open ground first. Water twice a week for the first 8 to 10 weeks, then taper off; most of this range is genuinely drought tolerant once rooted. Feed once in spring with a controlled release fertiliser, using a low phosphorus native food for boobialla, grevillea and other natives. A light trim along paths and edges once or twice a year keeps everything inside its lane. Common questions Which groundcovers can I actually walk on? No mow grass, kidney weed, pratia, thyme and dichondra handle regular light foot traffic, stepping stones recommended for the daily route. Gazanias, boobialla and the succulents would rather you did not. What gives the fastest coverage? Creeping boobialla and pigface are the sprinters, each covering more than a square metre within a season in warm weather. Planting any spreader closer together buys speed too; halving the spacing roughly halves the wait. Will groundcovers stop weeds completely? Once closed over, a dense cover blocks almost all new weed germination, which is the point of a living mulch. The vulnerable window is the first few months, so mulch the gaps and stay on top of intruders until the canopy knits. Do I ever mow no mow grass? Not for survival. Left alone it forms soft green mounds about 10cm high; if you prefer a flatter lawn look, one high cut in late spring is plenty. How do groundcovers arrive? Most ship as healthy plants in 140mm pots or economical tubestock, delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Grasses and strappy leafed options are covered in more depth in grasses for landscaping.

Hedging & Screening

Screening plants are the most common reason Australians buy shrubs, and this is the full hedging and screening range, from 40cm clipped box borders to eight metre bamboo. The right choice comes down to three numbers: the height you actually need, the width you can spare, and how often you are willing to get the shears out. Filter by mature size, growth rate and climate below, or read the buying guide under the grid. Start with the height your screen actually needs Almost every screening mistake begins here. Gardeners buy the tallest, fastest plant on the bench to block one window, then spend the next decade cutting it back twice a year. Measure first. A standard fence panel is 1.8m, so a hedge held at 2.5m to 3m hides a neighbouring deck or first floor window from most angles. Then match that number to a plant whose natural height sits close to it. Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' reaches about 5m untrimmed and sits comfortably at 2m to 3m as a clipped hedge. Sweet Viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum) gets to 5m or 6m and is usually held at the same height. If you only need 1m to 1.5m, Japanese Box (Buxus microphylla var. japonica) or Coastal Rosemary (Westringia fruticosa) will reach that and stop. Width matters more than most people expect The second number is how far the plant pushes into the garden or path. A screening lilly pilly spreads to about 3m, which is unworkable in a side passage. This is where columnar selections earn their price: 'Straight and Narrow' holds roughly 1m wide at 5m tall and 'Pinnacle' about 1.2m, both with almost no side pruning. Keep the broader forms in our lilly pilly range for open runs. Growth rate versus maintenance Speed is never free. A plant that grows quickly upward grows quickly outward too, so time saved early is paid back in clipping. Fast growing screening plants such as Sweet Viburnum, Murraya and clumping bamboo want two to three trims a year once established. A modern lilly pilly selection needs one or two. Box needs a single annual clip, but takes three to four years to close a low hedge. The honest trade off: if you need privacy this season, plant fast and accept the maintenance. If you can wait two years, plant closer to your target height and clip once a year thereafter. Spacing: how many plants per metre of fence Divide the run length by the spacing, then add one if you want a plant at each end. 1m spacing, 1 plant per metre. Screening lilly pillies, Sweet Viburnum, Murraya, Photinia and clumping bamboo. A 12m fence takes 12 plants. 60cm to 80cm spacing, 1.25 to 1.7 plants per metre. Columnar screeners such as 'Pinnacle' and 'Straight and Narrow'. A 12m run takes 15 to 20 plants. 70cm spacing, about 1.4 plants per metre. Coastal Rosemary and other hedges finishing near 1.5m. 30cm to 40cm spacing, 2.5 to 3 plants per metre. Formal box borders and low edging. Planting tighter does not buy a faster hedge. It buys root competition, thin bases and losses by year three. Set the row 60cm to 80cm off the fence so you can prune behind it. Choosing screening plants for your climate Australia is not one growing region, and the hedge that thrives in Cairns will sulk in Canberra. Tropical and subtropical gardens. Lilly pillies, Murraya, Sweet Viburnum and clumping bamboo all perform. Humidity brings psyllid pressure on older lilly pilly varieties, so choose a resistant selection. Warm temperate coastal gardens. The widest choice in the country. Salt and wind are the limits, so favour coastal and salt tolerant plants. Cool temperate and frost prone gardens, including inland New South Wales and Victoria, the Adelaide Hills, Canberra and Tasmania. Frost hardy species only. Sweet Viburnum, Photinia 'Red Robin', Coastal Rosemary and Japanese Box all cope. Murraya and most bamboo do not. Mediterranean and dry inland gardens around Perth and Adelaide. Westringia, box and photinia hold a hedge on far less water than a lilly pilly, and many Australian native plants suit these conditions. Planting and the first two years Dig each hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, so the plant sits at its original soil level. Backfill with the soil you removed, water in heavily, then mulch 75mm deep and keep the mulch off the stems. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer rather than lightly every day, and feed with controlled release fertiliser in early spring and late summer. Start tip pruning while the plants are small: a hedge trimmed lightly from year one builds a dense base, and one left to run tall for three years never fills in at the bottom. Our lilly pilly care guide covers pruning timing in more detail. Common questions How long until my screen closes up? Planted from 200mm pots and watered properly, most fast screening plants give meaningful privacy in 18 months to two years, with full coverage by year three. Tubestock costs far less per plant and catches up better than people expect, but adds roughly a year. Can I plant a hedge right against the fence? You can, but leave 60cm to 80cm of clearance if the plant will finish above 2m. You need access to prune the back face, and a hedge crammed against palings traps moisture and pushes on the fence as trunks thicken. For a low box border, 30cm is plenty. Which screening plant needs the least work? One that stops near your target height by itself. Coastal Rosemary at 1.5m, Japanese Box held around 1m, or a columnar lilly pilly kept at 3m all need one or two clips a year. High maintenance hedges ask an 8m plant to behave like a 2m wall. Are there screening plants that will not lift paving? Clumping bamboo has a contained root system and stays about 1m to 2m across at the base, unlike running types, so the clumping bamboo collection is safe near paths and pools. Lilly pillies and Westringia are also well behaved near paving. How does delivery work for a full hedge order? Everything on this page is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Heliconias

Heliconias are the fastest way to make a garden read as tropical, and this range holds over 25 varieties, from compact 1.8m parrot flowers to 3.5m screening clumps with hanging lobster claw bracts. They are honest about their needs: frost free warmth, dappled light, steady moisture and room for the clump to spread. From Brisbane north they are effortless. Further south they are a pot or courtyard project, and the guide below explains both paths. Compact clumps or tall screens Height splits the range cleanly. The parrot flower types (Heliconia psittacorum and its hybrids) sit at about 1.8m: Lady Di, Parakeet and Golden Torch all hold upright red, orange and gold bracts on compact clumps that suit pots, poolside beds and mass planting at 1m centres. Lady Di is also an excellent cut flower. In the middle, Red Christmas reaches 2m with rich red bracts through the warmer months. The tall growers do double duty as screening: Hanging Lobster Claw drips red and yellow pendent bracts from 2.5m stems, while Hot Rio Nights and the pink bracted Temptress make 3m clumps, and Rauliniana tops the range at 3.5m. The other split is bract habit. Upright types read as bold cut flower beds; the pendent types, Hanging Lobster Claw, Temptress and the pendula forms, belong where you look into the hanging flowers, beside a path or above a retaining wall. Where heliconias actually thrive Every plant here is frost tender without exception. In tropical gardens from Cairns to Darwin and in the subtropics around Brisbane and northern New South Wales they grow fast and flower reliably, alongside the rest of our tropical plant range. Red Christmas stretches into warm temperate coastal gardens if the position never sees frost. South of that, treat them as container plants: a large pot against a warm wall, moved under cover in winter. They want dappled light or morning sun, wind shelter to keep the leaves whole, and rich soil that never dries out. Many, including Golden Torch and Hot Rio Nights, tolerate wet feet, which makes them useful beside ponds and in boggy corners where little else looks lush. Planting and spacing Plant in spring once nights are reliably warm, into soil improved with compost. Space the compact types 1m apart and the tall screeners 1.5m apart for a solid wall of foliage within two seasons. They spread steadily by rhizome, so allow room, sink a root barrier, or keep them potted where the bed is tight. Mulch 75mm deep and water two or three times a week through the first summer, more in pots. Care through the year Feed generously: a controlled release fertiliser in spring and midsummer keeps the clump pushing new stems. Each stem flowers once, so cut spent stems to the ground and the clump replaces them. Tidy tattered leaves rather than stripping the plant, and in the subtropics ease off watering through winter while growth is slow. Divide crowded clumps in spring every three or four years and pot the spares. Common questions Can I grow heliconias in Sydney or Melbourne? In the ground, only in genuinely frost free Sydney microclimates, and not outdoors in Melbourne. A big pot in a sunny courtyard, moved under cover from May to September, works in both cities. Our tropical climate collection shows what pairs with them in warm gardens. Why is my clump not flowering? Usually age or light. Young divisions take a season or two to build the stem mass that flowers, and a clump in deep shade grows leaves instead of bracts. Feed it, give it brighter dappled light and wait. Do the flowers attract birds? Yes. The bracts hold nectar rich true flowers and every variety here is bird attracting. Honeyeaters and sunbirds work the clumps daily through the flowering season. How do I stop them taking over? The rhizomes creep outward rather than running far, so a 300mm deep root barrier or an annual spade cut around the clump edge keeps them in bounds. In pots they are completely contained.

High Water

Some gardens have a spot that never quite dries out, and some gardeners run irrigation that keeps beds moist all year. This collection gathers the plants that want exactly that: alocasias and heliconias for lush tropical beds, fan palms and tree ferns for sheltered shade, and swamp cypress, river birch and weeping willow for genuinely wet ground. Check each plant's climate range as you browse, because water needs and cold tolerance are separate questions. Everything is delivered Australia wide. How to choose high water plants High water plants split into two camps, and choosing well means knowing which one your garden needs. Ground that stays saturated for weeks is a different problem from a rich, irrigated bed that never quite dries out. For genuinely boggy ground and pond edges, the deciduous water trees are the reliable choice: Swamp Cypress tolerates standing water outright, and River Birch, Dawn Redwood and Weeping Willow all thrive where lawn drowns. For moist but drained soil, the tropical foliage plants take over: alocasias, colocasias and heliconias, backed by thirsty palms and clumping bamboo. Then check cold tolerance, because a love of water says nothing about frost. Heliconias, Lipstick Palm and the Licuala fan palms are strictly for the tropics and warm subtropics. The water trees run the other way and handle hard frost without complaint. Where these plants work across Australia Tropical and subtropical gardens. The whole collection is open to you. Heliconias and alocasias build a rainforest understorey, fan palms fill sheltered shade, and clumping bamboo makes a fast screen with a matching appetite for water. Warm temperate gardens. Alocasias, Majesty Palm and most of the bamboo perform well with regular irrigation and shelter from cold, drying winds. Cool temperate and frost prone gardens. Plant the deciduous water lovers. Weeping Willow, River Birch, Swamp Cypress and Dawn Redwood colour beautifully in autumn and shrug off heavy frost. Indoors. The smaller entries, including Maranta, Homalomena and the carnivorous pitcher plants, suit bright rooms where the mix is kept consistently moist. Planting and care basics Rich soil holds the moisture these plants want, so dig in compost before planting and mulch 75mm deep, keeping the mulch clear of stems. Water deeply two or three times a week through the first summer; established trees in naturally damp ground largely look after themselves. Feed with a controlled release fertiliser in early spring, and again in late summer in warm climates. In beds that rely on irrigation rather than natural moisture, a dripper line under the mulch beats hand watering for consistency every time. If you are building a full bed, browse the wider tropical plants collection for companions, or add height from the clumping bamboo range and our palm trees. Common questions Will these plants grow in standing water? Only a few. Swamp Cypress genuinely tolerates it and Weeping Willow copes at a pond margin. Most of the collection wants moist, rich soil that still drains, not stagnant water sitting around the roots. Can I plant a willow or river birch near the house? Keep water seeking trees well away from pipes, drains and foundations; 10m is a sensible minimum for a willow. Clumping bamboo is the safe alternative near paving and pools, because its root mass stays compact. I do not garden in the tropics. Is this collection still for me? Yes. The deciduous water trees suit every cold region of Australia, and alocasias grow as far south as Melbourne in a sheltered courtyard. Check the climate information on each product page before you buy. How does delivery work? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

House & Indoor Plants

Indoor plants live or die on one question: how much light the room actually gets. This collection covers the full indoor range, from low light survivors like snake plants, cast iron plants and pothos to bright room feature plants like the fiddle leaf fig and monstera, plus palms, peace lilies, calatheas and a run of indoor pots to put them in. Be honest about your light and your watering habits, and the guide below does the rest. Choose indoor plants by light first Almost every indoor plant failure traces back to light or water, and light is the one you cannot fix with better habits. Stand in the room at midday and be honest about what you see. A bright room with a large north or east facing window suits the glamour plants: the fiddle leaf fig, the monstera, philodendrons, crotons and figs. A few metres back from the window, peace lilies, calatheas, dracaenas and most palms are happier than the sun lovers. For genuinely dim corners, hallways and south facing rooms, the short list is the honest list: snake plants, cast iron plant, pothos and the lady palm hold their looks where almost nothing else will. Match the plant to the room Living rooms. One statement plant beats five small ones. Fiddle leaf figs, lady palms, weeping figs and corn plants all reach 1.5m to 2m indoors. Bathrooms. Steam suits the humidity lovers: ferns, calatheas and peace lilies thrive where other plants crisp at the edges. Desks and shelves. Peperomias, haworthias, jades and trailing pothos stay compact and forgive a missed watering. Bedrooms. Snake plants and peace lilies tolerate lower light and stay tidy without constant grooming. Watering, feeding and the numbers that matter Push a finger into the mix and water only when the top 2cm to 3cm is dry. In practice that means roughly weekly in summer and every two to three weeks in winter, but the finger overrules the calendar. Water until it runs from the drainage holes, let the pot drain, and never leave it standing in a full saucer for more than half an hour. Feed at half strength with a liquid fertiliser monthly through spring and summer, and not at all in winter. Give each plant a quarter turn every week or so to keep it growing straight, and wipe dust off large leaves so they can use the light you chose them for. Pots, drainage and repotting Keep the plant in its plastic nursery pot and sit that inside a decorative cover pot 2cm to 5cm wider. You get the look, the drainage and easy watering at the sink. When roots circle the base or water races straight through, repot in spring into a pot one size up using a premium indoor mix; most indoor plants want this every two to three years. The pots and planters collection includes indoor cover pots sized to the nursery pots these plants arrive in. Indoor growing across the Australian year Nearly everything here is a tropical understorey plant, which is exactly why it likes our living rooms: 18 to 26 degrees, no frost, bright shade. In northern Australia growth barely pauses, so keep up the water and feeding for most of the year. In the southern states, winter is the danger season. Move plants off cold windowsills at night, keep leaves clear of heater draughts, and halve the watering. Yellow leaves in July are nearly always wet feet, not thirst. Common questions Why are the leaves yellowing? Overwatering, nine times out of ten. Check the mix before reaching for the watering can, and check the pot drains freely. Constantly wet mix suffocates roots, and the leaves report it first. Which indoor plants are hardest to kill? Snake plant, cast iron plant, pothos and jade. All four handle low light, erratic watering and being ignored over the holidays. Are indoor plants safe around pets? Not all of them. Monstera and peace lilies, for example, can irritate cats and dogs if chewed. Browse the plants safe for pets collection if you share the house with a determined chewer. What size will my plant arrive? Each product page lists the current pot size and height, from 130mm desk plants up to advanced specimens well over a metre. Indoor plants are delivered Australia wide, packed to travel, with delivery from $29.95, no minimum order, and our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas bring some of the biggest flower heads in gardening to the spots too shady for roses. The varieties here all sit between 1.2m and 1.5m, so the choice is really about colour behaviour: mopheads that shift blue in acid soil and pink in alkaline, whites that stay white regardless, one that ages from cream to deep red, and an evergreen type for warm frost free gardens. All grow as happily in large pots as in the ground. Choosing by colour behaviour, not just colour With every variety here finishing at a similar size, the real differences are in the flowers. The classic mopheads (Hydrangea macrophylla) respond to soil chemistry: 'Obsidian Storm Cloud' carries its blooms blue to purple in acid soil and pink in alkaline, over unusually dark stems and foliage. If you want a colour that never argues with your soil, 'White Knight' stays pure white regardless of pH, and 'Magical Pearl' opens white then ages to lime green and pink. 'Annabelle' is the cool climate favourite, a fast growing 1.4m shrub with big white heads, while 'Diamond Rouge' opens creamy white and deepens to red as autumn approaches. The odd one out is the Evergreen Hydrangea (Dichroa versicolor), which holds its foliage year round and suits gardens that never freeze. Where hydrangeas grow well The rule that matters is morning sun, afternoon shade. In cool temperate gardens around Melbourne, Hobart and the ranges, all the deciduous varieties are frost hardy and can take more sun. In Sydney, Perth and the subtropics, afternoon shade is non negotiable, and the mopheads plus the evergreen type handle Brisbane humidity well. In the tropics, only the evergreen form is a sensible choice. South facing beds, the shaded side of a fence and sheltered courtyards are ideal spots, covered in more depth in our guide to shade gardening in Australia. Planting and spacing Plant into soil enriched with compost, in a spot with shelter from hot afternoon wind. Space 'Magical Pearl' at 80cm, 'White Knight', 'Annabelle' and the evergreen form at 1m, and 'Diamond Rouge' at 1.2m for a massed border. Water deeply two or three times a week through the first summer; the name comes from the Greek for water, and a dry establishment year is the most common way to lose one. Mulch 75mm deep to keep the roots cool. In pots, use a 40cm to 50cm container and expect to water daily in summer heat. Pruning and colour management Prune in late winter. On the mopheads, cut back to a pair of fat buds below each spent head and remove the oldest canes at the base, because they flower on older wood. 'Annabelle' and 'Diamond Rouge' flower on new season growth, so they can be cut back harder to 30cm to 50cm and still bloom. To push a pH sensitive variety blue, feed with aluminium sulphate in autumn and winter; garden lime nudges it pink. It is a slow shift over a season, not a switch. Common questions Why are my blue flowers turning pink? Your soil is more alkaline than the grower's mix. Apply aluminium sulphate through autumn and winter and mulch with composted leaves, and the blooms will drift back to blue over the next season or two. Can I grow them in Queensland? Yes. The mopheads and the evergreen form both cope with subtropical humidity, provided they get afternoon shade and steady water. North of the subtropics, choose the evergreen type. Why is my plant wilting every afternoon? Afternoon sun and big soft leaves. If it recovers by evening it is coping, but move it or add shade if the wilting starts before midday. Deep watering beats frequent light sprinkles. Are hydrangeas safe for pets? No. Leaves, buds and flowers are toxic to cats and dogs, so plant them away from animals that chew or pick from our pet safe plant range instead.

Indoor Flowering Plants

Most indoor plants are grown for leaves. Everything here is chosen to actually flower inside an Australian home, from peace lilies that bloom at the dim end of the living room to anthuriums, cyclamen, bat plants and seasonal poinsettias. The range runs from $12.95 potted colour to advanced specimen plants. Light is the decision that matters: match the plant to the brightness of the room you have, not the room you wish you had, and the flowers follow. Match the plant to your light Indoor flowering failures are almost always light failures, so be honest about the room before you choose the plant. Low to moderate light. Peace lilies are the only plants here that flower reliably away from a window. The compact 'Chico' and 'Stephanie' suit shelves and desks from $15.95, while the metre tall Sensation Peace Lily makes a serious floor plant. Bright, filtered light. Anthuriums, Medinilla myriantha and the extraordinary Black Bat Plant all flower well within a metre or two of a bright window, out of direct sun. Cool and bright. Cyclamen are the winter specialists, flowering for months on a windowsill, in an entry or in the coolest room of the house. Most varieties here are $14.95. A sunny windowsill. The flowering succulents and cacti, including String of Pearls, Ruby Necklace and the small ball cacti, want the brightest spot you own. Where they work around Australia Indoors flattens the climate map, but not completely. In humid northern homes, anthuriums, bat plants and Medinilla grow almost as easily as they would outside. In the southern states the challenge is winter heating, which dries the air, so group the tropical bloomers together and keep them off cold sills overnight. Cyclamen run the other way: they thrive through cool southern winters and sulk in subtropical humidity. Poinsettias colour naturally through the Australian winter, when short days trigger their red and cream bracts. Care basics that keep flowers coming Water when the top 2cm to 3cm of mix feels dry, which in most homes means weekly in summer and every 10 to 14 days in winter. Feed at half strength with a liquid fertiliser monthly through spring and summer, snip spent blooms at the base, and repot into fresh mix every second year. A drooping peace lily is asking for water, not dying, and stands back up within hours of a drink. Common questions Why won't my peace lily flower? Light, almost every time. Peace lilies survive dim corners but only flower freely near a bright window with filtered light. Move the plant brighter for a month and feed it, and flowering usually restarts. Are these plants safe around pets? Treat most of this collection as not for chewing. Peace lilies, anthuriums and philodendrons contain sap that irritates mouths, and cyclamen tubers are toxic to dogs and cats, so use stands and shelves out of reach. Do cyclamen die after flowering? No, they go dormant. When flowering finishes and the leaves yellow in late spring, ease off the watering and rest the pot somewhere dry and shaded. Fresh leaves return in autumn. How do the plants arrive? Potted and secured for transit, delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and a 30 day healthy plant guarantee. There is a minimum order of $300 before delivery, which suits a shelf worth of plants rather than a single cyclamen, so browse the wider indoor plant range or the succulent collection to round out an order.

Indoor Plants

More than 280 indoor plants, from snake plants and pothos that forgive weeks of neglect to statement pieces like the fiddle leaf fig, lady palm and monstera, plus calatheas, philodendrons, peace lilies and a healthy run of succulents. The whole game is matching the plant to the light your room actually gets, not the light you wish it got. Filter by light needs and care level below, or start with the buying guide under the grid. How to choose indoor plants Light is the whole decision, and most indoor plant failures are really light failures. Stand in the spot you want to fill at midday and be honest about what you see. Bright, indirect light (near a window, no direct sun on the leaves): the widest choice. The Fiddle Leaf Fig, monstera, philodendrons, calatheas and weeping figs all do their best work here. Low light (a few metres from a window, or a south facing room): snake plants, peace lilies, aglaonemas, pothos and the lady palm keep performing where most plants slowly give up. Growth is slower, not unhappy. Direct sun (a hot windowsill or sunroom): most tropical foliage scorches here, so hand this spot to jades, kalanchoes and the rest of our succulents and cacti, or to a coffee plant that gets morning sun only. Then be honest about attention. Snake plants, pothos, dracaenas and succulents tolerate the fortnightly waterer. Calatheas, fittonias and alocasias want checking twice a week and repay it with the best foliage in the category. If you are starting out, buy one forgiving plant and one fussy one, and learn on the cheap one. Indoor plants in Australian homes Australian indoor conditions are defined by air conditioning and heating, which both strip humidity. Most tough foliage plants cope, but the humidity lovers, calatheas, fittonias and ferns, do noticeably better in bathrooms and kitchens or grouped together so they create their own moist pocket. Keep all plants clear of air con outlets and heater draughts, which brown leaf edges faster than any watering mistake. In southern states, pull plants back from cold window glass on winter nights, and in the tropics almost the entire range will also grow happily on a shaded veranda. Our palms, ferns and tropical plants range extends the look to those covered outdoor spaces. Potting, watering and feeding Water by feel, not by calendar: push a finger into the mix and water only when the top 2cm to 3cm is dry, then water until it runs from the drainage holes. For most homes that lands somewhere between weekly in summer and fortnightly in winter. Every pot needs a drainage hole; a decorative pot without one is a sleeve, so keep the plant in its plastic nursery pot inside it and tip out any standing water. Repot every one to two years in spring into a pot about 5cm wider, using a premium indoor mix. Feed monthly with half strength liquid fertiliser through spring and summer, not at all in winter, and wipe dust off large leaves every month or two so they can actually photosynthesise. Common questions Why are the leaves going yellow? Overwatering, nine times out of ten. Roots sitting in wet mix suffocate, and the plant shows it in the leaves. Let the pot dry out further between drinks and check nothing is pooling in the outer pot. Yellowing on just the oldest one or two leaves is usually normal ageing. Which indoor plants survive a dark corner? None thrive in genuine darkness, but snake plants, aglaonemas, pothos and peace lilies get closest, and a peace lily will even tell you when it is thirsty by drooping. If you cannot comfortably read a book there at midday, rotate two plants through the spot fortnightly instead of sacrificing one. Are indoor plants safe around pets? Many popular foliage plants, including monstera, philodendrons and peace lilies, irritate mouths and stomachs if chewed. With a determined chewer in the house, choose calatheas, peperomias, spider plants and parlour or lady palms, and keep everything else on shelves out of reach. How do plants handle delivery? Indoor plants are delivered Australia wide, secured in their pots so the mix stays put in transit. Delivery starts from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Unbox on arrival, water if the mix is dry, and give new arrivals a week in bright, indirect light before moving them to their final spot. Our guide on how to keep your indoor plants alive covers the first month in detail.

Indoor Pots

Every pot in this collection is chosen to live indoors: finer finishes, lighter weights and sizes that suit houseplants, from a $7.95 glazed cache pot for the windowsill to statement ceramic and lightweight stone planters big enough for an indoor tree. The simplest approach is to keep your plant in its plastic nursery pot and drop the whole thing inside a decorative pot one size up. The buying guide below covers sizing, drainage and saucers, and everything is delivered Australia wide. Get the size of your indoor pot right first Indoor pots are bought by the numbers, and the number that matters is the diameter of the plastic nursery pot your plant already lives in. Most houseplants sit in a 130mm to 200mm nursery pot, and larger floor plants in a 250mm or 300mm. The easiest system is the cache pot method: leave the plant in its nursery pot and sit the whole thing inside a decorative pot 20mm to 50mm wider. It hides the plastic, protects your floors, and turns repotting or swapping a tired plant into a ten second job. Within this collection, the White Indoor Glazed Cache Pot starts at $7.95 for windowsill plants, the Italian styled ceramic pots (Noto, Lipari, Trapani and Enna) run to 360mm for mid sized floor plants, and the StoneLite and Terrazzo ranges scale up for an indoor fig, dracaena or palm. If you are shopping for a shelf of small plants, the small pots collection collects everything under bench scale in one place. Drainage indoors: the question that decides everything A pot without a drainage hole is a cache pot, and indoors that is a feature. Water the plant at the sink or in the shower, let it drain fully, then return it to the cache pot; nothing ever drips on the floor. Tip out any water that collects in the base within a day, because roots standing in it will rot. If you would rather plant directly into the decorative pot, use one with a drainage hole and pair it with a saucer. The Terrazzo round, square and trough saucers in this collection are made exactly for that, and a saucer under any large pot is cheap insurance for timber and carpet. Materials and weight Ceramic is the classic indoor finish, glazed and easy to wipe clean, in whites, sage, soft pink and patterned designs. Terrazzo adds speckled texture that suits modern interiors. GRC and StoneLite are moulded stone composites at a fraction of the weight of solid concrete, which is the difference between shifting a large planted pot yourself and calling for help. Weight matters twice indoors: once for your back, and once for apartment balconies and timber floors with load and scratch limits. Most of these finishes also come in the white pots collection if you are matching a light interior. Common questions Do indoor pots need a drainage hole? No, as long as you use them as cache pots and water the plant elsewhere. Only plant directly into a pot that drains. The fastest way to kill a houseplant is soil sitting in a sealed pot of water. What size pot suits an indoor tree? A 300mm nursery pot needs a decorative pot of roughly 350mm to 400mm internal diameter, which is where the 360mm ceramics and the larger StoneLite tree planters come in. Bigger is fine; it just needs more careful watering. Will a heavy pot damage a timber floor? It can. Use a saucer or pot feet under anything large, choose the lightweight StoneLite or GRC versions for big plants, and lift rather than drag when you move them. What about the plant itself? Our indoor plants collection has more than 250 options, all delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order.

Landscaping Supplies

These are the hard landscaping basics that finish a garden: metal, timber and stone edging, decorative pebbles and white stone, drainage gravel, paver sand, screening panels and bamboo stakes. None of it grows, but all of it decides whether the things that do grow look intentional. Bags and panels come in standard sizes, so quantities are easy to plan, and the guide below gives real coverage rates per bag and per metre before you reach the checkout. Working out quantities For decorative stone and pebbles, allow roughly four 20kg bags per square metre at a 50mm depth, the minimum depth that keeps soil covered. The 20 to 25mm Snow White stone suits paths and open mulched areas, while the chunkier 30 to 50mm white pebbles hold their position better on slopes and around water. Drainage gravel behind a retaining wall or in a soakage trench works at the same rate. For edging, measure the bed perimeter and divide by unit length: the flat rust metal edging runs 6m per pack, the Roman stone edging 1.2m and the merbau border roll 2m. Edging: pick by line, not just by look Flexible metal and timber edging follow curves, so they suit organic bed shapes, and the flat rust profile all but disappears once plants spill over it. Rigid stone effect edging wants straight runs and formal beds. Whichever you choose, set it 10 to 20mm proud of the lawn so the mower wheel can ride the edge, and bed it on a compacted sand base, which is exactly the job of the 20kg paver sand. Screens and stakes The bamboo slat and PVC screening panels fix straight to tired palings or a light frame and improve the backdrop the same afternoon. They also buy time while a living screen grows in front of them, and a planted screen from the hedging and screening range remains the better ten year answer. Bamboo stakes belong in the ground at planting time, not after: stake a new tree loosely with two stakes and soft ties so the trunk still flexes and thickens. Common questions How many bags of stone for a 3m x 1m bed? About twelve 20kg bags at 50mm deep, or half that for a 25mm top up over existing stone. Lay weed matting first and you will not be topping up for years. What goes under pavers or stepping stones? A compacted 20 to 30mm bed of paver sand over firm soil. One 20kg bag covers just under half a square metre at that depth. Can the screening panels be cut to size? Yes, both the bamboo and PVC screening cut with ordinary hand tools, and offcuts do a second job hiding bins and pool pumps. Finish the new bed with products from our potting mixes, mulches and fertilisers range and the corner is done in a weekend.

Large Palms for Instant Impact

Palms put height and presence into a garden faster than almost any tree, and this collection covers large palms for exactly that job, from affordable potted specimens you can plant yourself to advanced ex ground stock several metres tall. The real decision is climate first, then form: a single clean trunk as a feature, or a clumping palm that doubles as a screen. Most prefer warmth, though a handful shrug off frost. Everything is delivered Australia wide, with advanced and large stock freighted at cost. How to choose from the large palms here Start with form. Single trunk palms read as architecture: the Foxtail Palm (Wodyetia bifurcata), a Queensland native, carries plume-like fronds to about 10m, and the Alexander Palm (Archontophoenix alexandrae) reaches similar height quickly. Clumping palms do a different job: Golden Cane (Dypsis lutescens) builds a 6m thicket of stems that screens a fence line like a hedge. Then weigh speed against patience. Fast growers such as Foxtail and Alexander make up size quickly, so a mid-sized pot catches up within a few seasons. Slow palms are the ones worth buying big: a Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana) takes 10 to 15 years to reach 5m or 6m, so an advanced one hands you a decade of growth. Matching a palm to your climate In tropical and subtropical gardens almost everything here thrives, including strictly frost free showpieces like the Bottle Palm. In warm temperate gardens around Sydney and Perth, Bangalow, Kentia and the Dwarf Date Palm all perform, and Golden Cane succeeds in a frost free sheltered spot. In cooler southern gardens the European Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis) is the safe choice: frost hardy, drought tolerant and slow to about 3m. On the coast, Foxtail, Kentia and Golden Cane all handle salt and wind. Planting and spacing that actually works Palm roots are fibrous rather than woody, so most here sit safely near pools and paving. Space Golden Cane and Bangalow at 1.5m for a dense screen, and Alexander at 2m for a grove effect. Give the Bismarck Palm room: its silver crown spreads to 6m, so keep it at least 3m off paths and buildings. Site the Dwarf Date Palm away from walkways, as each frond base carries sharp spines, and keep Alexanders clear of pool edges; they drop heavy fronds and seed. Getting an advanced palm established Dig the hole twice the width of the rootball and no deeper, plant at the original soil level, and water in heavily. Water deeply two or three times a week through the first summer, then taper off. Feed with controlled release fertiliser in spring and midsummer, and remove only fully brown fronds; stripping green ones starves the palm. Our palm varieties guide covers the main types in more detail. Common questions Which large palm gives the fastest result? Foxtail and Alexander Palms are the quickest single trunk options, and Golden Cane is the fastest screen. Advanced stock skips the slow early years entirely. Will palm roots damage pipes, pools or paving? Palms have fibrous root systems rather than thick woody roots, so they rarely lift paving or crack pipes. Foxtail, Kentia and Bottle Palms are all flagged non-invasive and widely planted beside pools. Can I keep a large palm in a pot? Yes, with a slow or compact species. Kentia, European Fan, Bottle and Dwarf Date Palms all live for years in a 60cm to 80cm container with good drainage. What is the best palm for a cold climate? The European Fan Palm is the standout, handling frost, heat and drought in cool temperate gardens. Kentia and Bangalow tolerate light frost once established, but young plants need winter protection. How does delivery work for a big palm? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every palm carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Browse the full palm tree range for smaller and indoor options, or the tropical plant collection for underplanting.

Large Pots

Large pots, 50 to 80cm across, hold real trees: a potted lemon, an olive, a clipped bay, or a screening run in troughs where there is no garden bed. The 156 designs here lean into lightweight concrete, terrazzo and aged ceramic, with glazed statement jars and carved limestone at the top end. Prices run from $22.95 cylinders to collector pieces. Weight matters as much as looks at this scale, so read the buying guide below before you choose. What a large pot will actually hold Large in this range means roughly 50 to 80cm across the opening, which is genuine tree territory. A 300mm or 400mm nursery pot drops straight in with room to grow, and the biggest vessels here take a 45 litre root ball. This is the size for a lemon on a paved terrace, an olive or frangipani as a courtyard centrepiece, clipped topiary flanking a front door, or a privacy screen grown in troughs along a balcony rail where no garden bed exists. The sizing rule from smaller pots still applies, just scaled up: give the plant 10 to 15cm more width than its current nursery pot. A tree planted into vastly more mix than its roots can occupy sits in cold, wet material through winter, and that stalls establishment. For screening in planters, choose troughs over rounds. A 100cm trough plants three screeners at practical spacing where three round pots would sprawl across double the length. Weight decides more than looks Have this conversation before you set your heart on a pot. A planted 60cm ceramic weighs 70 to 100kg once the mix is moist. Cast concrete and limestone run heavier again, and none of it moves without a trolley and two people. So position first, plant second, and if the pot sits on a deck or balcony, check the structure can carry a concentrated load of that size, spread across pot feet. This is exactly why lightweight concrete and GRC dominate the collection, with more than 40 designs between them. Fibre reinforcement gives the mass and finish of concrete at well under half the weight, which is the difference between a two person lift and a machinery hire. If the pot will ever move, or ever sit above ground level, start with these materials, or with terrazzo, which splits the difference between presence and portability. Materials at this scale Aged ceramic brings a warm, weathered, handmade finish that suits Mediterranean and relaxed coastal gardens, and it only looks better as it ages. Double fired glazed ceramic, including the Premium Glaze tree planters and temple jars, holds deep colour for decades and resists frost, the safest bet for cold climate gardens inland and south. Terrazzo reads contemporary and architectural. Carved limestone sits at the top of the range as a permanent, single position statement. Timber troughs are the lightest way to plant a long run, with a shorter working life outdoors than stone or fired clay. Filling and drainage Budget mix honestly: a 50cm pot swallows 50 to 60 litres, a 70cm pot up to 150. Use a premium potting mix rather than garden soil, which compacts into an airless block inside a container. Do not add a gravel layer in the base, it lifts the water table into the roots instead of lowering it. If a purely ornamental planting does not need full depth, an upturned empty nursery pot in the base saves mix and weight, but keep at least 40cm of mix depth for any shrub or tree. Stand every outdoor pot on feet so the drainage hole stays clear, and refresh the top 10cm of mix each spring rather than repotting. Placing large pots well One well sized large pot beats five apologetic ones. Use a single statement vessel to end a path or axis, a matched pair to frame an entry, or one large piece as the anchor of a cluster with a couple of medium pots stepping down from it. In open or windy positions, wide based forms with a low centre of gravity are far more stable than narrow footed urns. The full pots and planters range is worth a browse if you are building a group across several sizes. Common questions Can I put a large pot on a balcony? Usually, with care. A planted 60cm pot concentrates 80kg or more on a small footprint, so choose glazed ceramic in a smaller size, or lightweight concrete and GRC at full size, stand the pot on feet to spread the load and protect the membrane, and confirm any body corporate weight rules first. What potting mix do large pots need? A premium standard mix suits most plantings, and citrus or natives appreciate their specific blends. The quantity is the surprise, not the type: have 60 to 150 litres on hand depending on pot size, and water it in stages as you fill so the profile wets evenly. Will a tree in a large pot outgrow it? Eventually, and that is normal. Most trees hold happily in a 60 to 80cm pot for five years or more with an annual feed and a top up of fresh mix. When growth slows noticeably, root prune and refresh the mix rather than hunting for an even bigger vessel. How do large pots arrive? Boxed and padded, delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Check the outdoor pots collection if you want the weather ready subset of this range in one view.

Lemon Trees

Four proven lemon varieties, one page. Eureka and Lisbon are the classic backyard workhorses, Meyer is the sweeter, most cold tolerant choice, and compact Lemonicious suits pots and smaller courtyards. All are self pollinating, so a single tree will fruit on its own. Sizes run from affordable tubestock and multi buy packs through to established 500mm and 100L trees. Every tree is delivered Australia wide with our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Choosing between Eureka, Lisbon, Meyer and Lemonicious Eureka is the lemon most Australians picture: sharply acidic fruit with very few seeds, carried in flushes for much of the year in warm climates. The tree reaches about 4m, and of the four here it is the least frost tolerant, so it is happiest along the coast and from Sydney north. Lisbon looks similar in the fruit bowl but the tree is tougher. It handles both frost and hot inland summers better than Eureka, carries its main crop through winter, and grows with real vigour to a similar size. It is the thorniest of the group, worth knowing if you are planting beside a path. Meyer is the pick for cooler gardens and pots. A natural cross between a lemon and a sweet orange, it gives rounder, thinner skinned fruit with a gentler acid that many cooks prefer, on a compact tree of 2m to 3m. It is the most cold tolerant lemon commonly grown in Australia, and tubestock starts at $22.95. Lemonicious is a modern compact selection that produces full sized, heavy cropping fruit over a long season on a tidy plant, which is why it is sold in packs of three, six and ten: it makes a genuinely productive low screen or a matched row of pots. Where lemon trees grow well in Australia In subtropical and warm temperate gardens, any of the four will thrive. In cool temperate areas, including Melbourne, Canberra, the Adelaide Hills and Tasmania, start with Meyer and give any young lemon a sheltered, north facing position; a brick wall that radiates warmth overnight makes a real difference. In the tropics, lemons grow quickly but wet season humidity brings fungal pressure, so prune for airflow and keep mulch off the trunk. Inland, Lisbon is the standout, shrugging off big temperature swings as long as it gets a deep weekly soak in summer. Planting and care basics Lemons want full sun, six hours a day at minimum, and soil that drains freely. In heavy clay, plant into a raised bed or mound about 30cm high rather than fighting the drainage. Dig the hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in well, and mulch 50mm to 75mm deep, keeping mulch a hand width clear of the trunk. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then settle into a deep weekly soak while the tree is flowering and fruiting. Feed with a citrus fertiliser in late winter and again in midsummer. In pots, use a 400mm to 500mm container with premium potting mix, feed little and often through the warm months, and never let the mix dry right out while fruit is setting. Our lemon tree care guide walks through the first two years in detail, and growing citrus in an Australian backyard covers feeding and common problems across the whole citrus family. Common questions Do I need two trees to get fruit? No. Every lemon here is self pollinating, so a single tree will set fruit on its own. A second tree buys you more lemons, not better pollination. How long until my tree fruits? Grafted trees in 250mm pots and larger often flower in their first year and give a worthwhile crop within one to two years. Tubestock takes two to three. Removing half of the very first fruit set pushes energy into the frame and pays you back the following season. Which lemon is best in a pot? Lemonicious first, Meyer a close second. Both stay compact and crop heavily in a 400mm or larger pot. Eureka and Lisbon are better in the ground, where their vigour becomes an asset instead of a pruning job. Will a lemon tree cope with frost? An established Meyer takes light frost in its stride, and Lisbon is not far behind. Eureka is the most tender. Whichever you plant, cover young trees with frost fleece on cold nights for their first two winters; it is the young growth that gets burnt. Why are some varieties sold in packs? The packs of three, six and ten suit edible screens and orchard rows: Lemonicious planted 1.5m apart makes a productive hedge. Packs also make better use of freight, since delivery from $29.95 covers the box, not each plant. If you want more variety in the mix, the wider citrus range and our fruit tree collection ship in the same order.

Lilly Pillys

Lilly pillys are Australia's favourite hedge for a reason: dense evergreen foliage to the ground, quick growth, bird attracting berries and a variety for nearly every height, from a 1m border to a 10m weeping tree. This is the full range, including the psyllid resistant modern selections that keep their new growth clean without spraying. Decide the height you want to hold, check your frost, then choose on foliage and flush colour. How to choose a lilly pilly Work from the height you want to hold, not from the photos. For low borders and pots around 1m, look at Aussie Compact and Allyn Magic. For the classic 2m to 3m privacy hedge, Lilly Pilly Resilience is the default for good reason: it reaches about 5m untrimmed, holds glossy foliage right to the ground and resists psyllid, with Backyard Bliss and Bush Christmas sitting in the same band. For tall screens of 4m and over, Goodbye Neighbours, Firescreen and the small leaved Luehmann's lilly pilly do the heavy work, while Straight and Narrow and Pinnacle hold a width of about a metre for side passages and pool fences. Where you want an actual tree, the Weeping Lilly Pilly makes a graceful 8m to 10m specimen with pendulous new growth. The second filter is psyllid, a sap sucking insect that pimples the new leaves of older varieties in warm humid areas. It is cosmetic rather than fatal, but if you garden anywhere from Sydney north, choosing a resistant selection such as Resilience means you never think about it. If you are still weighing lilly pillys against viburnum or photinia, the full hedging and screening range lets you compare mature sizes and growth rates side by side. Where lilly pillys thrive These are Australian rainforest natives, so they want sun, water and reasonable soil, and they perform in every capital city. Subtropical and tropical gardens grow them fastest of all. Warm temperate coastal gardens from Sydney to Perth are ideal, with enough salt tolerance for all but front line coastal positions. In cool temperate and frost prone areas, most Syzygium australe varieties shrug off light frost once established, and the hardier Acmena types take harder frost; plant in spring so roots establish before their first winter. In hot dry inland gardens they will grow with deep regular watering and heavy mulch, but they are not a low water hedge in the way westringia is. Spacing and planting Hedges to 3m: 1 plant per metre. A 10m fence line takes 10 plants, 11 with one at each end. Columnar forms: 60cm to 80cm apart for Straight and Narrow and Pinnacle to close into a solid narrow wall. Dwarf borders: 50cm apart for the compact varieties. Informal screens: 1.2m to 1.5m apart where you can wait a little longer for cover. Set the row 60cm to 80cm off a fence so you can prune the back face. Dig each hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, water in heavily, mulch 75mm deep and water deeply twice a week through the first summer. Start tip pruning while the plants are small: a hedge clipped lightly from year one builds a dense base that a hedge left to run tall never fills in. Care and feeding Feed in early spring and late summer with a controlled release fertiliser, clip after each growth flush to hold your line, and deep water through dry spells. In warm climates with water behind them, the fast varieties put on up to a metre a year. Our lilly pilly care guide covers pruning timing, feeding and problem solving in more detail. Common questions Are lilly pilly berries edible? Yes. The pink to red berries, riberries on Luehmann's lilly pilly, are a traditional bush food with a tart, clove like flavour that makes excellent jam. Birds will take most of them first if you let them. Will the roots damage pipes or paving? No. Lilly pillys are well behaved near paths, pools and plumbing, which is a large part of why they are the standard boundary hedge in new suburbs. Only the full sized tree forms need the setback you would give any 10m tree. How fast will my hedge reach 2m? From 200mm pots, expect real privacy in about two years and a solid 2m clipped hedge by year three in warm climates with regular water and feeding. Tubestock costs far less per plant and adds roughly a season. Which lilly pilly suits a frosty garden? In Canberra, inland New South Wales and Victoria, choose the Acmena based varieties or proven hardy selections like Resilience, plant in spring, mulch well and protect young plants their first winter. Avoid the softer tropical selections. Can a full hedge order be delivered? Yes. Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Lime Trees

Three lime trees cover almost every Australian kitchen. The Tahitian lime and its grafted Persian form give seedless, thornless fruit for juicing, while the Kaffir lime is grown for its fragrant double leaves and knobbly zest rather than juice. All three stay a manageable 3m to 3.5m, thrive in pots and fruit best in full sun. Warmth matters: they are happiest from warm temperate gardens north, and in frosty districts a pot you can shift is the sensible route. Choosing the right lime for your cooking Start with what you actually squeeze, slice or shred. The Tahitian Lime (Citrus latifolia 'Tahitian') is the everyday juicing lime: seedless, thornless and generous, reaching about 3.5m tall by 2.5m wide. The Persian Lime is a grafted selection of the same species, near identical in the glass but a touch broader at 3m across, and the most reliable of the three in cooler coastal gardens. The Kaffir Lime (Citrus hystrix) is different: you grow it for the fragrant double leaves and knobbly zest that anchor Thai cooking, not for juice. It stays about 3m by 2m. Where lime trees grow well All three are heat and humidity tolerant, so they perform from tropical and subtropical gardens down through warm temperate areas like Sydney and Perth. The Tahitian and Persian limes also suit Mediterranean climates around Adelaide and coastal Western Australia, and will shrug off a light frost once established. The Kaffir lime is frost tender, full stop. Where winter frost is regular, grow your lime in a pot against a warm north facing wall, or shift it under cover for the coldest weeks. Six hours of full sun is the minimum for good fruit anywhere in the country. Planting, pots and spacing In the ground, give each tree free draining soil and about 3m of space so the canopies stay open and fruit colours evenly. On heavy clay, plant into a mound or raised bed rather than a hole that holds water. In pots, start with a container at least 50cm to 60cm wide, use a premium potting mix and lift the pot on feet so water runs clear. A potted lime fruits well for years but dries out faster, so summer watering becomes a near daily job. Feeding, watering and pruning Citrus are hungry trees. Feed with a citrus fertiliser in late winter and again in midsummer, water deeply once or twice a week in dry weather, and keep the moisture consistent while fruit is developing, because drought stress is the usual cause of fruit drop. Mulch out to the drip line and keep it clear of the trunk. Prune lightly after harvest to keep the centre open, and remove any shoots from below the graft. Our guide to growing citrus in an Australian backyard covers the seasonal routine in detail. Common questions How long until a lime tree fruits? These are grafted trees, so expect a light crop within two to three years and full production by year five. Advanced stock often arrives already carrying fruit. Can I grow a lime tree in a pot permanently? Yes. All three suit containers, and in most of southern Australia the Kaffir lime is arguably better in a pot. Repot into fresh mix every two to three years. Why are my lime tree leaves turning yellow? Usually hunger or wet feet. Feed with a complete citrus food, check the pot or soil drains freely, and expect some yellowing in winter in cooler areas, which corrects itself in spring. What is the difference between Tahitian and Persian limes? They are selections of the same species, Citrus latifolia, and the fruit is interchangeable in the kitchen. Choose on the tree: the Persian form spreads slightly wider and has the better record in cool coastal gardens. Browse the wider citrus tree range, compare lemon trees for the other half of the fruit bowl, or explore all fruit trees. Delivered Australia wide with a minimum order of $300 before delivery and a 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Lomandra

Lomandras are the strappy natives landscapers reach for first, and this is the full lineup: 18 varieties from ankle high tufts to 1.5m riverbank clumps. Fine leaved forms like Tanika and Lime Tuff hold a neat arching shape for years with almost no attention, while the larger types handle wet feet, steep batters and general neglect. Prices run from about $10 tubestock to 300mm stock. The guide below the grid covers spacing, cutting back and which variety fits which job. Which lomandra for which job For borders, mass planting and pool surrounds, the fine leaved compact forms do the work: Tanika at 50cm to 60cm is the industry standard, Lime Tuff sits slightly tighter with brighter lime foliage, Shara is finer again at about 45cm, and 'Evergreen Baby' is the smallest at 35cm to 40cm. For bolder texture, Nyalla makes a 1m fountain of blue green leaves and handles coastal wind. On wet or heavy ground, the Lomandra hystrix types are the answer: Slender Mat Rush at 1m to 1.5m for creek banks and drainage lines, 'Little Cricket' at about 70cm, and the weeping Tropic Cascade for warm humid gardens. The Lomandra confertifolia forms, 'Little Con', 'Echidna Grass' and 'Frosty Top', are the most shade tolerant of the group. Where lomandras work Almost everywhere, which is why councils plant them by the thousand. Most varieties take frost, drought, coastal wind and anything from sand to clay, in full sun or part shade. In humid Queensland and northern New South Wales, lean towards the hystrix types, which shrug off downpours that can thin out longifolia forms. In the dry south and inland, Tanika, Nyalla and Lime Tuff hold their colour on rainfall alone. They belong alongside the rest of our Australian native plants. Planting, spacing and the one job a year Mass plant compact forms at 40cm to 50cm centres, roughly five per square metre, and the larger hystrix and Nyalla types at 80cm to 1m. Water weekly through the first summer, then rainfall does the rest for plants in the drought tolerant class. Feeding is optional. Every three or four years, cut the clump back to 15cm in late winter and it rebuilds by summer. Common questions Tanika or Lime Tuff? Tanika is a touch larger and softer, with fine olive green leaves. Lime Tuff is denser and more upright with brighter colour, and tends to look tidier in formal rows. On toughness there is little between them. Can I cut a scruffy lomandra back hard? Yes. Shear the whole plant to about 15cm in late winter. It looks brutal for six weeks and then returns better than it was. Is lomandra safe near pools and paving? Yes, the roots are fibrous and non invasive. The one caution is leaf tips: straight Lomandra longifolia is firm and pointed, so beside a path choose soft leaved Tanika or Shara.

Low Light Indoor Plants

Every plant here copes with the dim spots that kill most greenery: south facing rooms, hallways, offices and shaded balconies. Low light indoor plants tolerate shade rather than love it, so the real choice is how tough the plant needs to be and the job it does, whether that is a sculptural rosette, a trailing vine or the odd white flower. A few are safe around pets too, and every one is delivered Australia wide. What low light actually means No plant grows in darkness. Low light means a spot where you could comfortably read at midday without a lamp: a room with a south facing window, a hallway a few metres from natural light, or a desk under office lighting. If a room fails the reading test, choose a plant for somewhere else. Good low light indoor plants keep their colour and shape where most others slowly starve. Choosing the right plant for the job For a spot you want to ignore, start with the two toughest. The Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior) thrives in deep shade at about 70cm tall and shrugs off missed watering, and Mother in Law's Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata) holds its 1m upright blades on almost no care. For softness and movement, the Dragon Tail Plant climbs a totem to 3m indoors, and Golden Pothos trails 2m from a shelf or basket. If you want flowers, the compact Peace Lily 'Chico' produces white spathes at just 40cm, and cyclamen add colour through the cooler months in a bright, cool room. Households with cats or dogs should note that peace lilies, pothos, Mother in Law's Tongue and cyclamen are all toxic if chewed. The pet safe picks are the Cast Iron Plant, Bird's Nest Fern 'Victoria', the native Kangaroo Fern and the little nerve plants, all listed as non toxic to cats and dogs. Our pet friendly plant collection gathers more options. Where these plants earn their keep Bathrooms suit the ferns, which enjoy the humidity, while entry halls and stairwells favour the sculptural growers that hold their shape without reaching for light. Indoors they are as happy in Hobart as Cairns, though most are frost tender, so in cooler southern cities keep them off cold windowsills and out of winter draughts. The Cast Iron Plant and Kangaroo Fern are the exceptions, handling unheated rooms and shaded verandas even in cool temperate areas. Caring for plants in dim rooms Overwatering kills more shade grown plants than anything else, because water use drops sharply with the light. Water only when the top few centimetres of mix are dry, and always let pots drain. Feed sparingly, at half strength once a month through spring and summer, and not at all in winter. Wipe dust off the leaves every month or two, and give each pot a quarter turn at watering so growth stays even. Common questions Which indoor plant survives the least light? The Cast Iron Plant is the benchmark, thriving in deep shade that defeats nearly everything else. Mother in Law's Tongue and the Dragon Tail Plant are close behind. Are these plants safe for cats and dogs? Some are, many are not. The Cast Iron Plant, Bird's Nest Fern, Kangaroo Fern and nerve plants are listed as non toxic to pets; peace lilies, pothos and cyclamen are not. Check each product page before buying for a pet household. How often should I water a plant in low light? Check the mix weekly and water only when the top few centimetres are dry. In winter that can stretch to a fortnight or longer between drinks. Why is my plant leaning and stretching? It is reaching for light, which means the spot is darker than the plant can handle. Move it closer to a window for a few weeks to recover, or swap in a tougher species for that position. For brighter rooms, the full indoor plant range opens up far more choice, and our guide to pet friendly indoor plants helps animal households shortlist safely.

Low Maintenance Plants

Low maintenance covers more than 1,500 plants here, and it means something specific: once established, these plants hold their looks without regular spraying, clipping or fussy watering. The range runs from tough Australian natives and Mediterranean olives, lavender and rosemary through architectural tropical foliage, hedging lilly pillies, crepe myrtles and walkable groundcovers. Filter by water needs, climate and mature size to narrow the field, then read the guide below the grid for honest advice on what easy care really involves. What low maintenance actually means No plant is no maintenance. Everything in this collection still needs regular water while it establishes, which takes one to two summers in the ground. What earns a plant its place here is what happens afterwards: it holds its shape without constant clipping, copes with dry spells without theatrics, does not demand a spraying program, and forgives the odd missed weekend. Choose well for your climate and soil, and most of these plants will get by on rainfall plus one feed a year. How to choose from 1,500 easy care plants Start with the job you need done, because low maintenance plants exist in every category. Privacy and hedging. Modern selections like Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' resist psyllid, so the foliage stays clean without spraying. See the full lilly pilly range or the wider hedging and screening collection. Structure and greenery. Olives, pencil pines and compact magnolias such as Little Gem and Teddy Bear give a garden formal bones on one prune a year. Most of our evergreen trees qualify. Colour without effort. Crepe myrtles flower for months on a single early spring feed. Lavender, rosemary and westringia flower on close to nothing. Groundcovers. Native violet for shade, Silver Falls dichondra to spill over walls and pots, and no mow grass where lawn is more work than it is worth. Bold foliage. Giant bird of paradise, Xanadu philodendron, giant taro and elephants ear carry a lush tropical look on water alone in the right climate. Match the plant to your climate, not the label Low maintenance is local. A frangipani is effortless in Brisbane and a battle in Hobart. Lavender is bulletproof in Adelaide and sulky through a wet tropical summer. Tropical and subtropical gardens. Frangipani, foxtail palms, giant taro, native gardenia and lilly pillies thrive on the humidity that troubles Mediterranean herbs. Warm temperate coastal gardens. The widest choice in the country: natives, olives, crepe myrtles, star jasmine and mock orange all qualify. Cool temperate and frost prone gardens. Crepe myrtles, olives, pencil pines, rosemary and most magnolias shrug off frost. The tropical foliage plants do not, so keep them in pots you can shelter. Dry Mediterranean and inland gardens. This is where Australian native plants, olives, lavender and rosemary do their best work on the least water. The establishment period is the only real work The difference between a tough plant and a dead one is nearly always the first summer. Dig each hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, so the plant sits at its original soil level. Water in heavily on day one, then deeply twice a week through the first summer. A deep soak twice a week builds deep roots; a light daily sprinkle trains shallow ones that fail in the first heatwave. Mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of stems, roughly halves the watering and smothers most weeds. From the second year, the majority of this collection needs a drink only in extended dry spells. Ongoing care in numbers One application of controlled release fertiliser in early spring covers almost everything here. Use a low phosphorus native formulation for banksias, grevilleas and other phosphorus sensitive natives. Prune once a year, straight after flowering, to keep shrubs compact. Top up mulch each spring. That is the entire program. Common questions What is the lowest maintenance hedge? One that stops near the height you want. Westringia held at 1m to 1.5m or a compact lilly pilly kept at 2m to 3m each need one or two clips a year. Asking a fast 6m plant to stay at 2m is where hedge maintenance blows out. Are natives always lower maintenance than exotics? No. A native planted in the wrong soil or climate is harder work than a well matched exotic. Olives, rosemary and crepe myrtles are among the toughest plants on this page. Match conditions first, origin second. Which plants cope with being ignored over holidays? Once established, olives, westringia, lavender, rosemary, frangipani, grass trees and most succulents will hold through two or three weeks of summer neglect. Anything in a pot is the exception: pots dry out in days, so group them in shade and water deeply before you leave. Do low maintenance plants still need fertiliser? They survive without it, but one spring feed keeps foliage dense and flowering strong. Skip it and the garden slowly fades rather than fails. How does delivery work for a big order? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Low-Maintenance Shrubs

Every shrub here earns its place the same way: it holds a good shape without constant clipping and gets by on very little water once established. The range runs past 180 plants, led by the biggest grevillea lineup on the site and backed by westringias, correas, dwarf banksias, bottlebrushes, saltbush, lavender and rosemary. Filter by height, flower colour and climate to narrow the grid, then use the guide below it to match the right shrub to the job. What low maintenance actually means A shrub qualifies for this collection on two tests. It survives on natural rainfall in most of the country once its roots are established, and it stops somewhere near the size you planted it for. That second point matters more than people expect. A plant that naturally finishes at 1m never becomes a hedging chore, while a vigorous 4m shrub kept at 1m is a standing appointment with the shears. Choose on natural size and the maintenance mostly takes care of itself. How to choose Work down from height. For groundcover duty under half a metre, look at prostrate grevilleas such as 'Mt Tamboritha', spreading correas and 'Kalbarri Carpet' emu bush. At knee to waist height sit the compact banksias (Cherry Candles, Honey Pots, Stumpy Gold), dwarf westringias, nandinas and most lavenders. From 1m to 2m you have the bulk of the grevillea range, the bottlebrush cultivars, coastal rosemary and saltbush. For a tall informal screen, 'Honey Gem' and 'Sandra Gordon' grevilleas run to 3m and beyond. Then decide what you want back from the plant. If it is birds, nothing beats nectar rich grevilleas and banksias, which between them flower almost year round. If it is scent and grey foliage for a dry border, rosemary, lavender and cistus carry the Mediterranean end of the range. Where these shrubs work across Australia Dry inland and Mediterranean climates around Perth, Adelaide and the inland slopes. This is home ground for emu bush, saltbush, westringia, rosemary, lavender and rock rose, all of which hold their looks through hot dry summers. Coastal gardens. Westringia, correa, cushion bush and saltbush handle salt wind that burns softer plants. Coastal banksias and many grevilleas back them up in the second line from the dunes. Frost prone gardens. Correas, woolly grevilleas (Grevillea lanigera), westringias and English lavender take regular frost. Some Queensland bred grevillea hybrids resent hard freezes, so check each variety's rating. Humid subtropical gardens. Bottlebrushes, most hybrid grevilleas, nandina and saltbush are reliable. Give lavender and cistus perfect drainage and full airflow in humidity, or leave them to the southern states. Planting and care, with real numbers Low maintenance starts after establishment, not before. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then taper to rainfall from the second year. Mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch off the stems. Space informal hedges at about two thirds of the mature width, so a 1.5m wide westringia goes in at 1m centres. Feed natives once in spring with a low phosphorus native fertiliser, because grevilleas and banksias are phosphorus sensitive and a standard complete fertiliser can kill them. One light prune straight after the main flush of flowers keeps every plant in this collection dense, and that is usually the whole year's work. Common questions Are these really no water plants? No plant is, in its first year. The low water rating applies once roots are established, which takes one full summer of regular deep watering. After that, most of this collection lives on rain everywhere except the driest inland areas, where a monthly soak through summer keeps flowering strong. Which shrubs bring in the most birds? Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon' is the benchmark, flowering nearly all year at about 1.5m. Plant it with autumn and winter flowering banksias and you have nectar on offer in every month, which keeps honeyeaters resident rather than passing through. Do natives need special fertiliser? Grevilleas, banksias and other Proteaceae need low phosphorus fertiliser, sold as native plant food. Westringia, correa and callistemon are less fussy but do no harm on the same product, so the simplest system is one bag for the whole garden bed each spring. Will lavender cope north of Sydney? The French and Italian types (Lavandula dentata and Lavandula stoechas) handle warm humid summers far better than English lavender, provided drainage is sharp and air moves around the plant. In Brisbane and further north, treat lavender as worth trying in a raised bed or pot rather than guaranteed, or choose westringia for the same look with none of the risk. What is the toughest choice for a nature strip or verge? Saltbush cultivars such as 'Silver Border' and 'Aussie Flat Bush', prostrate grevilleas and dwarf westringias all take reflected heat, drought and the odd trampling. Browse the wider Australian native range and the drought tolerant collection for more plants in the same spirit.

Magnolias

Magnolias split into two camps, and knowing which you are buying saves disappointment. The evergreen grandiflora types like Little Gem hold glossy leaves year round and double as screens, while the deciduous tulip magnolias spend winter bare, then cover their naked branches in goblet flowers from late winter. Between them sit the perfumed michelias, including the Port Wine Magnolia. Heights run from 3m shrubs to 10m trees, so check mature size before you commit to a flower. Evergreen or deciduous: the first decision The evergreen magnolias are all forms of Magnolia grandiflora, with leathery deep green leaves and large lemon scented white flowers through the warm months. Little Gem is the most planted at about 5m tall by 2.5m wide, Teddy Bear is denser and slower to 4m with rusty bronze leaf undersides, and Exmouth is the full sized tree at 10m for those with room. All three hold foliage to the ground and clip well, so they double as formal screens. The deciduous magnolias trade year round cover for a single unforgettable act: tulip or goblet flowers massed on bare branches in late winter before the leaves emerge. The Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana) reaches about 5m with pink and white blooms, Black Tulip and Cleopatra stay near 4m with deep burgundy flowers, and the Star Magnolia is the compact choice at 3m. The michelias are a third path: the Port Wine Magnolia (Magnolia figo) makes a 3m hedge with small cream and burgundy flowers that smell of port wine in spring. Where magnolias grow well in Australia The grandiflora types are the most forgiving, handling frost, heat, drought and coastal exposure from subtropical Queensland down to cool temperate Victoria and Tasmania. Deciduous magnolias flower best where winter actually bites, so they excel in Melbourne, the hills districts, Canberra and Tasmania, and still perform in Sydney and Perth. In the humid subtropics, choose Cleopatra or a michelia over the Saucer and Star types. Port Wine Magnolia suits warm coastal gardens north into the tropics but takes only light frost. Give Star Magnolias shelter from hot afternoon sun and drying wind. Planting and spacing For a privacy screen, plant Little Gem or Teddy Bear at 1.5m centres and the row closes into a solid evergreen wall. Exmouth needs 4m between trees for a tall screen, and a Port Wine hedge goes in at 1m spacing. As features, allow the mature width, roughly 2.5m for the compact forms and 4m to 5m for Saucer and Exmouth. Care basics Plant into free draining soil enriched with compost, ideally slightly acidic, and mulch well because the fine surface roots resent drying out and digging alike. Water deeply once or twice a week through the first two summers. Feed in spring with a controlled release fertiliser for flowering trees. Evergreen forms take clipping in late spring; deciduous forms need almost no pruning beyond shape, done straight after flowering. Our magnolia care guide for Australia covers the seasonal detail. Common questions When do magnolias flower? Deciduous types flower on bare wood from late winter into early spring, roughly July to September depending on how far south you garden. Evergreen grandiflora forms flower through summer and into autumn. Will magnolia roots damage pipes or paving? No, magnolia root systems are well behaved and most varieties here are flagged non-invasive. Little Gem and Teddy Bear are routinely planted along driveways and beside pools. Which magnolia suits a small garden or pot? Star Magnolia at 3m, Teddy Bear at 4m and Black Tulip at 4m all stay compact, and all three handle life in a large container of 60cm or more. Are magnolias safe around pets? Most of the popular varieties here, including Little Gem, Teddy Bear, Black Tulip and Star Magnolia, carry our Pet Friendly flag as non toxic to cats and dogs. Check the individual product page to be sure. Compare more options among our flowering trees or the evergreen trees and plants range. Delivered Australia wide, with advanced and large stock freighted at cost.

Mango Trees

Three grafted mango trees for Australian backyards: Bowen and Kensington Pride, the classic golden mango most of us grew up with, and King Thai, a compact variety suited to smaller spaces. All three are grafted, so they fruit within two to four years rather than the seven or more a seedling takes, and none needs a partner tree to crop. Delivered Australia wide. Choosing between Bowen, Kensington Pride and King Thai The first two names overlap for a reason. Kensington Pride arose in the Bowen district of north Queensland in the 1880s, and growers still sell it under the district's name, so the Kensington Pride Mango Tree and the Bowen mango here are the same classic style of fruit: deep golden flesh, rich aromatic flavour and very little fibre. If you want the mango Australians picture when they hear the word, either is the right tree. King Thai is the pick when space is tight. It is a naturally compact Thai variety with sweet, fibre free fruit, comfortable held around 3m with one prune a year, and the best of the three for growing in a very large pot. Where mango trees grow in Australia Mangoes are true tropical trees. The commercial crops come from Darwin, Katherine, Kununurra, Carnarvon and coastal Queensland, and in tropical and subtropical gardens a mango in full sun on free draining soil is close to effortless. In warm temperate areas, roughly Coffs Harbour to Sydney plus much of Perth, they grow and fruit in a warm, frost free position, ideally near a north facing wall that stores heat. Young trees are frost tender, so anywhere that sees even light frost, cover them for their first two or three winters. Melbourne, Canberra and Tasmania are honestly too cold for a mango outdoors. Flowering comes in winter and early spring, and dry weather at flowering sets the heaviest crop, which is why the dry tropics fruit so reliably. In humid coastal gardens, full sun and open air movement around the canopy help keep anthracnose off the flowers and young fruit. Planting and care Give the tree at least six hours of direct sun and soil that drains freely, 4m or more from buildings and pipes. Dig the hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, keep the graft union above soil level, water in well and mulch 75mm deep with mulch held clear of the trunk. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then ease off; established trees mainly need water while fruit is sizing. Feed in late winter and again after harvest with a complete fruit tree fertiliser, and go easy on nitrogen, which buys leaves at the expense of fruit. Left alone, a mango becomes a 10m shade tree. Prune straight after harvest to hold it at 3m to 4m and it stays easy to net against fruit fly and birds, easy to pick, and far more productive for its footprint. Common questions Do I need two mango trees for fruit? No. All three varieties are self fertile, so a single tree will flower and crop on its own. A second tree buys you more fruit and a spread of ripening times, not pollination. How long until the first mangoes? Grafted trees usually flower within two to four years of planting. Remove any fruit that sets in the first year so the energy goes into building a strong frame, then let it crop. Harvest runs from December to March depending on your region, and a mature backyard tree can carry a serious quantity of fruit. Can I grow a mango in a pot? King Thai can live long term in a 100L container in full sun with daily water through summer and a repot every few years. The Bowen and Kensington Pride types are too vigorous to be happy in a pot beyond their first few seasons. How do the trees arrive? As young grafted trees in nursery pots, delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. If you are planting a backyard orchard, the wider fruit tree range and the lemon trees share the same feeding and care routine.

Mature Plants for Immediate Privacy

When a fence line needs to disappear this year, not in five, these mature ex ground trees are the answer. Each one has spent years growing in the field and arrives at serious size, ready to screen a second storey window almost immediately. The trade-off is straightforward: you are paying for time, and freight is quoted at cost given the specialist transport involved. Most are evergreen Australian natives, happiest from warm temperate gardens north. What ex ground actually means Every tree here is field grown: raised in open ground for years, root pruned in preparation, then dug and freighted rather than lifted off a nursery bench in a pot. That is how you buy a screening tree already measured in metres. It also means these are not a standard courier delivery. Access matters, machinery is often needed to place them, and specialist transport is quoted at cost for every order. Choosing your instant privacy screen The lilly pilly family does the heaviest lifting. The Weeping Lilly Pilly (Waterhousea floribunda) reaches about 10m untrimmed and closes into a soft, dense wall planted at 2m centres, while the Small Leaved Lilly Pilly (Syzygium luehmannii) holds a tighter 7m habit with pink new growth at 1.5m spacing. For perfume as well as privacy, Lemon Myrtle carries fragrant culinary foliage to 6m, and the White Fragrant Magnolia (Magnolia x alba) scents a whole garden from a 10m canopy. Ficus Hillii 'Flash' is the fastest solid wall of the lot, but its roots are aggressive, so keep it well clear of pipes, pools, paving and foundations. In frosty southern districts, the deciduous Ornamental Pear is the safe pick, fully frost hardy and spaced at 3m for an avenue or screen. Climate and siting Most of this range is subtropical and warm temperate at heart, with the natives handling coastal wind and humidity well. The majority tolerate light frost only, so they suit gardens from Sydney and Perth northward without protection. In Melbourne, Canberra and the hills districts, lean on the Ornamental Pear or ask us about hardiness before committing a five figure tree to a frost hollow. Full sun grows the densest screen for nearly everything here. Planting and establishment Dig the hole twice the width of the rootball and no deeper, so the trunk sits at its original soil level. Water in heavily on day one, then deeply two to three times a week through the first summer. Stake large trees against wind for the first 12 to 18 months and mulch generously, keeping mulch off the trunk. A transplanted mature tree spends its first year rebuilding roots, so expect modest top growth early, then normal vigour from the second season. Common questions How quickly will I actually have privacy? Immediately, in the sense that the trees arrive at screening height. Planted at the spacings above, the gaps between canopies typically knit closed within one to two growing seasons. How does delivery work for trees this size? Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, with specialist transport quoted for every order. We deliver Australia wide, and the minimum order is $300 before delivery, which ex ground stock clears by definition. Do I need machinery to plant an ex ground tree? Usually yes. Rootballs at this size are too heavy to move by hand, so plan for machine access or a crane lift on the day, and have the hole prepared before the truck arrives. Are mature trees riskier to transplant than potted ones? Handled properly, no. These trees are root pruned ahead of harvest, and every one carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. The establishment watering schedule is the part the buyer controls, and it matters. If your budget suits growing a screen instead, the hedging and screening range starts at everyday prices, and many of these species appear as younger stock among our Australian native plants.

Medium Pots

Medium pots, roughly 30 to 50cm across, are the size most gardens use most. They take anything from a 200mm nursery pot up to a 300mm repot, which covers the bulk of shrubs, feature plants and indoor foliage. This collection spans 170 designs in terracotta, glazed and aged ceramic, lightweight concrete, terrazzo and woven finishes, from the $7.95 Italian terracotta classic to statement drums. Filter by material, shape and colour, or start with the buying guide below. What fits in a medium pot Medium in this collection means roughly 30 to 50cm across the opening. In practice that takes a plant straight from a 200mm or 250mm nursery pot with a few years of growing room, or a fresh 300mm root ball at the top end. The working rule: choose a decorative pot 5 to 10cm wider than the nursery pot the plant is in now. Much more and the extra mix stays wet longer than young roots can use it. Much less and you are repotting again within a year. There are two ways to use them. Potting directly into the vessel gives the roots the full volume, which suits anything staying put for three years or more. The drop in method, where the nursery pot sits inside and a layer of pebbles or bark hides the rim, makes seasonal swaps painless, protects glazed interiors from staining, and lets one good pot serve a rotating cast of plants. Both are legitimate. The second is underrated. Choosing a material Terracotta is the traditional choice for a reason. The clay is porous, so the root zone breathes and excess moisture wicks out through the walls, which is exactly what herbs, succulents and mediterranean plants want. It also means faster drying in summer, so expect to water more often. The Italian terracotta classics here start at $7.95 and only improve as they weather to a pale, chalky patina. Glazed and aged ceramic hold moisture longer and keep their colour for decades. Double fired glazes shrug off frost and UV, which makes them the pick for exposed positions in the cooler states. Lightweight concrete, GRC and terrazzo give the architectural look at a fraction of the weight of cast concrete, and the faint white lime bloom that sometimes appears on new concrete is normal and weathers off within a season. Woven and timber planters belong indoors or under cover. Drainage, done properly Anything holding a living plant needs a drainage hole, so check the listing before you buy, because a small number of feature pots are sealed for use as cachepots or water bowls. Skip the old trick of a gravel layer in the base. It raises the saturated zone up into the root ball rather than draining it. Use a premium potting mix, stand outdoor pots on feet so the hole can actually clear, and empty saucers after rain. Weight and placement A 40cm pot filled with moist mix weighs 15 to 30kg depending on material, and a planted 50cm ceramic can pass 40kg. Fill pots where they will live, not at the potting bench. If a pot needs to move with the seasons, chasing winter sun across a balcony for instance, choose lightweight concrete or a woven planter over stone and thick ceramic, or sit it on a wheeled base from the start. Styling the middle layer Medium pots are the connecting layer in a grouping: large pots and planters anchor the composition at ground level, medium sizes carry the middle, and small pots finish table and shelf height. Clusters work best in odd numbers with one element held constant, either one material across three shapes or one shape across three sizes. If you are collecting pieces over time, staying inside a single family such as the terracotta pot range or one glaze colour guarantees the group will always sit well together. Common questions What size plant suits a 40cm pot? Anything currently in a 200mm to 300mm nursery pot. That covers most shrubs, citrus on dwarf rootstock, larger indoor foliage and full herb plantings. A 40cm pot holds roughly 30 to 40 litres of mix, enough to keep a medium shrub happy for several years before it needs a root prune or a size up. Can these stay outside all year? Terracotta, glazed ceramic, concrete, GRC and terrazzo all live outside permanently. In hard frost areas favour double fired glazed ceramic or concrete, since cheap low fired clay can flake after repeated freezes. The outdoor pots collection gathers the weather ready finishes in one place. Do I need a saucer? Indoors, always, and choose a glazed or sealed one because water slowly passes through unsealed terracotta saucers onto timber floors. Outdoors, skip the saucer entirely if you can. Roots standing in a full saucer through a wet week is the quickest way to lose a healthy plant. How are pots delivered? Pots are delivered Australia wide, boxed and padded for freight, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Most customers combine pots with plants in the one order, which clears the minimum easily.

Melaleucas

Melaleucas are among the toughest plants Australia produces, and this collection covers the full spread of the genus: compact honey myrtles under a metre, hedging selections like Claret Tops, golden foliage forms, and full sized paperbark trees. Most shrug off drought, salt wind and even waterlogged ground, and every one feeds nectar loving birds and bees. Decide on the height you need first, anywhere from 50cm borders to trees of 8m or more, then browse the range below. How to choose a melaleuca Size first. The honey myrtles hold the small end: Thyme Leafed Melaleuca and 'Mini Quini' stay around knee height, while 'Claret Tops' sits at 1.5m to 2m and clips into a dense hedge with deep red new growth. 'Revolution Gold' brings golden foliage at 4m to 6m. At the top end are the paperbarks, spreading trees of 8m and more with cream trunks that peel in soft papery layers. Flowers come second: every variety carries brush style blooms heavy with nectar, in white, cream, pink or red depending on the selection. Where melaleucas work in Australian gardens Almost anywhere, which is why councils plant so many. Melaleucas handle coastal salt spray, poor sandy soil and drought once established, and the paperbarks are one of the few trees that tolerate genuinely wet ground, so they suit low spots and boggy corners where most trees drown. The majority also take light frost, making them reliable from subtropical Queensland through Sydney, Adelaide and Perth into cooler inland gardens. Use the compact forms as native borders and low hedges, the mid sized varieties for informal screens alongside the rest of our hedging and screening range, and the paperbarks as bird attracting feature trees among other Australian native plants. Planting and care Dig the hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in heavily, and mulch 75mm deep with the mulch kept off the stems. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, after which most varieties live on rainfall in all but the driest regions. Feed with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring. Prune lightly after flowering to keep shrubby varieties dense; hedge selections like 'Claret Tops' take two clips a year. Common questions Are melaleucas fast growing? Moderately. Shrub varieties reach full size within three to four years, and paperbark trees put on 50cm to 1m a year in good conditions. Will the roots cause problems near pipes or paving? Keep the large paperbarks at least 5m from pipes, pools and foundations, because they seek out moisture. The shrub and hedging forms are well behaved anywhere in the garden. How does delivery work? Every melaleuca here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Moderate Growing Plants

Moderate growing plants put on roughly 30 to 60cm a year, and that middle pace is exactly what most gardens want: quick enough to fill a bed or close a hedge within a few seasons, slow enough that one or two trims a year keep everything in shape. This collection gathers more than a thousand of them, from lilly pillies and olives to crepe myrtles, citrus and lavender. Filter by height, sun and climate to narrow the field. Why growth rate is the most underrated filter Growth rate decides how much of your future weekend a plant owns. Fast growers deliver privacy in two seasons, then ask for three or four cuts a year for the rest of their lives, and their width and root vigour match their speed. Slow growers behave beautifully but test your patience for a decade. Moderate growers, putting on roughly 30 to 60cm a year, are the compromise that suits most gardens: visible progress every season, one or two trims a year once established, and root systems that rarely threaten paths, pipes or pools. What sits in this collection More than a thousand plants qualify, which tells you how much of good gardening happens at this pace. The screening staples are here, led by Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' and its narrow cousin Straight and Narrow, alongside Little Gem magnolia, olives such as Kalamata and Helena, crepe myrtles from courtyard size to avenue trees, citrus including the Eureka lemon, and the low border layer of French lavender and Tuscan Blue rosemary. That spread means you can build an entire garden, structure, screen, feature tree and border, without ever leaving the moderate lane. Where moderate growers earn their keep They are the right answer wherever a plant must live close to something you care about. Beside paths, pools, driveways and clotheslines, a moderate grower stays roughly where you put it instead of swallowing the space. In small gardens they keep the design legible for years. For hedges between 1m and 3m they are usually the better long term choice: a moderate hedge closes in two to four seasons, then holds its line on a single spring trim, where a fast hedge becomes a standing appointment with the shears. If you need a screen this season, accept the maintenance trade and shop fast growing plants instead. If you want to prune almost never, look at slow growing trees. Climate notes for a national range A collection this size spans every zone, so filter rather than assume. In tropical and subtropical gardens, lilly pillies, magnolias and citrus all cruise along comfortably in the moderate band. Warm temperate coastal gardens can grow nearly everything here. In cool temperate and frost prone districts, lean on the proven performers: crepe myrtles, olives, photinia and the deciduous ornamentals, and give citrus the warmest north facing spot you have. In dry Mediterranean climates around Perth and Adelaide, olives, lavender, rosemary and westringia deliver the same steady pace on far less water. Planting and care at a moderate pace Plant into a hole twice the pot's width, water in deeply, mulch to 75mm and water twice a week through the first summer. Feed once in early spring with a controlled release fertiliser; moderate growers rarely justify a second feed, and overfeeding buys soft growth that pests love. For hedges, space plants 75cm to 1m apart and start light tip pruning in the first year so the base thickens while the hedge rises. Expect the advertised 30 to 60cm a year from the second year onward. In year one, most of the growth happens underground. Common questions How long will a moderate growing hedge take to reach 2m? From 200mm pots, roughly three to four seasons with water and feed behind it. From advanced 300mm or 45 litre stock you can start at or near target height and simply let it thicken. Are moderate growers better near pools and paving? Generally yes. The root vigour that lifts paving usually belongs to fast growing trees. Most plants here have contained, well mannered root systems, and the product pages flag the exceptions. Can I speed a moderate grower up? A little. Consistent deep watering, spring feeding and mulch push growth toward the top of the 30 to 60cm range, but genetics set the ceiling. If you need more pace than that, choose a fast species rather than force feeding a moderate one. Do moderate growers need less water too? Growth rate and water needs are separate ratings. Plenty of plants here are drought tolerant once established, olives and rosemary famously so, but check the water filter rather than assuming, and water everything properly for its first two summers.

Moderate Water

Moderate water plants sit in the practical middle ground: they want a proper drink through dry spells but do not need daily attention once their roots are down. This is the largest group in the nursery, more than 1,500 plants spanning lilly pillies, magnolias, citrus, crepe myrtles, natives and climbers. If your garden gets watered when you remember, with extra help through summer, you are in the right place. Filter by climate, position and use to narrow the field. What moderate water actually means Moderate water is the middle setting on the watering scale. These plants want regular deep drinks while they establish, then hold their own on rainfall for most of the year, asking for help only through dry spells and summer heat. They are not thirsty bog dwellers and they are not true dry garden specialists. For most Australian gardens with a tap in hose reach, this is the default setting, which is why the group is so large. How to narrow a range this size More than 1,500 plants carry the tag, so filter before you browse. Start with your climate, then position (full sun or partial shade), then the job you need done. Hedge and privacy shoppers can head straight to the hedging and screening range or to proven performers like Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' and mock orange. Feature tree buyers will find magnolias, crepe myrtles and jacaranda. There are climbers such as star jasmine, groundcovers like native violet, and a full bench of citrus. The one thing they share is the watering rhythm: a decent soak weekly in dry weather keeps all of them performing. Watering across Australian climates Tropical and subtropical gardens. The wet season carries these plants for months at a stretch. Your work is the dry season: a deep soak once or twice a week from roughly May to October, less for established trees. Warm temperate coastal gardens. Rainfall does most of the lifting. Water new plantings through their first two summers, then only in extended dry spells. Cool temperate gardens. Growth is slower and evaporation lower, so established plants may need almost no hand watering outside heatwaves. Concentrate on the first spring and summer after planting. Mediterranean and dry inland gardens around Perth and Adelaide. This is where the tag matters most. Plan on a deep weekly soak all summer, group these plants on one irrigation line, and consider drought tolerant plants for the corners the hose never reaches. Establishment: the first two years decide everything Nearly every plant lost in a first summer is lost to watering, not to the plant. Water in thoroughly at planting, then give 5 to 10 litres per plant twice a week for the first two to three months, and weekly for the rest of the first year whenever the weather is dry. Deep and infrequent beats a light daily sprinkle, because it draws roots down to where the soil stays moist. Mulch 75mm deep out to the dripline, keeping it clear of stems, and evaporation drops sharply. From the second summer, most of these plants only need a soak when the top 5cm of soil has dried out. Cutting the workload further Group plants with matching thirst on the same line, a habit landscapers call hydrozoning, so nothing gets overwatered to keep its neighbour alive. Two 4 litre per hour drippers per shrub, run for an hour once or twice a week, will outperform any hand watering. If your rainfall is genuinely unreliable, lean on the many Australian native plants in this collection, including lilly pillies, westringia and lomandra, which tolerate the widest swings between wet and dry. Common questions How often should I water once plants are established? In dry weather, give shrubs a deep soak once a week and established trees one every 10 to 14 days. After proper rain, skip it. The finger test never lies: if the soil is moist 5cm down, wait. Is moderate water the same as drought tolerant? No. Many plants here are also drought tolerant, meaning they survive extended dry once established, but moderate water describes what they need to look their best. A crepe myrtle will live through a drought; it flowers far better on a weekly summer drink. Can I run these plants on an irrigation controller? Yes, and they suit it well. Set long, infrequent cycles rather than short daily ones: one or two deep runs a week in summer, halved in spring and autumn, and off over winter across most of the country. What does overwatering look like? Yellowing lower leaves, wilting despite wet soil and a sour smell around the roots. Overwatering kills more garden plants than drought does. On heavy clay, plant slightly proud of ground level and improve drainage before blaming the plant. How does delivery work? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Mulberry Trees

Few fruit trees are as generous or as forgiving as a mulberry, and the two forms here suit very different gardens. The Black Mulberry is the classic backyard harvest tree, reaching around 7m with a wide canopy of shade and buckets of dark fruit. The Weeping Mulberry is a grafted standard that holds a neat 3m umbrella, small enough for courtyards and large pots. Both are frost hardy, drought tolerant and happy from cool temperate gardens to the subtropics. Two very different mulberries The Black Mulberry (Morus nigra) is the tree people remember from childhood: fast growing to about 7m tall and 6m wide, with sweet, deeply staining berries in quantities one household rarely finishes. Buy it if you have the room and want serious harvests plus summer shade. The Weeping Mulberry (Morus alba 'Pendula') is a grafted standard, so its height is fixed at the graft around 3m while the branches cascade to the ground. It is the choice for courtyards, kids' cubby curtains and large pots, and it still fruits. Where mulberry trees grow well Almost everywhere Australians garden. Both forms are frost hardy, drought tolerant once established and untroubled by heat and wind, performing from cool temperate Victoria and Tasmania through Sydney, Adelaide and Perth into subtropical Queensland. Being deciduous, they colour in autumn, drop their leaves and fruit better for the winter chill in southern gardens. Give either form full sun for the heaviest crop. Planting and siting Site the Black Mulberry with respect for its adult size. It carries vigorous surface roots and its fruit stains whatever it lands on, so keep it well away from paving, pipes, pools and the washing line, and allow the full 6m spread. On a standard suburban block, one tree is an orchard. The Weeping Mulberry needs none of that caution: allow 2.5m across, or grow it in a 60cm to 80cm pot. Plant either into free draining soil, water in well and mulch to the drip line. Care, pruning and harvest Mulberries are self fertile, so a single tree fruits alone. Water deeply through the first two summers, then the trees largely look after themselves. The Black Mulberry responds very well to hard pruning in winter, which is how you keep a 7m tree at a pickable 3m to 4m; done annually, it costs little fruit because mulberries bear on new growth. Expect ripe fruit from late spring, and expect to share it with every bird in the suburb unless you net the tree. Our guide to growing a weeping mulberry as a feature covers training the standard form. Common questions How long until a mulberry tree fruits? Quickly, by fruit tree standards. Expect a first taste within two to three years of planting and heavy crops within five. The weeping standard fruits at a size where children can pick it themselves. Do I need two trees for pollination? No. Mulberries are self fertile, so a single tree in full sun will crop reliably on its own. Can I keep a black mulberry small? Yes. Prune hard in winter while the tree is bare, taking it back to a framework at 3m to 4m. It regrows and fruits on the new wood each spring. Will the fruit stain paths and cars? Emphatically. Black mulberry juice marks concrete, pavers and paint, so plant at least the canopy width away from driveways and entertaining areas, and mow fallen fruit into the lawn promptly. Mulberries are only part of the picture: browse the full fruit tree range for citrus, stone fruit and more, all delivered Australia wide with a 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Native Bee Plants

Every plant here belongs to a genus with a documented record of visits by Australian native bees, drawn from Dr Anne Dollin's Aussie Bee observations, the Bee Aware pollination guidance and the Australian Pollinator Week planting guide. It is deliberately shorter than our broad bee and butterfly range. Gums, tea trees, bottlebrushes, honey myrtles, grevilleas and banksias carry the native bees through the year; the daisies suit the short tongued species; lavender, salvia, abelia and the kitchen herbs bring in blue banded and carpenter bees. Plant in patches at least a metre across, keep something in flower every month, and skip the insecticides.

New South Wales

This is our New South Wales collection: over 2,100 plants matched to the state's remarkable spread of conditions. It runs from screening lilly pillies and murraya hedging to jacarandas, magnolias, maples and coastal natives. One state holds subtropical coast, frosty tablelands and hot western plains, so use each plant's climate notes and the sidebar filters to match your patch before you shortlist. Matching plants to your part of New South Wales No Australian state covers more growing conditions, and a hundred kilometres can separate a jacaranda flowering freely from one burnt back by frost. Place yourself first, then shortlist. Sydney, Central Coast and Illawarra. Warm temperate and forgiving. Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' reaches 5m untrimmed, holds happily at 2m to 3m and goes in at 1m spacing for a screen; mock orange, magnolias and sweet viburnum are equally at home. Sandstone soils drain fast but hold few nutrients, so feed in spring; western Sydney clay appreciates gypsum and slightly raised planting. North Coast. Subtropical warmth and summer rain drive fast screening growth and suit palms, tuckeroo and lemon scented myrtle. Humidity brings psyllid pressure, so choose a resistant lilly pilly selection like 'Resilience'. Tablelands, Southern Highlands and the ACT fringe. Real frost, sometimes hard. Japanese maples make about 5m here and colour superbly, alongside crepe myrtles, Japanese box, Spartan juniper and American sweetgum. Leave palms and other soft tropicals to the coast. Western slopes and plains. Heat, drying wind and variable rain. The White Crepe Myrtle 'Natchez' is a proven performer at 6m, frost hardy, drought tolerant and untroubled by poor soil. Water deeply rather than often, and mulch heavily. On the coastline itself, Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) takes direct salt wind and makes a windbreak planted 3m apart, usually settling at 8m to 10m in gardens and lower on exposed sites. Using the filters to shortlist The sidebar filters do the heavy lifting on a page this broad. Filter by climate to remove anything wrong for your district, then by mature height, sun and use, whether that is screening, a shade tree or groundcover. Every product page carries the same spec data, so what you read matches what you can filter on. Planting and establishment Dig each hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, so the plant sits at its original soil level. Water in well, mulch 75mm deep with mulch kept off the trunk, and water deeply twice a week through the first summer rather than lightly every day. In frost districts, plant in spring once the worst has passed; on the coast, autumn planting gives roots a full mild season head start. Common questions Do you deliver across regional NSW? Yes. We deliver Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost on specialist transport, which can take a few extra days to arrange. Which plants here handle tablelands frost? Japanese maple, American sweetgum, crepe myrtles, Japanese box, Spartan juniper and Little Gem magnolia all cope with cold winters. Use the climate filter to shortlist, and keep frost tender growers such as palms for coastal or sheltered sites. What grows well near the beach? Coast banksia, tuckeroo and Thomas's pohutukawa handle front line salt wind. One street back, most of the hedging and screening range performs without complaint. Can I browse natives only? A large share of this page is locally grown Australian species. Browse the full Australian native plant collection, or compare the Queensland collection if you garden near the border.

Non-Invasive Root Trees

Tree roots and infrastructure rarely mix, which is why this collection exists. Every tree here is flagged for a non invasive root system, so it can be planted with confidence near pipes, pools, paving and driveways. The range covers over 140 trees, from compact crepe myrtles and Japanese maples for courtyards up to native shade trees near 8m. Decide on mature height and canopy shape first, then filter by climate and position below. How to choose a tree with non invasive roots Root behaviour gets a tree onto this page, but mature size still makes the decision. For courtyards and narrow beds, compact crepe myrtles such as Acoma and Hopi finish near 3m, while the Little Gem Magnolia holds a narrow evergreen column to about 5m. In the middle band, the White Crepe Myrtle 'Natchez' reaches about 6m, and for genuine shade the native Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis anacardioides) spreads to 8m tall by 5m wide. Then choose between evergreen and deciduous. Evergreens such as magnolia, olive and Tuckeroo hold their foliage and keep litter down year round. Deciduous crepe myrtles and Japanese maples trade that for summer flowers or autumn colour, plus winter sun through bare branches. Where well behaved roots earn their keep These are the trees to reach for beside paving, pool shells, retaining walls and plumbing runs, where a fig or an ornamental pear becomes an expensive mistake. Many suit the driveway trees job for the same reason. Climate narrows the list further. Crepe myrtles perform from subtropical Brisbane to cool temperate Melbourne, while olive trees and Japanese maples are happiest from Sydney south and across to Perth and Adelaide. In tropical and subtropical gardens, Tuckeroo, the Luscious Water Gum and the Queensland Bottle Tree (Brachychiton rupestris) handle heat and humidity, and the bottle tree's deep taproot makes it especially safe near hard surfaces. Planting distances that still apply Non invasive does not mean no roots. Every tree needs room for a root ball and access to water, so keep even these selections 2m to 3m clear of slab edges and pool shells, and give the 8m growers more. Tuckeroo: plant 4m apart for an avenue or windbreak. Frantoio Olive: 4m apart for a screening row, easily kept to 4m tall with pruning. Luscious Water Gum: 3m apart for an avenue or screen. Little Gem Magnolia: 1.5m apart for a dense evergreen screen. Getting them established Dig the hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, water in heavily, and mulch 75mm deep with the mulch kept off the trunk. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, because deep watering trains roots downward, exactly where you want them. Feed in early spring with a controlled release fertiliser, and shape the tree lightly in its first two winters so it rarely needs a saw later. Common questions How close to the house can I plant one of these trees? A tree finishing under 4m can sit about 2m off the wall. Give the 6m to 8m growers 3m to 4m, more for canopy than roots, so branches stay off the gutter. Which of these trees suit pool areas? Evergreens keep the skimmer box happiest, so start with Little Gem Magnolia, olives and Tuckeroo. All three are also coastal and salt tolerant, which matters beside a saltwater pool. Do any stay small enough for pots? Yes. Compact crepe myrtles, Japanese maples, olives and the Meyer Lemon at about 3m all do well long term in a large container with good drainage. Will the roots lift my paving? These species do not send out the aggressive surface roots that lift paths and crack pipes. Deep, occasional watering keeps it that way, since shallow daily sprinkles encourage roots to hunt along the surface. How does delivery work for advanced trees? Everything here is delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every tree carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Olive Trees

Olive trees suit Australian gardens better than almost any other Mediterranean import: they shrug off drought, frost, salt wind and poor soil, and live for generations. This collection holds more than a dozen varieties, from the 2.5m dwarf Bambalina for pots through to grove classics like Kalamata, Manzanillo and Frantoio. The real decision is fruit or foliage: table and oil varieties bring a harvest, while fruitless Swan Hill keeps paving clean. Filter by height and use below. Fruit or foliage: the first decision If the harvest matters, start with the table classics. The Kalamata Olive reaches about 6m unpruned but is easily held at 3m to 4m with an annual prune. Manzanillo stays lower and more spreading at around 5m, and Verdale is a South Australian dual purpose variety for both the table and the press. For oil, Frantoio is a heavy cropping, self fertile Italian variety, and Arbequina packs a serious harvest into a compact 5m tree. All sit within our wider fruit tree range. For silver grey foliage without the harvest, Swan Hill is effectively fruitless and sheds very little pollen, keeping paving and pool filters clean. The Tolleys Upright Olive grows as a narrow 4m column about 1.5m wide with only light fruit, made for tight side passages. For pots and courtyards, the dwarf Bambalina stays near 2.5m and Garden Harvest about 3m. One outlier: the Tea Olive is an Osmanthus, not a true olive, and earns its place with intensely perfumed spring flowers. Where olive trees thrive in Australia Olives evolved around the Mediterranean, so Perth, Adelaide and dry inland districts suit them best. They are just as reliable through Sydney, and nearly every variety here is frost hardy enough for Melbourne, Canberra and the hills. All tolerate salt and coastal wind. In subtropical Brisbane, choose Arbequina, Mission or Swan Hill and accept a lighter fruit set in humid summers. Their roots are famously well behaved, which is why so many appear among our trees with non invasive roots. In parts of South Australia and Victoria olives self seed readily, so collect dropped fruit or plant the fruitless Swan Hill. Planting and spacing Full sun is essential, six hours or more, in free draining soil. Olives forgive poor ground but not wet feet, so mound the bed if drainage is doubtful. Grove or informal screen: Kalamata and Manzanillo at 3m apart, Frantoio at 4m. Narrow screen: Tolleys Upright at 1m apart. Clipped hedge: Bambalina at 1m apart, or Verdale at 2m for extra height. Feature tree: allow 3m to 4m of clear width for the classic rounded canopy. Care once planted Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, then taper right off; overwatering kills more olives than drought ever does. Feed lightly in spring, and prune after harvest or in late winter, opening the centre so light reaches the fruiting wood. Most varieties here are self fertile, and Nevadillo Blanco doubles as a reliable pollinator for the rest. Common questions Can you eat olives straight off the tree? No. Fresh olives are intensely bitter and need curing in brine or salt first. Curing is a simple kitchen job that takes a few weeks. Do I need two olive trees to get fruit? Usually not. Frantoio, Arbequina and Nevadillo Blanco are all self fertile, so a single tree will crop on its own. A second variety nearby generally lifts the harvest. Which olive is best in a pot? Bambalina, a true dwarf at about 2.5m, is the standout, with Garden Harvest and Tolleys Upright close behind. Our guide to growing olive trees in pots covers containers, mix and watering. How long before a young tree fruits? Expect a few establishment years before the first worthwhile crop. Larger advanced trees shorten the wait considerably. How does delivery work? Every olive here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and all plants carry our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Orange Trees

Two grafted orange trees cover most Australian backyards: the Washington Navel, the classic sweet, seedless, easy peeling winter orange at full garden size, and the dwarf Cara Cara, a pink fleshed, low acid navel that stays around 2m and thrives in a large pot. Both are self fertile, so a single tree crops on its own, and both are grafted to fruit within two to four years instead of the decade a seedling can take. Delivered Australia wide. Navel or Cara Cara: choosing your orange tree The Washington Navel Orange Tree is the orange most Australians actually eat: sweet, seedless, easy to peel and ripening through winter when the fruit bowl needs it most. On its grafted rootstock it builds a rounded tree of 3m to 4m that can be held at 2.5m with an annual prune, and a mature tree will carry more fruit than one household gets through. The dwarf Cara Cara is a navel with a difference: rosy pink flesh, noticeably lower acid and a naturally compact frame around 2m, which makes it the choice for courtyards, small gardens and large pots. The eating quality is outstanding, and children tend to love it for the same reason adults do, sweetness without the sharp edge. Where orange trees grow in Australia Oranges are grown commercially from the Riverina and the Riverland to Western Australia, and a navel fruits best where summers are warm and winters cool enough to colour and sweeten the fruit, which describes most of temperate and subtropical Australia. Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane all grow them well in full sun. Established trees tolerate light frost; young trees need cover for their first couple of winters wherever frosts bite. In the true tropics navels crop poorly, and in cold mountain climates the dwarf form in a pot against a north facing wall is the reliable path. One quirk worth knowing: skin colour follows climate. Navels grown where nights are cool turn that deep glossy orange, while fruit in the subtropics can stay green tinged on the tree yet be perfectly ripe inside. Judge by the calendar and a taste test, not the colour chart. Planting, feeding and watering Six hours of direct sun is the minimum. Plant into free draining soil with the graft union above soil level, or pot the dwarf into a 50cm to 60cm container of premium citrus mix. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the trunk. Water deeply once or twice a week rather than lightly every day; steady moisture is the difference between plump fruit and split fruit. Feed with a citrus fertiliser in late winter and again in midsummer, remove any fruit that sets in the first year so the tree builds its frame, and watch the new flush for citrus leafminer. In New South Wales and Victoria, prune out any citrus gall wasp swellings by late winter. Our guide to growing citrus trees in Australia walks through the yearly routine. Common questions Do I need two orange trees? No. Both varieties are self fertile, so one tree flowers and crops alone. Plant a second citrus for variety rather than pollination; most backyard orchards run an orange alongside the lemon trees and a lime tree, since all citrus share the same feeding and care. When will I pick the first oranges? Grafted trees typically flower and set within two to four years. Navels ripen through winter, roughly June to September depending on how far north you are, and the fruit holds well on the tree for weeks, so there is no rush at harvest. Why is my fruit splitting or dropping? Uneven watering is the usual culprit: a dry spell followed by heavy rain or a big drink swells the flesh faster than the skin can stretch. Mulch and a regular deep watering rhythm fix most of it. Some early summer fruit drop is natural thinning, not a problem. How do the trees arrive? As grafted trees in nursery pots, delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Larger container sizes are freighted at cost.

Ornamental Plants

Ornamental shrubs are the working middle layer of a garden, the plants between lawn and canopy that carry flowers and foliage colour for most of the year. Here that means hydrangeas, camellias, photinia, loropetalum, nandina, heuchera, rosemary, cordylines and more, from small tubestock fillers to two metre feature shrubs. Choose for a succession of interest rather than one big spring moment, and check each listing's position notes, because this group splits cleanly between sun lovers and shade dwellers. How to choose an ornamental shrub Decide first whether the job is flowers or foliage. Flowering shrubs give a season of colour and eleven months of green: think hydrangeas in summer, gaura from spring to autumn, and camellias holding the winter shift. Foliage shrubs work every single day: loropetalum in burgundy, nandina colouring through red and lime, heuchera in caramel and plum, photinia with its glossy red new growth. The strongest borders run both, an evergreen foliage backbone with flowering plants threaded through it. Then check mature size honestly. This collection spans 30cm heuchera mounds to 4m photinia and camellias, and a shrub in the wrong size class becomes a pruning job forever. Building a border with no off season Succession is the trick professionals use and home gardeners skip. Aim for something opening in every quarter: camellias from autumn through winter, loropetalum and polygala in spring, hydrangeas, gaura and society garlic through summer, then nandina and heuchera foliage carrying autumn into winter. Repeat each variety in groups of three or five rather than planting one of everything. A border of eight varieties repeated reads as designed; a border of twenty singles reads as a trolley dash. Matching shrubs to your climate Tropical and subtropical gardens lean on cordylines, crotons, ficus and society garlic, with hydrangeas performing well in shaded, sheltered beds. Warm temperate gardens grow nearly the whole collection, with camellias and hydrangeas preferring morning sun or dappled shade and the silver leafed Mediterranean plants wanting full sun. Cool temperate gardens are heuchera, camellia, hydrangea and rose country, and loropetalum and nandina colour beautifully in the cold. Mediterranean and dry inland gardens should start with rosemary, westringia, cushion bush and gaura, which hold their looks through hot dry summers on minimal water. Planting and care basics Space shrubs at about two thirds of their mature width, which usually means 60cm to 1m apart, so they knit together without strangling each other. Improve the bed with compost before planting, water in well, and give 5 litres per plant twice a week through the first two to three months. Mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of stems. Feed once in early spring with a complete fertiliser, adding a camellia and azalea food for the acid lovers. Prune flowering shrubs straight after their season ends, never before it starts, and give foliage shrubs a light shape in spring. Most of this collection also takes happily to pots of 300mm and larger, where heuchera, nandina and dwarf loropetalum make long lived, low fuss displays. Common questions Which ornamental shrubs handle shade? Hydrangeas, camellias, heuchera and fatsia are the dependable shade set, all happiest with morning light or bright dappled cover and protection from harsh western sun. True deep shade under a dense canopy suits fatsia and little else here. Why did my hydrangea change colour? Soil pH controls it. Acid soil below about pH 5.5 gives blue flowers, alkaline soil gives pink, and white varieties stay white regardless. Aluminium sulphate nudges blooms blue; garden lime nudges them pink. Expect the shift to take a season. What are the lowest maintenance choices? Nandina, westringia, rosemary and coprosma barely notice neglect once established. They hold their shape on one light prune a year and cope with missed watering far better than the large leafed flowering shrubs. Can I keep a 4m shrub small? Within reason. Photinia and camellia both take hard pruning and can be held at half their natural size with two trims a year. But if you want a permanent 1m plant, buy a naturally compact variety like dwarf loropetalum instead and save yourself the fight, or choose from the structured foliage range for plants that hold a form on their own. How does delivery work? Every plant here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order, and all stock is covered by the 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Ornamental Trees

Ornamental trees are the feature planting: chosen for flowers, foliage, bark or form rather than screening or fruit. This range runs from compact Japanese maples and potted magnolias to crepe myrtles, ornamental pears and sculptural grass trees, 158 trees in all. Start with the mature height your space can carry, then decide between evergreen structure and deciduous seasonal change. Every tree here is delivered Australia wide, with advanced sizes freighted at cost. How to choose an ornamental tree Start with mature size, because a tree is the one purchase you cannot quietly move in three years. For courtyards and small front gardens, stay under 5m: compact crepe myrtles, Teddy Bear magnolia and most Japanese maples all finish between 3m and 5m. Mid sized gardens carry a 5m to 8m tree comfortably, which is where White Crepe Myrtle 'Natchez' and the larger magnolias sit. Ornamental pears such as 'Chanticleer' and American Sweetgum push past 10m and belong on bigger blocks where their scale reads as intended. Then decide between evergreen and deciduous. Evergreen trees, including the magnolia range, weeping figs, yuccas and grass trees, hold their structure and privacy all year. Deciduous trees trade winter foliage for the best seasonal theatre in the garden: spring blossom on ornamental pears, months of summer flower on crepe myrtles, and the autumn colour that makes Japanese maples and liquidambars famous. Dropping leaves also lets winter sun into the house, which matters more in Melbourne than it does in Brisbane. Last, pick the feature you actually want to look at: flowers (magnolia, crepe myrtle), foliage (Japanese maple, liquidambar), or bark and form (the mottled trunks of a mature crepe myrtle, the black stem of a grass tree). Matching tree to climate Australia is several growing regions, and ornamental trees are where the differences show most. Cool temperate gardens in Victoria, Tasmania, Canberra and the tablelands get the strongest autumn colour in the country. Japanese maples, liquidambars and ornamental pears all perform at their best here. Subtropical and warm coastal gardens suit crepe myrtles, evergreen magnolias and figs. Japanese maples will grow from Sydney north but want morning sun only and shelter from hot wind, and their autumn display softens as winters warm. Mediterranean and dry gardens around Perth and Adelaide favour the tough end of the range: crepe myrtles, yuccas and grass trees hold their looks on limited water once established. Frost prone inland gardens can grow most of the deciduous range, which is dormant when the hard frosts arrive. Planting and placement Dig the hole twice as wide as the rootball and no deeper, so the trunk flare sits at the original soil level. Backfill with the soil you removed, water in with 20 litres, then mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch clear of the trunk. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer rather than a light daily sprinkle, and stake only if the site is windy, removing stakes after 12 months. Placement is the decision that outlasts you. Small trees with well behaved roots, including crepe myrtles, Japanese maples and Teddy Bear magnolia, can sit 2m from paving and pools. Keep liquidambars and figs at least 6m from paving, pipes and structures, because their roots are as vigorous as their canopies. Care through the first years Feed once in early spring with a complete or controlled release fertiliser. Prune deciduous trees in late winter while they are bare, and evergreens lightly after flowering. Spend the first two or three winters on formative pruning: remove crossing branches and establish a single clear leader or an even vase shape, and the tree needs little attention for decades afterwards. Our crepe myrtle care guide shows how much difference early shaping makes. Common questions What size tree should I buy? A 200mm pot is the value choice and establishes quickly. Advanced stock in 25L to 100L gives an instant result and is worth it for a single feature position. Advanced and large trees are freighted at cost, with common tiers at $179.95 and $209.90. Which ornamental trees are safe near paving? Crepe myrtles, Japanese maples, Teddy Bear magnolia and grass trees all have compact, non-invasive root systems. Avoid planting liquidambar, ornamental pears or any ficus within 6m of paths, driveways or drains. Can I grow an ornamental tree in a pot? Yes, if you match tree to container. A Japanese maple, compact crepe myrtle or Teddy Bear magnolia lives happily for years in a 60cm pot with premium mix and reliable summer water. The tree finishes smaller than it would in the ground, which is usually the point. How fast do ornamental trees grow? Japanese maples are the slow, graceful end at 20cm to 30cm a year. Crepe myrtles manage 30cm to 50cm, and ornamental pears and liquidambars can exceed 50cm a year once established. If you need height sooner, buy a bigger tree rather than a faster species you will fight later. How does delivery work? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every tree carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. For more spring and summer flower, the flowering trees collection is the natural next stop.

Ornamental Trees & Plants

This is our full ornamental range, close to 900 trees and plants chosen for how they look every day of the year: crepe myrtles, magnolias, Japanese maples, cordylines, heliconias, agapanthus, ornamental grasses and groundcovers. The easiest way in is to start with the role you are filling, whether that is a feature tree, structure, foliage colour or underplanting, then narrow by your climate and the space available. Filter below, or read the buying guide under the grid. Choosing ornamental trees and plants: start with the role A garden reads well when every plant has a job, so decide the job before you buy on looks. Most ornamental planting comes down to four roles. The feature. One plant given room to be looked at: a crepe myrtle for summer flowers and winter bark, a magnolia for sheer presence, a grass tree or giant bird of paradise for sculpture. One strong feature beats three competing ones. Structure. The evergreen bones that hold the picture together: clipped Japanese box, pencil-thin Mediterranean cypress, lilly pillies and conifers. These are what the garden looks like in July. Foliage colour and texture. Cordylines, nandinas, heucheras and Japanese maples earn their place with leaves rather than flowers, so the effect lasts months, not weeks. The understorey. Agapanthus, lomandras, liriope, fountain grass and groundcovers like dichondra knit the taller plants together and smother the weeds while they do it. Ornamental plants for your climate The range spans every Australian growing zone, and the same four roles can be filled anywhere; only the cast changes. In tropical and subtropical gardens, heliconias, cordylines, alocasias and gingers give a lush, layered look with almost no effort, while crepe myrtles and frangipanis handle the heat in full sun. Temperate gardens from Sydney to Melbourne and Adelaide have the widest choice of all, including the classic partnership of deciduous feature tree over evergreen understorey. In cold and frost prone districts, lean on Japanese maples, oaks, ornamental pears, conifers and hardy perennials, and treat the tropical foliage plants as pot subjects you can shelter. In Perth, Adelaide and dry inland gardens, agaves, lomandras, westringias and kangaroo paws deliver strong form on low water, and many Australian native trees are at their best in exactly these conditions. Evergreen or deciduous? Neither is better; they do different work. Evergreens hold privacy and structure through winter, which is why they dominate screening and hedging. Deciduous trees give you flowers or fresh spring growth, summer shade, autumn colour and then winter sun through bare branches, which is exactly what you want over a lawn, a pergola or a north facing window. A useful rule: deciduous where you live in summer and want light in winter, evergreen where you need year round cover. Planting and establishment Dig the hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, plant at the original soil level, water in heavily and mulch 75mm deep with the mulch kept off the trunk. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, tapering off in the second year as the roots take hold. Feed in early spring with a controlled release fertiliser, using a low phosphorus formula for natives. Give feature trees room from the start: a tree with a listed 4m spread wants its trunk at least 2m from paths and 3m from the house, and it is far easier to allow that on planting day than to fix it in year six. Common questions What actually arrives when I order a tree? Each product page lists the available sizes, from tubestock and 200mm pots up to advanced ex-ground stock in some lines. Everything is delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95, advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Which ornamental plants suit pots? Compact crepe myrtles, cordylines, nandinas, agapanthus and Japanese maples all live happily in containers of 40cm or more with good drainage. In cold districts, pots also let you grow the tropical foliage plants and move them under cover for winter. What gives a new garden shape fastest? Grasses and strappy plants. Lomandras, liriope and fountain grass reach full size within one to two seasons and make even young plantings look intentional while the trees and shrubs catch up. Where should I start with a feature tree? Measure the space, then choose the biggest tree whose mature size genuinely fits it. Our Teddy Bear magnolia growing guide is a good worked example of matching a popular feature tree to a suburban block.

Outdoor Pots

If a pot has to live on a deck, patio or in a garden bed year round, this is the shortlist. All 149 designs here handle weather: UV stable colour, materials that cope with rain and frost, and proper drainage. The range runs from $28.95 terracotta classics through aged and glazed ceramic, lightweight concrete and terrazzo to carved limestone statement pieces over a metre wide. Match the material to your climate and position, then size the pot to the plant. The guide below covers both. What makes a pot outdoor ready Three things make a pot genuinely outdoor ready: colour that holds under Australian UV, a body that survives repeated soaking and drying (and freezing, in the cold half of the country), and a drainage hole that actually clears. Everything in this collection passes on all three, so the real decision is matching material to your climate and position. How each material weathers Terracotta weathers the most visibly and the most gracefully, fading from bright orange to a soft, chalky patina over a few seasons. Being porous it wicks moisture out through its walls, which plants in wet climates appreciate and which means faster drying in summer. In hard frost districts choose quality high fired terracotta, since cheap low fired clay can flake after repeated freezes. Double fired glazed ceramic is the cold climate safe bet. The vitrified glaze locks moisture out of the pot body, so frost has nothing to crack, and the deep blues, greens and metallics stay saturated for decades. Aged ceramic sits between the two, weathered finish from day one, so a chip or lichen only adds to it. Lightweight concrete, GRC and terrazzo are effectively weatherproof; a white lime bloom on new concrete is normal and washes off within a season. Limestone is permanent, and reads better every year it stands. Drainage, feet and wet weeks Outdoors, the pot has to survive the week you are away and the fortnight it will not stop raining. Stand every pot on feet so the drainage hole stays clear of the deck or paving, skip saucers entirely where you can, and use a premium potting mix rather than garden soil. Do not put a gravel layer in the base, it raises the waterlogged zone into the roots instead of draining it. Feet also spare timber decks the moisture ring a grounded pot leaves behind. Sun, wind and position A dark pot on a west facing wall can cook a root zone in January, so in full afternoon sun favour lighter colours, thicker walls, or a larger mix volume that buffers the heat swing. In exposed or windy spots, wide based bowls and drums stay put where tall narrow forms go over; as a rule the base should be at least a third of the height. For balconies and rooftops, lightweight concrete and GRC deliver outdoor toughness without the structural load, and the large pots and planters range carries most of its tree sized vessels in exactly those materials. Common questions Will terracotta crack in frost? Quality high fired terracotta handles most Australian frosts. In alpine and heavy frost districts, raise it on feet so it drains fully before a freeze, or choose double fired glazed ceramic instead. The terracotta pot collection lists the classic Italian pieces, which are the high fired kind. Do glazed pots fade outside? Not meaningfully. A double fired glaze is glass fused to the clay at over 1000 degrees, so UV has almost nothing to work on. The ceramic and glazed pot range includes pieces that have the same finish after twenty years outdoors. Do concrete pots need sealing? Not for durability. Sealing the inside slows lime leaching into the mix for sensitive plants, and sealing the outside keeps water marks off pale finishes, but an unsealed concrete pot will still outlast the garden around it. How does delivery work? Outdoor pots are delivered Australia wide, boxed and padded, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Most orders pair pots with the plants going into them.

Palm Trees

Palm trees are the quickest way to give an Australian garden a resort feel, and this collection covers over 80 of them, from 2.5m dwarfs for pots and courtyards to 10m avenue palms. The real split is climate: most palms want a frost free life, though a hardy few cope as far south as Melbourne. Match mature height to the space, check the frost tag for your area, and the rest is easy. Match the palm to the job For a feature, the Foxtail Palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) is the one most Australians picture: a smooth grey trunk to about 10m with full, bottlebrush shaped fronds, and it grows quickly. For screening, Golden Cane and Bangalow palms both close into a lush wall planted 1.5m apart. In pots, on balconies or indoors, the slow growing Kentia Palm and the shade loving Lady Palm are the two proven performers. Small gardens are better served by the 2.5m Dwarf Date Palm, the 3m Bottle Palm or the multi trunked European Fan Palm, none of which will ever loom over the house. If nothing under 4m feels generous enough, our large palms for instant impact are exactly that. Palm trees for your climate In the true tropics around Cairns and Darwin everything here thrives, including the strictly tropical Lipstick Palm. Subtropical gardens from Brisbane to northern New South Wales suit nearly all of the rest. Warm temperate gardens around Sydney and Perth still suit Foxtail, Bangalow, Alexander, Golden Cane and Kentia palms. Further south the honest shortlist gets brief: the European Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis) is fully frost hardy into cool temperate areas, while Kentia and Lady palms take light frost only. Most other palms are frost tender, so in cold districts grow them in pots and move them under cover for winter. Planting and spacing Palms have fibrous, non invasive root systems, which is why they appear so often beside pools and paving where broadleaf trees cannot go. Plant into free draining soil with the crown sitting at its original level, never deeper. Screen: Golden Cane or Bangalow at 1.5m apart. Grove effect: Alexander Palms at 2m apart in a staggered cluster. Feature: keep tall single trunk palms a couple of metres off paths and pool edges, since heavy spent fronds and seed drop from height. Pots: Kentia, Lady Palm and Dwarf Date all live happily for years in a large container. Care basics Water deeply two or three times a week through the first summer, then ease back. Mulch generously, feed in spring and midsummer with a controlled release fertiliser, and resist trimming green fronds: a palm feeds itself through them, and removing more than the dead ones weakens it. Protect young frost tender palms with fleece for their first couple of winters in marginal areas. Common questions Are palm tree roots invasive? No. Palms grow a dense mass of fibrous roots rather than thick woody ones, so they rarely trouble pipes, pools or paving. Which palms grow well indoors? Kentia and Lady palms are the classics, both slow, shade tolerant and forgiving. Cascade Palm suits lower light corners too. Give them bright indirect light and let the pot drain fully. Is the Sago Palm a true palm? No, it is a cycad, an ancient plant that predates palms entirely. It is also toxic to dogs and cats, so site it away from pets or choose a true palm instead. How fast will a palm reach full height? It varies enormously. An Alexander Palm can reach about 10m within 10 to 15 years and the Foxtail is similarly quick, while a Kentia may take that long to reach 5m. Slow palms cost more at the same height for exactly that reason. Our palm varieties guide compares the common choices. How are tall palms delivered? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every palm carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Palms, Ferns & Tropical

This is the full tropical range: palms from poolside clumpers to ten metre feature trees, tree ferns and shade ferns, and the big leafed foliage plants that tie a resort garden together. The look is built in layers, a palm canopy overhead, strelitzias and cordylines in the middle, ferns and philodendrons below. Start with your climate and the mature heights your space can carry, then use the filters below to narrow the range. How to choose from a range this size Start by deciding what job each plant does. Canopy comes first: a feature palm such as the Foxtail Palm, an Alexander or a Bangalow gives height, shade and instant structure. The middle layer is where the tropical character lives, with giant white bird of paradise, heliconias, cordylines, frangipanis and elephants ears filling the space between trunk and ground. The floor belongs to ferns, philodendrons, alocasias and monsteras. A garden that uses all three layers looks established years before one planted with a single specimen of everything. Then check mature sizes against your boundaries. Palms are honest plants: a Foxtail will reach about 10m with a 4m crown wherever you put it, while a clumping Golden Cane Palm holds a screen of 6m to 8m and can be kept far lower. Use the mature height and width filters above the grid rather than guessing from the photos. Tropical gardens outside the tropics The resort look is not restricted to the resort latitudes, but the plant list changes as you move south. Tropical and subtropical gardens. Everything here is on the table, and the growth rates are the fastest in the country. The main discipline is spacing: plants that look sparse in year one will be fighting for room by year four. Warm temperate gardens around Sydney, Perth and coastal South Australia. Most palms, the strelitzias and nearly all the foliage layer perform well. Wind does more damage than cold here, so shelter the big leafed plants behind fences, walls or the palms themselves. Cool temperate gardens including Melbourne, the hills and Tasmania. Build around tree ferns, which genuinely prefer cool moist conditions, with kentia palms, cordylines and hardy strelitzias. Bangalow and golden cane palms handle only light frost once established, so give them overhead canopy or a warm courtyard. Hot dry inland gardens. Be honest with yourself: this is a high water look in a low water place. Keep it to a shaded courtyard microclimate on drippers, or choose the tougher cordylines and drought tolerant palms rather than ferns. Poolside and screening choices Palms earn their poolside reputation on their roots: fibrous, dense and non-invasive, safe beside paving, pipes and pool shells where a fig or a large tree would be a liability. Golden cane palms planted 1m apart make a lush 4m to 6m screen along a pool fence, and clumping types can be thinned at the base to show trunk. Evergreen foliage means no autumn leaf drop into the water, though every palm sheds the odd frond, so allow access to collect them. If you want privacy with less flair and less water, compare the plainer evergreen options in the hedging and screening range before you commit. Planting and care basics Dig each hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, so the plant sits at its original soil level. Improve sandy soil with compost, water in heavily and mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch off trunks and fern crowns. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, daily for ferns in hot spells, then taper back as roots establish. Feed palms and foliage plants in early spring and midsummer with a controlled release fertiliser; tree ferns prefer a gentle liquid feed watered into the crown area in the warm months. Shelter new plantings from hot dry wind for their first two years, because wind burn on a big tropical leaf never repairs, it only gets cut off. Common questions Which palms handle frost? Established Bangalow, kentia and European fan palms shrug off light frosts, and tree ferns cope with frost under an open canopy. Golden cane, foxtail and most of the ornamental tropical palms do not, so in frost prone gardens keep them in the warmest microclimate you have, or in pots that winter under cover. Will palm roots lift paving or find pipes? No. Palms grow a mass of fine fibrous roots rather than thickening woody roots, which is why they are the standard choice beside pools, paths and driveways. The base of a clumping palm does widen over the years, so plant golden canes about 1m clear of a fence or pool edge. What if I want the tropical look indoors? Many of the plants in this collection, kentia palms, monsteras, philodendrons and birds nest ferns among them, are equally at home inside in bright indirect light. The indoor plant range covers the houseplant sizes and varieties. How fast will a tropical screen fill in? Fast, by garden standards. Golden cane palms from 200mm or 300mm pots give real privacy in two to three years in warm climates, and the foliage layer beneath them fills its space in one to two growing seasons. Planting larger container sizes buys an immediate effect rather than a faster plant. How are large palms delivered? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, quoted for specialist transport where needed, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Pest Control

Everything here is about fixing a problem: insecticides from soft organic oils through to systemic sprays, fungicides, weed killers for lawns and garden beds, snail baits, fly traps, bird netting, weed mat and the sprayers to apply it all. The trick with pest control is to identify the culprit before you buy, then use the gentlest product that will actually do the job. The guide below the grid walks through matching common Australian garden problems to the right treatment. Identify the problem before you treat it Half of all pest control money is wasted on the wrong product, so read the damage first. Holes chewed in leaves point to caterpillars during the day or snails and slugs overnight. Look for silvery trails to confirm snails, and treat with baits scattered thinly, about a small handful per square metre. Sticky leaves, ants running up stems or black sooty mould mean sap suckers: aphids, scale or mealybug. Oil based sprays smother all three. White powder or spreading leaf spots are fungal. Powdery mildew, black spot and rust all worsen in humid, still conditions, and need a fungicide plus better airflow. Flat weeds and bindii in the lawn call for a selective herbicide that kills broadleaf weeds without touching the grass. Check the label suits your lawn type, since buffalo needs its own formulation. Start soft, escalate only if you need to For most insect problems, begin with the low toxicity options: neem, eco oils and white oil smother sap suckers and are gentler on the beneficial insects doing free pest control in your garden. Pyrethrum gives a fast knockdown but is not selective, so spray it at dusk after bees have finished. Save systemic insecticides and fungicides for infestations that contact sprays cannot reach, such as scale deep in a dense canopy or fungal disease that keeps returning. Whatever you use, follow the label rate exactly: a double dose burns foliage and breeds resistance. Weed control without collateral damage Match the tool to the setting. In garden beds, a weed killer gel paints glyphosate onto individual weeds without any spray drift onto the plants you love. For paths, driveways and larger clean ups, a concentrate mixed into a pressure sprayer is the economical option, and a spray dye shows exactly where you have sprayed. On lawns, use a selective bindii and clover killer in late winter, before bindii sets its spiky seed. For new beds, weed mat pinned down and topped with 75mm of mulch prevents the problem rather than treating it. Choosing a sprayer A 2L pressure sprayer covers a courtyard and pot collection. A 5L unit is the workhorse for a standard suburban garden. Move up to a rechargeable shoulder or backpack sprayer around 15L for large blocks and acreage. Keep one sprayer for herbicides and a separate one for everything else, because glyphosate residue in a shared tank will damage the next thing you spray. Common questions What should I reach for first if I see aphids? Hose them off, then follow with an eco oil or neem spray every 7 to 10 days until new growth stays clean. Ladybirds and lacewings usually hold the numbers down after that. Are these products safe around pets and children? Used as directed, yes, but the label is the law: keep everyone off treated lawns until the spray has dried, store concentrates sealed and out of reach, and choose iron based snail baits if pets share the garden. When is the best time to spray? Early morning or evening, in still conditions, with no rain forecast for 24 hours. Avoid spraying open flowers where bees are working, and skip days over about 30 degrees, when oil sprays can scorch foliage. Prevention beats cure. What else helps? Healthy plants defend themselves. Feeding and mulching from our potting mixes, mulches and fertilisers range reduces the stress that invites attack, our tools and accessories cover the pruning gear that opens up airflow, and our guide to identifying and treating common plant pests and diseases is worth a read before anything goes wrong.

Pet Friendly Indoor Plants

Every plant in this collection carries our Pet Friendly flag, meaning the available toxicity data lists it as non toxic to cats and dogs. That turns shopping for pet friendly indoor plants back into a normal houseplant decision: match the plant to your light and your patience rather than a toxicity list. The range of over 60 runs from desktop peperomias and nerve plants up to lady palms near 2.5m, with calatheas, ferns and clumping palms in between. How to choose pet friendly indoor plants The real trade-off in this collection is foliage drama against forgiveness. Calatheas, marantas and fittonias carry the most striking patterned leaves in the houseplant world, and they ask the most in return: steady moisture, humidity and a position away from direct sun and cold draughts. Peperomias, pileas, gasterias and haworthias sit at the other end, shrugging off a missed watering and staying under 30cm to 40cm for years. If you want something with real presence, the palms and larger ferns hold the middle ground, handsome and genuinely low maintenance. Size is the other decision. More than half the collection stays under half a metre, made for shelves, desks and windowsills. At the top end, the Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) builds slowly to about 2.5m and the Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii) to around 3m, both proper furniture-scale plants that are listed as non toxic to cats and dogs. What the Pet Friendly flag means We flag a plant as pet friendly when the available toxicity data lists it as non toxic to cats and dogs. It is a filter, not a guarantee. Any plant eaten in quantity can upset a stomach, and a determined puppy can still destroy the pot. If your animal has eaten something and seems unwell, ring your vet and take a piece of the plant with you. For hedges, groundcovers and trees that carry the same flag, see the pet safe outdoor plant range. Matching the plant to the room Light decides success indoors more than anything else. Calatheas, marantas, fittonias and the bird's nest ferns want bright, indirect light, a metre or two back from a north or east facing window. Bathrooms and laundries suit the ferns best, because the humidity does half the work for you. For dim hallways and south facing rooms, the Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior) is the standout: about 70cm tall, tolerant of deep shade and dry spells, and one of the few plants here that also copes in cool temperate climates. The Lady Palm and Bamboo Palm handle low light as well, and our low light indoor plants collection gathers more options. Almost everything here is a tropical or subtropical understorey plant, so the advice shifts by region. In Brisbane, Sydney and further north, most of these plants will also live happily on a shaded balcony or verandah year round. In Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart, treat them as strictly indoor plants through winter: they are frost tender, and cold draughts from doors and single-glazed windows do more damage than most owners realise. Potting and position, with numbers Use a free draining indoor potting mix and a pot with drainage holes, sitting on a saucer you empty after watering. When a plant fills its pot, move it up one size, roughly 4cm to 5cm wider, rather than jumping to a huge container that holds soggy mix around the roots. Most of the small growers here are comfortable in a 14cm to 20cm pot for years; the palms want a 30cm to 40cm pot as they mature. Rotate the pot a quarter turn each week so growth stays even, and keep all plants at least a metre from heaters and air conditioning outlets. Care basics for the collection Water when the top 2cm to 3cm of mix is dry, which in most Australian homes means roughly weekly in summer and every two to three weeks in winter. Calatheas and fittonias prefer the mix to stay lightly moist, never wet. Feed with a half strength liquid fertiliser monthly from spring to early autumn, and not at all in winter. Wipe dust from broad leaves so they can photosynthesise, and trim spent foliage at the base. If leaf edges brown on your calatheas, raise the humidity with a pebble tray before reaching for anything else. Common questions Are these plants completely safe if my cat chews them? No plant is completely safe to eat, but everything here is listed as non toxic to cats and dogs, so a chewed leaf is very unlikely to cause more than mild stomach upset. Ring your vet if your animal seems unwell. Our guide to the best pet friendly plants for your home covers sensible placement too. Which of these plants handle low light best? The Cast Iron Plant is the champion, followed by the Lady Palm and Bamboo Palm. Calatheas tolerate lower light than most patterned plants, though the markings soften. Nothing thrives in a room with no natural light at all. Why are my calathea leaves curling or browning at the edges? Dry air is the usual cause, followed by underwatering and cold draughts. Move the plant away from heaters, water when the surface dries and sit the pot on a tray of damp pebbles. New leaves should emerge clean within a few weeks. Do pet friendly indoor plants work in cold climates? Yes, indoors. Homes in Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart suit them fine provided rooms stay above about 10 degrees Celsius in winter and plants sit clear of cold windows and draughts. They are frost tender, so do not leave them outside overnight in the cool months. How does delivery work for indoor plants? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Larger palms and advanced stock are freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. See the full indoor plant range if you are building an order.

Plant Tiles

Plant tiles are pre-grown mats of groundcover, raised flat in trays so you lift them like turf and lay an instant living carpet. The range is a short list of proven spreaders, from No Mow Grass and dichondra for lawn replacement to creeping thyme for the gaps between pavers. Your choice comes down to sun or shade, how much foot traffic the spot gets, and whether you want instant coverage from 330mm tiles or a cheaper start from tubes. Matching a groundcover to the spot Start with sunlight and traffic, not looks. In full sun, No Mow Grass (Zoysia tenuifolia) builds the soft, undulating mat it is known for, shrugs off heat, drought and coastal salt, and rarely needs cutting. Thyme 'Magic Carpet' (Thymus serpyllum) takes the same hot, dry positions and adds pink flowers and fragrance underfoot. In shade or damp ground, the natives take over: Kidney Weed (Dichondra repens) makes a soft lawn substitute for light foot traffic, Native Violet (Viola hederacea) flowers white and purple in moist shade, and White Pratia carpets cool, damp spots. Green spikemoss rounds out the range for humid, sheltered corners, indoors included. Traffic is the honest filter. No Mow Grass and both dichondras handle regular light foot traffic, thyme and pratia suit the occasional step between pavers, and native violet prefers to be admired from the path. Plant tiles or tubes: speed versus budget Most varieties here are sold in more than one format, and the difference is time. A 330mm tile is a fully knitted mat you lay straight onto prepared soil for immediate coverage, which suits finished landscapes and anywhere bare dirt is not acceptable. Tubes cost a fraction of the price per plant and reach the same finish, but ask a growing season or two of patience. Spacing and laying, with real numbers Lay tiles edge to edge on level, weed-free soil and water them in heavily. For tubes, spacing sets how fast the gaps close: 20cm apart. Kidney Weed and green spikemoss, for quick dense cover. 25cm apart. White Pratia, which runs quickly once established. 30cm apart. No Mow Grass, Dichondra 'Tiny Delight', thyme and native violet. Planting tighter buys little, because these spreaders run well beyond their pot footprint. Care while the carpet knits together Keep the soil consistently moist for the first six to eight weeks, then ease back. The frost hardy choices for cooler southern gardens are Kidney Weed, 'Tiny Delight', Native Violet, White Pratia and thyme. No Mow Grass takes light frost only, so in tropical, subtropical, warm temperate and Mediterranean climates it is the standout, while green spikemoss is frost tender and belongs in sheltered or indoor positions. Hand weed until the cover closes, because young groundcovers cannot outcompete established weeds. Common questions How quickly do plant tiles cover an area? A tile is covered the day you lay it. Tubes planted at the spacings above generally knit into a continuous mat over their first spring and summer, faster with regular water. Can I walk on these groundcovers? Lightly, yes. No Mow Grass and the dichondras cope with regular foot traffic on the way to the clothesline. Thyme and pratia are best between stepping stones, taking a footstep here and there rather than a daily route. Are plant tiles safe around pets? No Mow Grass, Kidney Weed, 'Tiny Delight', Native Violet and thyme all carry our Pet Friendly flag. White Pratia and green spikemoss do not, so check with your vet if your dog grazes the garden. Which option replaces a lawn outright? No Mow Grass is the closest thing to a lawn without mowing, and 'Tiny Delight' gives a finer, flatter version of the same idea. Our No Mow Grass guide covers establishment step by step, and the low maintenance groundcover collection holds more options if none of these fits. How does delivery work? Tiles and tubes are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plants

This is the entire Nursery Near Me plant range: more than 2,000 lines spanning screening and hedging plants, feature trees, natives, fruit and citrus, indoor plants and everything between, from tubestock under $15 to advanced 45 litre specimens. Nobody browses two thousand plants, so use the filters for climate, sun, mature size, growth rate and water needs to cut the grid down to plants that will genuinely thrive at your place. The guide below explains how. 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 no minimum order. 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.

Plants for Arid and Semi Arid Climates

Inland gardens work harder than most: 40 degree summer days, frosty winter nights and not much rain in between. Every one of the over 500 plants here is tagged for arid and semi arid climates, from succulent groundcovers and lomandras to olives, bottle trees and narrow screening conifers. The real filter is frost. Plenty of plants for arid climates shrug off heat, but fewer handle a minus 3 morning at Broken Hill, so check frost hardiness before anything else. Start with your winter, not your summer Heat tolerance is common in this collection. Frost hardiness is what separates the plants that thrive inland from the ones that merely survive, because most arid and semi arid towns freeze on clear winter nights. The workhorses handle both: olives, pomegranate, pencil pine, Spartan juniper, lomandras, westringias, creeping boobialla and grass trees are all recorded as frost hardy as well as drought tolerant. A second group, including bougainvillea, blue chalk sticks and other soft succulents, tolerates light frost only, so give them a warm north facing wall or overhead cover. Young Queensland bottle trees also need frost protection for their first few winters, even though established trees cope. The other genuine trade-off is speed against water. Fast growers like Westringia 'Zena' reach their metre in a season or two but appreciate an occasional deep drink to look their best. The slowest plants here, grass trees among them, ask for almost nothing once established. Our drought tolerant range extends well beyond this collection if low water use is your main goal. Where arid climate plants earn their keep These are the plants we recommend for Mildura and the Riverland, Broken Hill, Port Augusta, Kalgoorlie, Longreach and the inland slopes and plains of New South Wales, anywhere rainfall is unreliable and evaporation is high. They also suit gardeners in Perth and Adelaide dealing with dry Mediterranean summers on sandy soil, and anyone on town water restrictions who wants a garden that does not depend on the hose. Many are Australian natives selected for exactly these conditions, and the native plant range holds hundreds more. For structure, a Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea glauca) gives sculptural blue green foliage on a plant that is genuinely at home in dry country. Planting and spacing in dry country Autumn is the best planting window inland: the soil is still warm, winter rain does the establishment watering for you, and roots are settled before the first hot spell. Dig each hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, shape a shallow watering basin about 40cm across around the stem, and mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch clear of the trunk. Gravel mulch suits succulents and grass trees better than organic mulch, which can hold moisture against the crown. Groundcovers. Creeping boobialla at 1m centres knits over quickly; blue chalk sticks at 40cm centres for a dense blue carpet. Borders and mass planting. Lomandra 'Lime Tuff' at 50cm centres, French lavender or Westringia 'Zena' at 60cm for a low hedge. Screens. Pencil pine and Spartan juniper at 1m apart for a formal screen; olives at 3m for an informal grove or windbreak. Fruiting hedge. Pomegranate at 1.5m apart, clipped or left loose. Watering and feeding once established Water deeply and rarely. A long soak once a fortnight in summer grows deep roots; a daily sprinkle grows shallow ones that cook in January. Hold that routine through the first two summers, then most of this collection will get by on rainfall plus the odd bucket in a heatwave. Feed natives with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring, everything else with a controlled release fertiliser at the same time, and stop watering succulents almost entirely through winter. If your winters are cold, check the frost hardy collection before adding anything borderline. Common questions Which screening plants handle both drought and frost? Pencil pine holds 5m tall by barely 1m wide planted at 1m spacings, and Spartan juniper does the same job at 5m by 1.2m. For a broader screen, olives planted 3m apart and held at 3m to 4m with an annual prune make a tough, silver leaved windbreak. Are Australian natives always the best choice in dry areas? Not automatically. A rainforest lilly pilly is a native and will sulk at Broken Hill, while an olive from the Mediterranean will thrive. Choose by tolerance, not origin: the natives that belong here, like westringia, lomandra and grass trees, are listed for arid and semi arid climates specifically. How slow are grass trees really? Slow. Trunks extend a centimetre or two a year, so a plant with half a metre of trunk is decades old. Buy the size that suits the space now rather than waiting for a small one to catch up. Can I grow fruit in an arid climate? Yes, with the right species. The Kalamata olive fruits reliably on low water, pomegranate reaches about 4m by 3m and is frost hardy, and citrus manage well where you can commit to regular deep watering. The full olive tree range covers table and picual style varieties. How does delivery work to inland areas? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plants for Balconies

Balcony growing is container growing with weather, and every one of the over 400 plants here is tagged for balconies and courtyards. The mix runs from potted citrus and blueberries to screening lilly pillies, perfumed gardenias and hardy snake plants. Before you choose, be honest about three things: how much sun the balcony gets, how hard the wind hits, and how much weight and watering you are prepared to manage. The guide below works through each. Start with sun, then wind Track the sun for a day before spending a dollar. A north facing balcony with six or more hours of direct light will grow citrus, blueberries and most flowering plants. A south facing one may see no direct sun at all, which suits the Lady Palm, ferns and much of our indoor plant range living outdoors in the warm half of the year. Wind is the balcony grower's real enemy, and above the third floor it is usually constant. Wind tolerant choices such as the Straight and Narrow Lilly Pilly and the compact Baby Bay shrug it off, while large soft leaves like a fiddle leaf fig tatter quickly. If your balcony cops regular gusts, favour small, firm foliage and heavier pots. The best balcony plants by job For privacy, the Straight and Narrow Lilly Pilly is the standout: naturally columnar at about 1m wide, happy in a large trough or planter at 60cm to 80cm spacings, and it screens a neighbouring building without swallowing the floor space. For perfume, Star Jasmine climbs a wire or railing frame and flowers in white drifts, and the Florida Gardenia packs the same punch into a 1.2m pot shrub. For harvests, dwarf grafted lemons stay near 2m in a pot, and low chill blueberries like Vitality crop happily in containers. For a no effort corner, snake plants and jade tolerate heat, drought and neglect. Pots, weight and planting Use the biggest pot you can justify: a 40cm to 50cm pot holds moisture for days, while a 20cm pot can dry out in an afternoon of summer wind. Always use premium potting mix, never garden soil, and make sure water can escape the base freely. Watered pots are heavy, so keep the biggest close to walls, choose lightweight planters for larger plants, and check your building's rules before lining a railing with troughs. Our pots and planters range includes lightweight options in every size. Watering and feeding in containers Pots hold only as much water as you give them. In summer, check daily with a finger in the mix, and water until it runs from the base. Feed with a controlled release fertiliser each spring and a liquid feed monthly through the growing season, because frequent watering washes nutrients out. Every second year, refresh the top few centimetres of mix or repot entirely. Common questions Which plants handle a windy balcony best? Straight and Narrow Lilly Pilly, Baby Bay and star jasmine trained flat against a screen all take coastal and exposed positions. Small leathery leaves are the pattern to look for. Can I really grow fruit on a balcony? Yes, with six hours of sun. Dwarf grafted citrus trees stay around 2m in a pot, and the Eureka Lemon fruits close to year round. Blueberries need a pot of acidic mix and reward you within a season or two. What grows on a shaded balcony? The Lady Palm handles deep shade better than almost anything, and snake plants, ferns and most indoor foliage plants will summer outside happily in bright shade. Flowers and fruit are the trade off: shade grows leaves. Do I need saucers under my pots? On a balcony, yes, both for your waterproofing and the neighbours below. Raise pots slightly so they never sit in a full saucer, or roots will drown. How do plants arrive in an apartment building? Orders are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plants for Coastal Areas

Salt spray, sand and relentless wind rule out half the nursery, so this collection holds the other half: over 500 coastal plants, from westringia and coast banksia on the front line to olives, palms and frangipani a fence back from the beach. The key question is exposure. Work out whether your garden takes direct spray or sits behind shelter, then filter by height, position and climate below. Exposure decides everything Coastal gardens split into two zones, and honesty about which one you have saves years of replacements. The front line takes direct salt spray, and only genuine specialists hold it: the Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) at up to 8m and lower again in exposed sites, coastal rosemary such as the 1m Zena, the prostrate she oak Cousin It spilling over walls, and the Coastal Screw Pine in frost free areas. The second line, behind a dune, fence or first row of houses, gets salty wind without the spray, and the choice opens up to olives, foxtail palms, frangipani and lilly pillies. You can read tolerance in the leaves. Silver, waxy or needle fine foliage is salt armour; big soft glossy leaves belong behind shelter. Coastal plants for each stretch of coastline On tropical and subtropical coasts from Cairns to northern New South Wales, heat and humidity favour palms, frangipani and the screw pine, and wet season drainage matters as much as salt. Warm temperate coasts around Sydney and Perth have the widest choice in the range, with Perth gardens leaning harder on olives, westringia and other dry sand specialists. On southern coasts from Adelaide through Victoria the wind is colder and more constant, so the frost hardy natives, westringia, Coast Banksia, melaleuca and our wider Australian native range, do the heavy lifting. Planting into sand and wind Sand drains perfectly and holds nothing, so prepare for retention. Dig wide, not deep, mix compost through the backfill, mulch 75mm with something chunky enough not to blow away, and water deeply twice a week through the first summer. Windbreak: Coast Banksia at 3m apart. Low hedge: Snowstorm Melaleuca at 1m, Zena Coastal Rosemary at 600mm. Groundcover: Creeping Boobialla and Cousin It at 1m, Seaside Daisy at 40cm. Stake anything over knee height loosely so it can flex, remove stakes after 12 months, and hose salt off the foliage after a big blow. That quick rinse prevents most leaf burn. Shelter first, show second Starting from scratch, plant the windbreak before the feature garden. A staggered row of banksia or melaleuca filters wind within two seasons, and everything in its lee establishes faster. Our windbreak plants collection covers the taller options, and the low maintenance groundcovers knit the sand together beneath them. Common questions What can I plant right on the beachfront? Stick to the proven front line: westringia, Coast Banksia, Cousin It and the Coastal Screw Pine. Expect everything to finish lower and denser than its label says, because constant wind prunes harder than you ever will. Will these plants grow away from the coast? Usually better than at the beach. Salt tolerance travels with wind and drought tolerance, so coastal natives thrive in hot, exposed inland gardens too. Check frost tags though: the screw pine and frangipani are tender, while westringia and banksia cope well below zero. Which groundcovers hold a sandy bank? Creeping Boobialla knits a bank together fast at 1m spacings, Cousin It drapes walls and slopes, and Seaside Daisy fills gaps from 40cm plantings, though it self seeds freely, so keep it away from bushland edges. When should I plant a coastal garden? Autumn in most of the country: warm soil, gentler wind and two mild seasons before the first hard summer. In the tropics, plant at the start of the dry season. How does delivery work? Everything is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plants for Cool Climates

Gardening where winters bite means choosing plants that treat frost as routine, and that is what this collection holds: over 1,100 cool climate plants, with more than a thousand of them rated frost hardy. Japanese maples, magnolias, camellias, box hedging and tough southern natives all sit here. The real decision is structure versus seasons: evergreens hold the garden together in July, while deciduous trees trade winter foliage for autumn colour and summer shade. Evergreen bones or seasonal colour Cool climate gardens are built in layers, and the first choice is how much of yours stays green in winter. Evergreens carry the structure: Magnolia 'Little Gem' makes a 5m screen or feature with fragrant white flowers, camellias flower through the coldest months, and Japanese box, sweet viburnum and westringia hold hedges tight year round. Deciduous plants do the opposite job. A Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) reaches about 5m in 15 years, colours brilliantly in autumn and then lets winter sun into the garden, and crepe myrtles add months of summer flower before their own autumn display. The honest trade-off: an all evergreen garden looks tidy but static, while an all deciduous one is bare sticks from June to September. Most good southern gardens run roughly two thirds evergreen structure with deciduous features placed where you want summer shade and winter light. Where cool climate plants thrive This collection is built for Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Ballarat, Orange, the Adelaide Hills, the Southern Highlands and the Blue Mountains, anywhere winter mornings sit near or below zero. More than a thousand of the plants here are rated frost hardy, and the rest tolerate at least light frost. Microclimate still matters: cold air drains downhill and pools in hollows and behind solid fences, so put your most borderline plants on slopes or near the house wall, and expect the open lawn to frost hardest. Summer is the other test. Inland cool climate towns swing past 35 degrees Celsius in January, which is why drought tolerant natives and Mediterranean plants like olives and lavender feature so heavily here. Planting and spacing with real numbers Autumn and spring are the planting windows, and bare winter is fine for deciduous trees while they are dormant. Dig twice the pot width, no deeper, water in well and mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch off the stems. Formal low hedges. Japanese box at 30cm to 40cm apart, clipped once or twice a year. Flowering hedges. Camellias such as 'Black Tie' at 1m apart for a 2m to 2.5m screen that flowers in winter. Privacy screens. Sweet viburnum at 1m apart, held at 2m to 3m; Magnolia 'Little Gem' or 'Teddy Bear' at 1.5m; Thuja 'Smaragd' at 60cm for a narrow 4m column screen in dry-summer areas. Groundcovers. Native violet at 300mm centres in moist shade; star jasmine at 1m centres to cover a fence or bank. Care through a frosty year Time your pruning around the frost calendar. Pruning in autumn pushes soft new growth that the first freeze burns, so save the main cut for late winter or just after flowering. Protect newly planted evergreens with a stake and hessian screen for their first winter or two, water deeply once a week through summer while plants establish, and feed once in spring with a controlled release fertiliser, or a low phosphorus native fertiliser for the natives. Hydrangeas and Japanese maples appreciate afternoon shade in hot districts; camellias want acidic, well drained soil and resent lime. Common questions What grows fastest for privacy in cold areas? Sweet viburnum is the standout: frost hardy, fast, planted at 1m spacings and easily held at 2m to 3m. For narrow spaces, Thuja 'Smaragd' at 60cm apart builds a tight 4m screen. The full hedging and screening range can be filtered by climate and mature height. Will these plants really survive frost? Over a thousand here are rated frost hardy and the remainder handle light frost, but every plant is more vulnerable in its first two winters, before roots are established. Plant in spring in severe frost districts so plants face their first winter mature, and check each product page for its tolerance listing. Do Australian natives suit cool climate gardens? Plenty do. Westringia, lomandra, bottlebrush, coast banksia and native violet all carry frost hardy ratings, and southern natives generally cope with cold better than their tropical reputation suggests. Match the species to your district rather than assuming native means tender. Which flowering trees handle cold winters? Crepe myrtles are the reliable summer flowering choice, frost hardy and happy from Melbourne north, with the crepe myrtle range running from 3m compacts to 6m avenue trees. Magnolias flower from late winter, and the camellia collection covers the coldest months when little else performs. How does delivery work for cold region orders? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plants for Full Shade

Full shade is the position that defeats most plants, so this is a deliberately short list: over 10 proven survivors for spots that never see direct sun. Native violet carpets damp shaded ground, cast iron plant and mother in law's tongue hold dark corners indoors or out, and shade tolerant succulents cover the neglected end. If your spot gets a few hours of morning sun, you may be better served by our partial shade range. First, confirm it really is full shade Full shade means no direct sun at any point of the day: the south side of a building, under a deck, beneath a dense evergreen canopy, or a room away from the window. It is rarer than people think. If the spot catches even two or three hours of morning light, the door opens much wider, and our partial shade collection is the better hunting ground. Also note the difference between bright shade, with plenty of reflected light, and genuinely dark corners. Everything here copes with the first; only a handful, led by the cast iron plant, tolerate the second. The short list, by job For shaded ground outdoors, Native Violet (Viola hederacea) is the workhorse: 15cm tall, frost hardy, spreading by runners wherever the soil stays moist, with white and purple flowers. For structure, the Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior) earns its name, thriving in deep shade, poor soil and dry spells at about 70cm tall. Indoors, mother in law's tongue gives a 1m vertical accent, the Marble Rubber Tree reaches around 2m in a pot, and red veined fittonias colour the low light shelf. The curiosity is the Black Bat Plant, with whiskered near black flowers, best potted in warmth and humidity under cover. Haworthias and gasterias, unusually for succulents, are happy without direct sun on a bright sill. Planting and spacing in shade Space Native Violet at 300mm for a quick carpet, Cast Iron Plant at 50cm for a dense mass planting, and mother in law's tongue at 30cm for a block. Under established trees, the real obstacle is root competition rather than darkness, so dig generous pockets of compost enriched soil, water new plants deeply once a week for the first few months, and let the cast iron plant do the frontline work there. In pots, any premium free draining mix suits the whole collection. Care in low light Shade cuts water use dramatically, and overwatering is the main killer of shade plants. Let the top of the soil dry before watering again, especially for the succulents, which may only need a drink every couple of weeks. Feed lightly once in spring; plants photosynthesising in low light cannot use a heavy feed. Wipe dust off indoor foliage every month or so, since in low light every bit of leaf surface counts. Ferns want the opposite of the succulents, steady moisture, and our shade ferns pair well with everything here. Common questions Will anything actually flower in full shade? Native Violet flowers reliably in shade, and the Black Bat Plant produces its strange whiskered blooms in a warm humid spot. Most other survivors here are foliage plants; in deep shade, leaves are the show. What grows under a big established tree? Cast Iron Plant is the honest answer, handling shade, root competition and drought once established. Native Violet joins it wherever the ground stays damp. Are these plants safe around pets? Native Violet, Cast Iron Plant, fittonias and haworthias all carry our Pet Friendly flag. Mother in law's tongue and the rubber tree do not, so keep them out of reach of a plant chewing dog or cat. See our low light indoor plants for more options. How does delivery work? Everything is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plants for Full Sun

Plants for full sun need to do more than survive six hours of direct light a day. This collection holds over 1,600 of them, from groundcovers and lavender through to olives, magnolias and shade trees, so the real decision is matching the plant to everything else your site throws at it: drought, frost, humidity or reflected heat from paving. Work out your climate first, then the job, then filter by height and water needs below. How to choose full sun plants that last Start with your climate, not the plant tag. The same open position arrives with humidity in Cairns, dry heat in Perth and frosty winter mornings in Canberra, and plenty of sun lovers handle one but not the others. Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia) revels in tropical and subtropical heat yet cannot take frost, while crepe myrtles, olives and French lavender (Lavandula dentata) cope from the subtropics down to cool temperate gardens. Check the frost rating first if you garden inland or south of Sydney. Then be honest about water. Most of this collection overlaps with our drought tolerant range, but even those plants need a full summer of regular soaking to establish. If the bed is a long way from a tap, lean on the proven dry position performers: rosemary, the olives and no mow grass. Where an open, sunny position works for you North facing beds and west facing fences are the hottest real estate in an Australian garden, and they suit the silver and fine leafed plants, lavender, rosemary and olives among them, that shrug off reflected heat. Poolside and seaside positions add salt to the equation; over 850 plants here carry a coastal and salt tolerance tag, including Little Gem magnolia and the lilly pillies, and our coastal garden plants narrow the field further. For a sunny nature strip or driveway, crepe myrtles give months of summer flowers without invasive roots. Planting and spacing in full sun Plant in autumn where you can: the soil is still warm and roots get two mild seasons to settle before facing a summer. Dig each hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in heavily, then mulch 75mm deep, clear of stems. Low hedges and borders. French lavender and Tuscan Blue rosemary at 60cm apart. Screens. Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' at 1m apart is easily held as a 2m to 3m wall; Little Gem magnolia at 1.5m apart gives a taller, more formal screen. Groundcover. No mow grass at 30cm apart knits into a soft lawn substitute. Feature trees. Give a jacaranda generous clearance from paving, pipes and pools; its surface roots are vigorous. Care through the first summers Water deeply twice a week through the first summer rather than lightly every day, then taper to occasional deep soaks. Feed once in early spring with a controlled release fertiliser. Trim lavender and rosemary lightly after each flush of flowers to keep them dense, and go easy on feeding flowering trees, because heavy nitrogen buys leaves at the expense of blooms. Common questions How many hours of sun count as full sun? Six or more hours of direct light a day. Afternoon sun is harsher than morning sun, so a west facing bed with five hours can be tougher on plants than an east facing bed with seven. Can these plants cope with some shade? Most tolerate a few hours less light, but flowering thins and silver leafed plants grow leggy. If your spot gets under six hours, choose from our partial shade range instead. Which full sun plants suit pots? Lavender, rosemary, dwarf citrus and Little Gem magnolia all perform in containers. A dwarf grafted Eureka lemon stays near 2m in a large pot and fruits close to year round. Do drought tolerant plants still need watering? Yes, for the first year or two. Drought tolerance describes an established root system, not a new planting. Even old plants repay a deep soak in a long dry spell.

Plants for Mass Planting

Landscapers repeat one tough plant by the dozen because it works: a single species massed in drifts reads as calm, deliberate design and costs far less to maintain than a mixed border. These are our mass planting plants, over 800 groundcovers, strappy natives and compact shrubs chosen to be repeated. The questions that matter are spacing, how the plant handles your climate, and whether it still looks respectable in year five with nothing more than a yearly trim. How to choose a plant worth repeating A plant you buy once can afford to be temperamental. A plant you buy forty of cannot. The best candidates for repetition are evergreen, hold their shape without constant clipping, and still look presentable after five years of neglect, which is why lomandras, liriope, westringia and gardenias dominate commercial landscapes. Before committing to a full run, be ruthless about three things: the mature width, because that sets your spacing and your budget; the climate fit, because one drift means one point of failure; and the maintenance rhythm, because forty plants that each need deadheading is a part time job. Structure the planting in layers rather than a flat carpet. A repeated groundcover such as kidney weed or native violet knits the floor, a mid band of Lomandra 'Tanika' or liriope gives year round body, and a taller rhythm of one flowering shrub, perhaps French Lavender in the sun or gardenias in the warmth, lifts the whole bed. Three species, repeated generously, beat fifteen species planted once. Where mass planting earns its place Repetition solves the awkward spots single plants cannot. On slopes and above retaining walls, 'Cousin It' casuarina, creeping boobialla and star jasmine at 1m spacings grip the bank and stop mulch washing away. In the dry shade under trees, mondo grass and liriope hold ground where lawn fails. Around pools, no mow grass and Xanadu philodendron give clean bones with nothing to drop. In the humid north, gardenias, ixora and Xanadu carry beds through steamy summers but are frost tender, while cooler gardens lean on box, lavender, gaura and hydrangeas in shade, all frost hardy. For dry sun anywhere south of Brisbane, westringia and lavender are close to unkillable. Most of the strappy backbone options sit in our grasses and strappy leaf range. Spacing and how many plants you need Work off the grid, not the pot size. Divide the bed area by the spacing squared and round up. 15cm to 20cm apart. Dwarf mondo, mondo grass and kidney weed: 25 to 44 plants per square metre for a solid carpet. 30cm to 40cm apart. Native violet, no mow grass, liriope, blue chalk sticks and agapanthus: 6 to 11 per square metre. 50cm to 60cm apart. Gaura, dianella, Lomandra 'Tanika', lavender, Westringia 'Zena', Florida gardenia and Polygala 'Little Bibi': roughly 3 to 4 per square metre. 80cm to 1m apart. Aimee Yoshiba gardenia, Xanadu philodendron, White Knight and Annabelle hydrangeas, Snowstorm Melaleuca: about 1 to 2 per square metre. For big runs, tubestock changes the economics entirely. The plants cost far less each, catch up better than most people expect, and simply add about a year to the finished look. The tubestock range carries many of the same varieties in bulk friendly sizes. Care for plantings by the dozen Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, mulch 75mm deep between plants, and keep the mulch off stems. Feed the natives with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring and the exotics with a controlled release feed in early spring and late summer. Then standardise the maintenance: one pass with the shears after flowering keeps lavender, westringia and polygala dense, hydrangeas get a late winter prune, and strappy plants need nothing beyond an occasional tidy. Buy two or three spares in the original run and grow them on in pots, because matching a three year old drift with a new nursery plant is harder than it sounds. Common questions How many plants do I need per square metre? Divide 1 by the spacing in metres squared. At 50cm centres that is 4 plants per square metre, at 60cm about 3, and at 1m just 1. A 10 square metre bed at 50cm spacings needs 40 plants, so spacing decisions move the budget more than plant price does. Is tubestock worth it for mass planting? For runs of 20 or more, usually yes. Tubestock costs a fraction of potted stock, establishes quickly with regular water, and reaches the same finished planting about a year behind 200mm pots. Larger sizes make sense where you need instant cover on a visible frontage. What should I repeat on a slope or retaining wall? Lomandras and dianellas for the body, with 'Cousin It' casuarina, creeping boobialla or star jasmine spilling over the edge at 1m spacings. All of them grip with fibrous roots and cope with the dry, exposed conditions walls create. Our low maintenance groundcovers collection covers the flat ground equivalents. Can a massed bed still flower? Yes, and single species drifts flower harder than mixed beds look like they do. Gaura flowers for months, Polygala 'Little Bibi' barely stops in mild climates, lavender brings the bees, and massed hydrangeas own the shade in summer. Repeat one flowering species rather than sprinkling several. How does delivery work for bulk orders? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plants for Partial Shade

Partial shade is the most forgiving position in the garden, and the over 700 plants for partial shade here prove it: gardenias, camellias, Japanese maples, hydrangeas, lush tropical foliage and shade happy natives. The catch is that no two shady spots are alike. Morning sun with afternoon protection suits almost everything in this collection, while the dry, dark strip under a wide eave suits very little, so read your light before you buy. Filter by climate, height and use below. Read your shade before you choose Partial shade covers everything from bright dappled light under a jacaranda to three hours of morning sun beside a fence, and the difference matters. Flowering shade plants, gardenias, camellias and hydrangeas among them, want morning sun and afternoon protection to bloom well. Foliage plants such as Xanadu philodendron and elephants ear take deeper shade but sulk in dry, rooty soil. If your spot gets no direct sun at all, work from our full shade collection instead, and if it gets six hours or more, treat it as a full sun position. Climate then decides the palette. In tropical and subtropical gardens, sheltered beds belong to alocasias, heliconias and native gardenia (Atractocarpus fitzalanii). In cooler southern gardens the same job passes to camellias, hydrangeas and Japanese maples (Acer palmatum), which colour best with gentle light and cold nights. Where partial shade plants earn their keep South facing beds, side passages between houses, courtyards shaded by walls and the ground beneath established trees are the natural territory. Under trees, root competition is the hidden problem, so favour tough clumpers: Evergreen Giant liriope at 40cm apart and kidney weed (Dichondra repens) at 20cm knit into groundcover where lawn gives up. Beside a wall or entry, a low gardenia hedge softens the outlook and perfumes the still air. Planting and spacing in lower light Growth is slower in shade, so resist planting tighter; the standard spacings still apply, the plants just take longer to meet. Set Gardenia 'Aimee Yoshiba' 80cm apart for a low scented hedge, Japanese box 30cm to 40cm apart for formal edging, and native gardenia 1.5m apart for a screen that reaches around 5m. Dig compost through before planting, because shaded beds are often dry, hungry and full of roots, then mulch 50mm to 75mm deep and keep the water up for the first two summers. Care basics for shaded beds Shaded beds fail at the extremes. Under an eave the soil misses rain entirely and needs hand watering even in winter, while a damp, shaded corner suits hydrangeas and alocasias but rots most other roots. Feed lightly in spring, prune flowering shrubs straight after their flush, and if flowering keeps disappointing, thin the canopy above by a branch or two. A little extra light does more than any fertiliser. Common questions What counts as partial shade? Roughly three to six hours of direct sun a day, or bright dappled light through the day. Morning sun with afternoon shade is the gentlest version and the one most flowering shade plants prefer. Will gardenias flower in shade? They flower best with morning sun and afternoon protection in a warm spot. In deep shade you get glossy leaves and very few blooms. Gardenia 'Aimee Yoshiba' carries the largest flowers of the common varieties. What grows under established trees? Liriope, kidney weed and other tough clumpers handle root competition far better than shrubs. Plant into pockets of improved soil and water them through the first summer, because the tree takes most of what the rain delivers. Can I grow a hedge in partial shade? Yes. Japanese box holds a formal line at knee height, sweet viburnum makes a fast screen usually held at 2m to 3m where it gets some sun, and native gardenia builds a perfumed screen in frost free gardens. Expect a slower result than the same hedge in full light.

Plants for Poolside Gardens

Every plant here has been chosen with the skimmer box in mind. The collection runs from palms and tropical foliage through to sculptural agaves, frangipanis and clumping bamboo: about 190 plants that stay tidy, keep their roots away from the pool shell and shrug off splash. Whether you are after a lush resort feel or a clean architectural look, start with how much litter you are willing to scoop, then choose for your climate. The three tests every poolside plant must pass Anyone who has spent a summer scooping leaves knows the wrong tree beside a pool is a maintenance sentence. So judge every candidate on three points. First, leaf drop: evergreen plants with large, firm leaves are far easier to live with than fine leafed or constantly shedding species, because what does drop comes out in one scoop rather than a thousand. Second, root behaviour: keep anything with vigorous roots at least 3m from the pool shell, pipework and paving, and lean on clumping species close to the edge. Third, splash tolerance: anything within a metre or two of the water cops regular chlorinated or salt water spray, so the front row needs tough, glossy foliage. Building the planting: backbone, feature, fill Palms are the backbone of most Australian pool gardens, and they dominate this collection for good reason: fibrous, well behaved root systems and foliage that stays on the plant. The Golden Cane Palm is the classic clumping screen for privacy behind the waterline, while foxtail, bangalow and kentia palms make clean single trunk features. Around them, cordylines, heliconias, giant bromeliads and bird of paradise build the resort layer with bold colour and almost no litter. If your look is architectural rather than tropical, the agaves, yuccas, cycads and pandanus here read beautifully against water and paving, and they thrive on the reflected heat that cooks softer plants. Frangipanis deserve a special mention: technically deciduous, but the big firm leaves drop over one short window and collect in a single clean up, a fair trade for months of perfumed flowers. Dietes, agapanthus and coastal rosemary handle the practical edges and fence lines. Choosing for your climate Tropical and subtropical gardens. The whole collection is open to you, palms and heliconias included. Your only real constraint is the fence rule below. Warm temperate and coastal gardens. Most palms, frangipani, hibiscus, agave and yucca all perform. Salt spray tolerance matters near the coast, and the same toughness covered in our coastal plants collection translates directly to salt water pool splash. Cool temperate gardens around Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra. Skip the tropical palms and build with cordylines, dietes, agapanthus, yucca, European fan palm and coastal rosemary, which give the same clean poolside look with real cold tolerance. Hot inland gardens. Agave, yucca, dietes and pandanus shrug off radiant heat from paving that would scorch soft tropical foliage. Placement, fencing rules and planting Australian pool fencing rules require climbable objects, including sturdy branches, to be kept clear of the fence, generally within a 900mm arc, so position shrubs and small trees with the compliance certificate in mind. Keep palms with significant trunks at least 1.5m from the pool edge and larger trees 3m or more from the shell and pipework. In garden beds beside paving, improve drainage before planting: most poolside plants hate wet feet in winter. Water new plantings deeply twice a week through their first summer, mulch 50mm to 75mm with a coarse mulch that will not blow into the water, and feed once in early spring. A simple palette maintained well beats a busy one: a spine of screening, one sculptural feature reflected in the water, and bold foliage repeated along the edge. Common questions Which plants drop the least into the pool? Clumping palms like golden cane, plus cordylines, bromeliads, agaves, yuccas and bird of paradise. All hold their foliage rather than shedding it, and what they do drop is big enough to grab in one pass. Will palm roots damage the pool shell? Palm roots are fibrous and non woody, so they do not thicken and crack structures the way tree roots can. Planted 1.5m or more from the edge, the palms here are among the safest large plants you can put near a pool. The heavy rooted exceptions are big feature palms like the Canary Island date, which want more clearance. What about a salt water pool? Splash from a salt pool is milder than beachfront spray, so any coastal tolerant plant handles it comfortably. Westringia, pandanus, agave, hibiscus and most of the palms take it without marking. Can I plant right up to the pool fence? Only with low growers. Anything that develops sturdy, climbable branches must sit outside the 900mm non climbable zone, so keep shrubs and palms back and use strappy plants like dietes and agapanthus against the barrier. Where do I start with a full pool makeover? Our guide to poolside plants for Australian gardens walks through complete planting plans, and if privacy from the neighbours is part of the brief, pool screening plants covers heights, litter and fence rules together. Everything here is delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and the 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plants for Pots

The right plants for pots solve problems a garden bed cannot: no digging into clay, nothing invasive near pipes, and the whole display moves house with you. This collection gathers over 1,300 plants proven in containers, from dwarf citrus and lavender to screening magnolias and palms. The trade off is commitment. A potted plant depends on you for every drink and feed, so match the plant's thirst to the attention you will actually give it. How to choose plants for pots Pick for the light the spot receives first, then check the plant's mature size against the container you can offer. The best plants for pots are naturally compact or slow: gardenias, dwarf citrus, Japanese box and rosemary at the small end, Little Gem magnolia and Teddy Bear magnolia at the large end. Teddy Bear is the denser and slower of the two, reaching about 4m, which makes it the better long term tub specimen. A dwarf grafted lemon stays near 2m and fruits close to year round. Be wary of anything labelled fast growing. Speed in the ground means a rootbound pot within two seasons, more watering and an early repot. In a container, slow is an asset. Where potted plants work Pots earn their keep on balconies and courtyards, on decks and poolside, in rentals where planting in the ground is not an option, and either side of a front door, where a matched pair of clipped Japanese box reads as formal without effort. In cold districts, pots also let you grow frost tender plants and move them under cover for winter. Pot sizes, mix and drainage Give roots room, but not an ocean. Step up one or two pot sizes at each move, finishing around 300mm to 400mm wide for shrubs and herbs and 500mm to 700mm for small trees and screening plants. Always use a premium potting mix rather than garden soil, which slumps and sets hard in a container. Drainage holes are not negotiable, and pot feet help on sealed surfaces. Our pots and planters range runs from table top sizes to large tree planters. Watering and feeding container plants Pots dry from the sides inward and can need water daily in a hot summer. Water until it runs from the base, let the top few centimetres dry, then water again. Feed with a controlled release fertiliser each spring and refresh the top 5cm of mix once a year. Every two to three years, or when roots circle the base, move up a pot size, or root prune and return the plant to the same container with fresh mix. Common questions What size pot does a small tree need? A tub 500mm to 700mm wide, holding 50 litres of mix or more, suits a magnolia, olive or citrus for years. Anything smaller dries out too fast in summer and blows over in wind. Can I grow a lemon tree in a pot? Yes. Choose a dwarf grafted variety, which stays near 2m, give it full sun and feed it in spring and late summer. A dwarf Eureka lemon crops close to year round. Do plants stay smaller in pots? A container does restrict size, usually to well under the plant's garden height, but it is not a bonsai dish. Choose something whose natural size sits close to what you want rather than fighting a forest tree in a tub. Which fruit trees handle pots best? Citrus are the standouts: lemons, limes, mandarins and oranges all crop well in large containers. Our citrus trees range covers the varieties worth growing this way.

Plants for Retaining Walls

Retaining walls create two gardens in one: a hot, fast draining bed along the top and a sheltered strip at the base. The over 150 plants for retaining walls here are chosen for exactly that split, with trailing groundcovers to spill over the face, tough natives to bind the slope behind, and strappy clumpers to soften the footing. Decide which of those jobs you are planting for, then filter by height and climate below. Top of wall, face or base: choose by position The bed along the top of a wall drains fast, heats up and dries out, so it favours drought tolerant spillers. Cousin It (Casuarina glauca 'Cousin It') hugs the ground at about 30cm high and weeps over an edge in a dense green curtain, trailing silver dichondra (Dichondra argentea) spills its stems well over a metre down the face, and creeping boobialla spreads 2m wide while staying ankle height. Star jasmine works both ways, spilling over the face or covering the bank behind. At the base, upright clumpers hide the footing: lomandra, liriope and blueberry lily give strappy structure without hiding the stonework entirely. Matching retaining wall plants to climate and exposure Cousin It, creeping boobialla, seaside daisy, the lomandras and Evergreen Giant liriope all take frost as well as coastal wind, so they suit almost every region; many are Australian natives bred for exactly this work. In frost free and near frost free gardens, pigface adds succulent colour along a hot edge and a trained bougainvillea turns a high wall into a curtain of colour. Hardenbergia 'Sea of Purple' scrambles over a bank or climbs to around 2m and takes frost in its stride. Spacing and how many plants you need Spillers along the edge. Cousin It and creeping boobialla at 1m apart, silver dichondra at 40cm, pigface at 60cm. Set each plant 20cm to 30cm back from the lip so the roots are not baking against the face. Binding the slope above. Creeping boobialla or Grevillea 'Forest Rambler' at 1m centres knit soil together quickly. The base row. Tanika lomandra at 60cm, Lime Tuff lomandra at 50cm, Evergreen Giant liriope at 40cm, blueberry lily at 50cm. On the slope itself, plant into a small level shelf cut into the face so water soaks in beside each plant instead of running straight off. Getting plants established on a dry bank The first summer decides everything here, because raised beds and slopes shed water. Soak deeply twice a week, mulch with a chunky bark that will not wash downhill, and feed lightly in spring. A cheap dripline along the top bed pays for itself in the first heatwave. Once roots are down, most of this collection, and everything in our low maintenance groundcover range, looks after itself. Common questions Will these plants damage the wall? No. The groundcovers and strappy plants here hold soil with fibrous roots rather than structural ones. The plants to keep away from any retaining wall are large trees. Climbing fig is the one to watch in this collection: it is safe on solid masonry but its clinging roots mark render and painted surfaces. How quickly will something spill over the edge? Silver dichondra, creeping boobialla and pigface are the quick ones, draping the face within a season or two. Cousin It takes longer but builds a thicker, more permanent curtain. What suits the shaded strip at the foot of a high wall? Evergreen Giant liriope handles the part shade a south facing wall casts, flowering purple in the process. Where the sun rarely lands at all, pick shade tolerant groundcovers rather than the sun loving spillers, which grow sparse and leggy without light. Can I use climbers to cover the wall itself? Yes, on the right surface. Self clingers like climbing fig suit bare block and brick, while star jasmine on wires works on any wall. Our climbing plants range covers both kinds.

Plants for Small Gardens

Every plant here was chosen because it stays a sensible size for courtyards, townhouse blocks and compact suburban gardens: dwarf trees, columnar screens, tidy shrubs and plants that live happily in pots. In a small space the mature size on the label matters more than anything else, because there is nowhere to hide a mistake. Check the listed height and width on each product, then use the guide below the grid to plan screening, shade and colour without crowding the block. How to choose plants for a small garden Buy the mature size, not the plant in the pot. In a large garden an overgrown shrub is a pruning job; in a courtyard it is a renovation. So start every decision with two numbers, the height and width the plant reaches at maturity, and hold the line at plants that finish under about 4m tall unless you are deliberately planting one canopy tree. The second rule is to make every plant do two jobs. A dwarf magnolia screens a neighbour and flowers. A potted lemon feeds you and fills a sunny corner. A columnar lilly pilly gives privacy on a footprint narrower than a wheelie bin. Small trees that earn their spot One well chosen tree lifts a small garden more than a dozen shrubs. Compact crepe myrtles such as 'Acoma' and 'Zuni' finish near 3m with summer flowers, autumn colour and beautiful winter bark. Magnolia 'Little Gem' and 'Teddy Bear' hold glossy evergreen leaves on a narrow frame of 4m to 5m, ideal against a fence or wall. Pencil pines give formal height on a footprint of barely 1m, and citrus in pots stay wherever you put them. For the full range of options under 6m, see our small trees for urban gardens. Screening without losing space Standard screening plants spread 2m to 3m wide, which can swallow a whole side passage. Columnar selections fix this: Lilly Pilly 'Straight and Narrow' reaches about 5m tall while holding roughly 1m wide, planted 60cm to 80cm apart for a solid screen. Climbers do the same work in even less ground: a star jasmine on wires covers a fence from a strip of soil 30cm deep. Keep any hedge at least 50cm off the fence line so you can trim behind it. Small gardens across Australian climates Compact spaces create their own microclimates, and they are stronger than the state you live in. Paved courtyards in Perth, Adelaide and western Sydney bounce heat, so choose drought and heat tolerant plants for those hot walls and save the softer growers for shaded corners. In Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart, walls work the other way, trapping warmth that lets you grow plants a zone warmer than the open garden. In Brisbane and further north, prioritise airflow: give gardenias, citrus and crepe myrtles space between them so humid air keeps moving. Planting and care in tight spaces In garden beds, dig each hole twice the width of the pot, water in well and mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch clear of stems. Small beds dry out faster than open ground because walls and paving steal the rain, so water deeply twice a week through the first summer. For pots, go no smaller than 40cm wide for shrubs and 50cm to 60cm for dwarf trees and citrus, always with premium potting mix, and expect to water two to three times a week in summer. Feed everything with controlled release fertiliser in early spring and again in late summer, and prune lightly after flowering rather than hard once a year: little and often keeps small garden plants in proportion. Common questions What is the best tree under 5m? For flowers and bark, a compact crepe myrtle. For evergreen structure and screening, Magnolia 'Teddy Bear'. For scent and fruit, a potted 'Eureka' or 'Lemonicious' lemon. All three stay in scale on a courtyard block. I have a 1m wide strip. Can I still screen a fence? Yes. 'Straight and Narrow' and pencil pine both hold close to 1m wide at full height, and both take clipping if you want them tighter. Plant 60cm to 80cm apart and the screen closes within two to three seasons. Can I keep a bigger plant small with pruning? Within about a third of its natural size, yes; beyond that you are fighting the plant twice a year forever. It is cheaper and kinder to buy the dwarf form, which is exactly what this collection is for. What about growing in pots only? A whole garden can live in containers. Most plants here are flagged for pot suitability, and the dedicated plants for pots collection narrows it further. Everything is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plants for Subtropical Climates

Humidity is the making of a subtropical garden and the undoing of plants chosen from southern gardening books. The over 1,600 plants here are all tagged for the zone that runs from Brisbane and the coasts either side down through northern New South Wales: lilly pillies, citrus, palms, gardenias and flowering trees that enjoy a wet February rather than sulking through it. Growth is fast in this climate, so the real choice is how much size and trimming you are signing up for. Choose for humidity first, speed second The plants that fail in this zone are rarely killed by heat. They rot in humid summers or mildew through a wet autumn, which is why humidity tolerance sits on more than 800 of the plants here. Once that box is ticked, speed becomes the real decision. Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' planted at 1m spacings closes into a screen within two to three seasons and is psyllid resistant, but like every fast grower it asks for a trim or two a year to stay at 2m to 3m. Murraya does the same job with orange blossom fragrance, though its berries spread by birds and it has become weedy in parts of coastal Queensland, so deadhead after flowering near bushland. Watch roots on the big features. Jacarandas run vigorous surface roots that lift paving, so give them lawn to themselves, while a foxtail palm or an ivory curl tree keeps its roots well behaved near paths and pools. Where subtropical plants thrive This range suits Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, Bundaberg, and the New South Wales coast from Tweed Heads down past Coffs Harbour, frost free or close to it, with hot wet summers and mild dry winters. Most of it also grows happily in Sydney and other warm temperate coastal gardens, and nearly 900 of these plants carry a tropical rating too. The caution zone is the inland fringe. Western suburbs and valley floors from Ipswich outward see light frosts, and over 600 plants here are rated for light frost only, so check the tolerance listing before planting frost tender features like tibouchina or giant bird of paradise in a cold hollow. Planting and spacing Autumn through spring is the ideal window, giving roots two mild seasons before the first wet summer. Dig twice the pot width, plant at the original soil level, water in deeply and mulch 75mm, clear of the stems. Screens. Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' and murraya at 1m apart; lemon scented myrtle at 1.5m; weeping lilly pilly at 1.5m where you want an eventual 10m windbreak. Tropical looks. Giant white bird of paradise at 2m centres, Philodendron 'Xanadu' at 1m for understorey mass planting. Flowering features. Tibouchina 'Alstonville' at 2m for a screen that turns purple in autumn; ivory curl trees at 3m for an avenue. Groundcover. No mow grass at 30cm centres knits into a soft green mat. Care through a wet summer Feed twice, in early spring and late summer, using a low phosphorus fertiliser for the natives. Water new plantings deeply twice a week for their first summer; established subtropical gardens mostly live on rainfall. The wet season brings the real work: renew mulch before storms, prune flowering shrubs as soon as they finish rather than in autumn, and improve airflow around gardenias and hedges to keep fungal spots down. If a January deluge leaves beds waterlogged for days, that corner belongs to wet feet tolerant plants like the weeping lilly pilly. Our lilly pilly care guide covers hedge feeding and pruning timing in detail. Common questions What grows fastest for privacy in Brisbane? Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' at 1m spacings gives meaningful cover in 18 months and a solid 2m to 3m hedge by year three. For a taller screen, weeping lilly pilly reaches about 10m in time, and the full lilly pilly range includes narrow forms for side passages. Can I grow citrus in this climate? Very well. The subtropical coast is prime citrus country: the Eureka lemon fruits close to year round here, and the citrus tree range covers limes, oranges and mandarins. Full sun, good drainage and a feed each season are the whole recipe. Which of these plants handle light frost? More than 600 are rated for light frost, including lilly pillies, murraya and lemon scented myrtle, which makes them safe for the inland fringe. Truly frost tender choices like tibouchina, foxtail palms and giant bird of paradise belong on the coast or in warm pockets near the house. What suits pool surrounds? Foxtail palms and ivory curl trees for height, giant white bird of paradise for drama and no mow grass between pavers, all with root systems that behave near pool shells. The palm collection holds more poolside options. How does delivery work? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plants for Topiary and Shaping

Topiary starts with the right plant, not the right shears. Everything here takes repeated clipping and comes back denser, from slow, forgiving Japanese box to fast fragrant murraya, clipped bay standards and native westringias, over 130 plants in all. The trade off runs one way: slow growers hold a crisp shape with one or two clips a year, while fast growers get you the shape sooner but ask for it more often. Choose your patience level first. How to choose a topiary plant Small leaves and naturally dense growth are what make a clipped shape read as a single green surface. Beyond that, choose on speed. Japanese Box (Buxus microphylla var. japonica) is the beginner's plant: slow, dense and forgiving of the odd wonky clip, usually kept well below its 1.5m potential and needing only one or two trims a year. Murraya sits at the other end, a fast grower to about 3m with richly fragrant flowers, reaching hedge size years sooner but asking for several clips a season to stay crisp. Port Wine Magnolia splits the difference: slow, very easy to shape, and carrying small cream and burgundy flowers with a strong port wine perfume in spring. For balls and low domes, 'Golf Ball' kohuhu and the compact westringias were bred for the job. Westringia 'Zena' makes a 1m native sphere on almost any soil, and 'Grey Box' stays lower at about 80cm. For standards and cones, Bay Laurel is the classic, slow growing, usually clipped at 2m to 3m and edible into the bargain, while Lemon Cypress gives a chartreuse column with strongly lemon scented foliage. Formal shapes in Australian gardens Clipped plants read best against calm backgrounds: flanking a front door, marking the corners of a bed, or repeating in pots along a path. Climate barely limits the craft, only the plant list. In cool temperate gardens, box, bay, holly and the conifers are all frost hardy. In the subtropics and tropics, murraya, the lilly pillies and westringia do the clipping work instead, and Japanese Box itself is rated from cool temperate right into the subtropics. On exposed coast, bay and the westringias shrug off salt wind. Many of these plants double as formal hedges, and the best hedging plants collection overlaps heavily with this one. Natives take to shears better than their reputation suggests. Lilly Pilly 'Big Red' clips into pillars and hedges with bright red new growth, 'Bush Christmas' holds a tight form at 1.5m to 2m, and the westringias handle frost, drought, salt and poor soil while being clipped as hard as any box. Spacing and starting sizes 30cm to 40cm apart: Japanese Box for a formal low border. 50cm to 60cm apart: 'Min a Min' murraya and 'Grey Box' westringia at 50cm; 'Golf Ball' kohuhu, 'Zena' and rosemary at 60cm for an edged or low clipped line. 75cm to 1m apart: 'Bush Christmas' lilly pilly at 75cm; full sized murraya, bay and 'Big Red' at 1m. For single specimens, buy the largest plant the budget allows. Balls and standards started from advanced stock arrive with the basic form already set, which saves a year or two of shaping and a great deal of second guessing. Clipping, feeding and holding the shape Clip little and often rather than hard and rarely. Trim after each flush of growth through the warm months, keep the base of any shape slightly wider than the top so light reaches the lowest leaves, and use sharp shears so cuts heal cleanly. With the conifers, never cut back past green foliage, since most will not reshoot from bare wood. After a hard clip, a deep water and a light feed help the plant refill quickly. Our beginner's pruning guide covers tools and technique in more detail. Common questions What is the easiest topiary plant for a beginner? Japanese Box. It grows slowly enough that mistakes grow out before anyone notices, holds a clipped line for months, and copes with frost, heat, drought and poor soil. Plant it at 30cm to 40cm spacings for a low formal hedge. Which topiary plants suit pots? 'Baby Bay' was selected for containers and stays compact at about 1.8m, while Japanese Box, 'Golf Ball' kohuhu and Lemon Cypress all do well potted. Use a quality mix and water more often than you would in the ground. Can you clip Australian natives into formal shapes? Yes. Westringia is the standout, with 'Zena' and 'Grey Box' bred for tight clipping, and lilly pillies such as 'Big Red' and 'Bush Christmas' shape happily into pillars, balls and hedges. How often will I need to trim? Slow growers such as box, bay and Port Wine Magnolia hold their shape on one or two clips a year. Fast growers such as murraya and westringia look sharpest trimmed after each growth flush, which can mean four or five light passes over a warm season. How does delivery work? Delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plants for Tropical Climates

From Cairns and Port Douglas across to Darwin and Broome, gardens run on a different calendar: a hot wet season that grows a screen in a year, and a long dry that tests everything shallow rooted. The over 800 tropical plants here, heliconias, palms, lilly pillies, flowering natives and shade trees among them, are all rated for that rhythm. The real choices are drainage, wind and how much growth you are prepared to keep cutting back. Choose for the wet season, not the brochure The picture on the label shows a plant in perfect weather. The plant in your garden has to stand through a February that can drop 300mm of rain in a week, so drainage tolerance is the first thing to check. Giant taro and heliconias genuinely enjoy wet feet, the weeping lilly pilly tolerates soggy ground, but most succulents and Mediterranean plants drown in a tropical wet season unless they sit in raised, free draining beds. Wind is the second filter. The tuckeroo holds its canopy through coastal blows and carries a wind tolerant rating, while big brittle features are best planted with room to shed limbs safely. Then there is speed. Growth here is explosive, which is wonderful for privacy and relentless for maintenance. A Golden Penda (Xanthostemon chrysanthus) screen planted at 2m closes fast and responds well to pruning, but plan for the cutting back before you plant, not after. Where tropical plants thrive This collection is rated for the true tropics: Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Darwin, Broome and the coast between. Nearly all of it also carries a subtropical rating for Brisbane and northern New South Wales, and more than 700 plants extend into warm temperate coastal gardens, so a Sydney courtyard can borrow plenty of this look. The reverse caution matters more: over 450 plants here are frost tender, so if you garden inland where winter nights dip low, treat the tropical palette as strictly frost free or grow it in pots you can shelter. Monstera, fiddle leaf figs and crotons all double as indoor plants further south. Planting and spacing before the wet The early dry season, roughly April to June, is the ideal planting window: roots establish in warm soil and the next wet season does the growing for you. Dig twice the pot width, plant at the original level, water in deeply and mulch 75mm, keeping mulch off stems. Screens. Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' at 1m; native gardenia at 1.5m for a perfumed rainforest screen; golden penda at 2m. Lush understorey. Heliconia 'Red Christmas' at 1m centres; giant taro at 1.5m for bold foliage in damp spots. Shade and avenues. Tuckeroo at 4m spacings for a windbreak or street style planting with roots that behave near paving. Poolside. Foxtail palms and evergreen frangipani, both with non-aggressive root systems and salt tolerance. Care basics for the tropical year Feed at the start of the wet season, when plants can actually use it, with a low phosphorus fertiliser for natives. Water new plantings deeply twice a week through their first dry season; established gardens need far less than most owners give them. Do the structural pruning late in the dry, and thin heavy canopies before storm season so wind passes through rather than pushing trees over. Be honest with yourself about the big feature trees: a royal poinciana is glorious shade at 10m across, but its surface roots lift paving, so it belongs in open lawn, and a tuckeroo is the better choice near paths. Common questions What grows fast for privacy in the tropics? Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' at 1m spacings gives real cover inside 18 months here, and golden penda builds a taller flowering screen at 2m spacings. The lilly pilly range includes narrow selections for tight boundaries. Which shade tree will not wreck my paving? The tuckeroo is the standout: about 8m tall, non-invasive roots, salt and wind tolerant, and comfortable in poor coastal soil. Save poincianas and figs for open ground well away from pipes and pools. Can I grow these plants in Sydney or Perth? More than 700 of them are rated for warm temperate gardens, provided the position is frost free. Give borrowed tropicals a warm north facing wall, and grow the strictly tropical foliage plants in pots or indoors. The tropical plant collection can be filtered by climate to check any individual plant. What flowers reliably through the build-up and the wet? Heliconias carry their bracts through the warm months, evergreen frangipani flowers close to year round, and golden penda erupts in massed yellow. The heliconia range and the palm collection cover the classic resort look between them. How does delivery work? Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plants for Warm Temperate Climates

Sydney, Perth and Adelaide sit in the warm temperate band, the most forgiving gardening climate in the country, and this collection is built for it: over 1,900 plants that take mild winters and hot summers in stride. Almost everything grows here, which is its own problem. The real work is matching plants to your patch, whether that is salt wind on the coast, baking western summers or frost in the hills. Filter by tolerance and position, then read the guide below. The widest choice in the country, and the catch that comes with it Warm temperate gardeners can grow nearly anything: over 1,000 of the plants here are frost hardy, more than 900 tolerate coastal salt, and over 650 handle real humidity. The catch is that a plant list this long hides the genuine decisions. Speed against maintenance is the big one. Sweet viburnum planted at 1m spacings closes a 2m to 3m hedge inside three seasons, then wants two or three trims a year for the rest of its life, while a slower Magnolia 'Little Gem' screen at 1.5m spacings takes longer to close and asks for one tidy annually. The second decision is evergreen versus deciduous: crepe myrtles and Japanese maples give autumn colour and winter sun where an evergreen wall would shade the house all year. Matching plants to warm temperate microclimates Your suburb matters more than your state here. On the coastal strip, salt wind burns soft growth, so lean on westringia, olives, magnolias and star jasmine, and browse the coastal plant range for the front line. Inland and western suburbs cop 40 degree summer days, prime country for crepe myrtles, olives, lavender and rosemary. The hills and elevated fringes of all three cities frost regularly, which is what the frost hardy filter is for. Humid east coast pockets suit gardenias and lilly pillies that would sulk in Perth's dry summer air without extra water. Planting and spacing that works Plant in autumn or spring so roots establish in mild soil. Dig twice the pot width and no deeper, water in heavily, and mulch 75mm deep with mulch held clear of stems. Privacy screens. Sweet viburnum, murraya or Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' at 1m apart; Magnolia 'Little Gem' or 'Teddy Bear' at 1.5m; pencil pine at 1m for a formal column screen. Formal edges. Japanese box at 30cm to 40cm; French lavender or Westringia 'Zena' at 60cm. Climbers and groundcovers. Star jasmine at 1m covers a fence or bank; no mow grass at 30cm centres; native violet at 300mm in moist shade. Groves and windbreaks. Olives at 3m apart, held at 3m to 4m with an annual prune. Care basics for the zone Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then taper to occasional deep soaks; a long drink the night before a forecast heatwave does more good than a sprinkle during one. Feed once in early spring with controlled release fertiliser, using a low phosphorus blend for natives. Prune spring flowering shrubs straight after flowering and summer performers like crepe myrtles in late winter. In Perth and Adelaide, improve sandy soil with compost at planting and expect to water more often in February than the east coast does. Common questions What is the best hedge for Sydney, Perth or Adelaide? Sweet viburnum for fast broad screens, lilly pillies for glossy native walls, Japanese box for formal work under 1m. All three handle every mainland capital in this zone, and the hedging and screening collection lets you filter by height and growth rate. Can I mix tropical looks with Mediterranean plants? Yes, and warm temperate gardens do it better than anywhere else. Keep frost tender drama like giant bird of paradise and frangipani in warm sheltered corners, and give olives, lavender and rosemary the open baking sun. The two palettes meet happily around a pool. Which flowering trees perform best in this zone? Crepe myrtles are hard to beat for months of summer flower, with the White Crepe Myrtle 'Natchez' reaching 6m with cinnamon bark and strong mildew resistance. Magnolias, jacarandas and bottlebrush all thrive here too; jacarandas just need room away from paving for their surface roots. What copes with salt wind near the beach? Westringia, coast banksia, olives and star jasmine all carry coastal ratings, and magnolias handle second row positions. The olive range doubles as a windbreak that fruits. How does delivery work? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plants for Windbreaks

A good windbreak filters wind rather than blocking it, dropping a damaging blast to a workable breeze for a distance of eight to ten times its own height. That physics shapes everything in this collection of over 190 windbreak plants, from coast banksias and olives for exposed rural boundaries to clumping bamboo and lilly pillies for suburban blocks. Choose for your climate and soil first, then for speed, then decide how tall the shelter really needs to be. How to choose windbreak plants that hold Wind tolerance is the non-negotiable, and over 150 plants here carry that tag. After that, the honest trade off is speed against lifespan. Brisbane golden wattle (Acacia fimbriata) reaches about 6m quickly at 2m spacings but lives only 15 to 20 years, so growers often plant it as a nurse row while slower, longer lived trees such as coast banksia catch up behind it. Our fast growing plants hold more quick options, always with the same fine print: speed up means speed out, so budget for pruning. Matching the windbreak to the site On the coast, salt burns before wind breaks, so lead with coast banksia, which shrugs off salt, wind and frost, and tuckeroo, a dense 8m native that handles salt laden wind but only light frost. Inland and in frost prone districts, Mediterranean cypress, Leighton Green and the olives all stand firm, and Leighton Green doubles as a clipped hedge if trimmed twice a year. On suburban subtropical blocks, slender weavers bamboo gives an 8m screen from a contained clumping base, and Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' filters wind while doubling as privacy. In wet or periodically flooded ground, white paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia) thrives where cypress would drown. Layout and spacing with real numbers Formal single row. Leighton Green or Mediterranean cypress at 1.5m apart. Coastal boundary. Coast banksia at 3m apart, tuckeroo at 4m. Suburban block. Slender weavers bamboo at 1m apart, or Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' at 1m held as a 2m to 3m clipped screen. Rural boundary. Two or three staggered rows, 3m to 4m between rows: an outer row of banksia or olive at 3m spacings with a faster inner row of wattle at 2m. Establishing shelter in the wind Wind dries young plants faster than sun does. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, mulch 75mm deep, and stake loosely if at all, because a trunk that can flex builds the strength a rigid one never does. Tip prune young trees from the first year so the break thickens from the base instead of racing up thin. Similar rules apply to any screen, and our hedging and screening range covers the denser privacy options. Common questions How tall does a windbreak need to be? Shelter extends roughly eight to ten times the height of the planting, so a 5m belt calms a 40m paddock and a 3m suburban screen protects most backyards. Should a windbreak be solid? No. A solid wall of foliage forces wind over the top and creates turbulence on the sheltered side. A planting that lets roughly half the wind filter through slows it evenly, which is why layered rows beat one clipped hedge. What is the fastest windbreak I can plant? Brisbane golden wattle and slender weavers bamboo are the quickest here. The bamboo is the taller finisher at about 8m, and being a clumper its base stays contained at 1m to 2m across. The wattle is cheaper per metre but shorter lived. Does a windbreak work near the coast? Yes, if you choose salt tolerant species; about half this collection carries a coastal and salt tolerance tag, and our coastal plants collection overlaps heavily. Expect everything to finish shorter on the front line than the catalogue heights suggest. How does delivery work for an order this size? Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plants Safe for Pets

Every plant in this collection carries our Pet Friendly flag, which means it is generally listed as non toxic to cats and dogs if a curious animal chews a leaf. That is not the same as a guarantee, and it never replaces your vet's advice, but it does let you shortlist a hedge, a groundcover or a feature tree without cross checking a toxicity list first. Filter by height, position and climate to find plants that suit your garden and your animals. What pet safe means on this page We flag a plant as pet friendly when the available toxicity data lists it as non toxic to cats and dogs. That is a filter for narrowing a large catalogue, not a promise. Individual animals react differently, quantity matters, and a dog that eats a lot of anything green will usually be unwell. We are a nursery, not a veterinary service, so we cannot guarantee any plant is safe for your animal. If your pet has eaten something, ring your vet or an animal poisons line straight away and take a piece of the plant with you. Common garden plants that are not pet safe Some of the most popular plants in Australian gardens are risky, and easy to buy by accident. Sago palm and cardboard plant. Cycads, not palms. Every part is highly toxic to dogs and cats, especially the seeds. Oleander. All parts are toxic to people, pets and livestock, and so is the smoke from burning prunings. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Brunfelsia berries are a well documented cause of dog poisoning. Azaleas and rhododendrons. Toxic to cats and dogs, including fallen flowers. Agapanthus. The sap is an irritant and the roots and leaves are toxic if chewed. Hydrangeas. Leaves, buds and flowers all contain cyanogenic glycosides. True lilies. The emergency case for cats. Even pollen groomed off the coat can cause kidney failure. Aroids. Philodendron, alocasia, elephants ear and dieffenbachia all carry calcium oxalate. Macadamia, avocado and stone fruit. The nuts, fruit and stones are all toxic to dogs. Lavender, gardenia, citrus and jade also sit on the caution list. Choosing pet safe plants for the job Start with the job, then filter. For screening, Syzygium australe 'Resilience' reaches about 5m and closes into a solid wall planted 1m apart. For borders and mass planting, Lomandra 'Tanika' at 60cm centres and Liriope 'Evergreen Giant' at 40cm centres handle the occasional paw. Where a dog runs the same track daily, a groundcover beats a garden bed: native violet at 300mm spacing, or no mow grass at 30cm, will knit over and recover from traffic. Our Australian native range, low growing groundcovers and privacy and screening plants all hold good options. Care basics in a garden with animals The plant list is only half the risk. Cocoa mulch is toxic to dogs, so use sugar cane, pine bark or lucerne. Blood and bone smells like food and encourages digging, so water it in well. Snail pellets containing metaldehyde kill dogs, and systemic insecticides sit in the foliage for weeks. Common questions Is pet friendly the same as safe? No. It means the plant is generally listed as non toxic to cats and dogs, which makes it a sensible filter. Any plant eaten in quantity can cause vomiting or a blockage. My dog has eaten a leaf. What should I do? Ring your vet or an animal poisons line, describe the plant and keep a sample to show them. Do not wait for symptoms. Our guide to designing an animal friendly garden covers prevention, not treatment. Are Australian natives safer than exotics? Often, but not reliably. Dianella berries are native and troublesome, nandina is an import. Judge each plant, not the category. Indoors is where most trouble starts, and this non toxic indoor plant list covers ferns and palms. Can these be delivered? Yes. We deliver Australia wide and ship to every state and territory. Delivery from $29.95, minimum order $300 before delivery, and advanced or large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plastic & Grower Pots

These are the workhorses: black growers pots, 50mm propagation tubes, saucers and tough square planters, the same plastic gear production nurseries run on. Nothing decorative, everything reusable. Use them for striking cuttings, potting on seedlings, holding stock until a bed is ready, or as the hidden inner pot inside a decorative planter. At a few dollars each they earn their keep for years, and the Pixel Pot vertical garden system turns a bare fence into growing space. Choosing the right size Grower gear follows a simple ladder. Strike cuttings and seedlings in 50mm tubes, move them into a small growers pot once roots fill the tube, then step up one or two sizes at a time as the plant grows. Each move should roughly double the soil volume, which is what roots respond to. The charcoal square pots pack tighter on a bench than round pots and hold more mix per footprint, and the matching saucers catch runoff indoors and on decks. The two pot method The oldest trick in the nursery trade works just as well at home: grow the plant in a plastic pot, then drop the whole thing inside a decorative outer. The grower pot handles the drainage, the good pot stays clean, and swapping a tired plant for a fresh one takes seconds. Keep a few sizes on hand to pair with our small pots and large planters, and remember that an upturned grower pot also makes the ideal false bottom inside a tall planter. Making them last These are UV stabilised production pots designed for season after season of use. Wash them between plantings with warm soapy water and dry them in the sun, which deals with most disease carryover, then store them stacked out of direct light. The water planters suit pond plants and species that like wet feet, and the Pixel Pot panels build a vertical garden on any fence or wall. Common questions What are 50mm tubes for? Propagation. One tube per cutting or seedling gives the roots their own column of mix and makes potting on clean and quick. It is the standard tubestock size used by production nurseries across the country. Do growers pots drain well enough? Drainage is the whole point, with generous holes in the base. Add a saucer indoors, and skip the old advice about gravel in the bottom of the pot; it hinders drainage rather than helping. Are they worth reusing? Absolutely. At a few dollars each they are the cheapest gear in gardening, and a quick wash brings them back to service. Most gardeners build up a stack and never buy a seed tray again. How does delivery work? They are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order, so they can ride along with a plant order or ship on their own.

Pomegranate Trees

Pomegranate trees (Punica granatum) are among the easiest fruit trees to grow in most of Australia, thriving on heat, poor soil and the kind of neglect that finishes off softer fruit. This collection carries our pomegranate range: a self pollinating tree that reaches 2 to 4m, covers itself in bright orange red flowers through summer, and carries its first worthwhile crop within two to three years. It grows happily in the ground or a large pot, and is delivered Australia wide. Why pomegranates suit Australian gardens The pomegranate evolved around the dry hills of Persia, which is why it feels so at home here. It fruits best where summers are hot and dry: Adelaide, Perth, inland New South Wales and Victoria, and the Riverland all grow superb pomegranates, and gardeners in South Australia in particular should consider it before most other fruit. In subtropical gardens the tree itself grows strongly, though summer humidity and rain near ripening can split some fruit. It is deciduous, handles frost once established, and copes with alkaline soil that upsets many other fruit trees. Planting and care Give it full sun, at least six hours a day, in free draining soil. Dig the hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, water in well, and mulch 75mm deep keeping the mulch off the trunk. Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer; after that the tree is genuinely drought tolerant and only needs help in long dry spells while carrying fruit. Feed once in early spring with a complete fertiliser. Go gently, because heavy feeding grows leaves at the expense of flowers. Pruning is light work. Shape the tree in winter, remove suckers from the base, and thin crowded growth so light reaches the centre. Fruit forms on short spurs of older wood, so avoid hard annual cutting. In a pot, choose a container at least 50cm to 60cm across with good drainage and expect a smaller tree with a still respectable crop. Common questions Do I need two trees for fruit? No. Pomegranates are self pollinating, so a single tree sets fruit on its own. Bees improve fruit set, and a second tree can lift yields slightly, but it is not required. How long until I pick fruit? Expect the first fruit within two to three years of planting, with proper crops from year four as the spur wood builds up. Fruit ripens in autumn and does not ripen further after picking, so leave it on the tree until the skin deepens in colour. Why is my fruit splitting? Splitting is almost always uneven watering as fruit approaches ripeness. Water on a steady schedule from mid summer, mulch well to even out soil moisture, and harvest promptly once fruit colours rather than leaving it through autumn rain.

Pots & Planters

This is the full pot range: close to 300 designs across terracotta, glazed ceramic, terrazzo, concrete, timber and lightweight stone composite, from small indoor pots to metre wide statement planters, troughs, jars and self watering styles. Buy the pot after you know the plant. Match the size to the rootball it has to hold, then choose material and finish. The guide below the grid covers sizing, drainage, weight and weathering so the pot still looks right in ten years. Get the size right first Pot sizing has one reliable rule: the new pot should be 50mm to 100mm wider than the container the plant is in now. A plant in a standard 200mm nursery pot moves happily into a 250mm to 300mm pot; jumping straight to a 500mm planter leaves a doughnut of wet, unused mix around the roots that turns sour before the plant can reach it. For small trees, olives and frangipani, start at 400mm to 500mm wide and expect to go up a size every three to four years. If the plant will stay in its plastic grower pot, buy a cache pot with an opening comfortably wider than the grower pot's rim so it drops in and lifts out for watering. Volume matters as much as width. A 300mm pot holds roughly 10 litres of mix, a 400mm pot about 25 litres, and a 500mm pot 45 litres or more. Bigger pots hold moisture longer and buffer summer heat, which is why generous pots are the low maintenance choice, not the indulgent one. Materials and how they weather Terracotta is porous, so it breathes, wicks excess moisture away from roots and develops a chalky patina with age. That same breathability means it dries faster and asks for more frequent watering, and cheap terracotta can flake in hard frost, so in cold districts choose quality Italian made pieces like those in the terracotta pot range. Glazed ceramic holds moisture longer and brings colour that does not fade. Concrete and terrazzo are the heavyweights: stable under big plants, cool in summer, and they age from crisp to softly weathered. Lightweight stone composites such as the StoneLite pieces give the look of concrete at roughly a quarter of the weight, which makes them the sensible pick for balconies, rooftops and anywhere pots get rearranged. Timber crates and wine barrels breathe well and suit edibles, gradually greying to silver outdoors. Drainage, weight and moving day Outdoors, a drainage hole is not optional. Water must leave the pot, so sit outdoor pots on pot feet to keep the hole clear and stop tannin stains on paving. Indoors, either use a sealed cache pot with the plant in its grower pot, or a drained pot with a saucer. Think about weight before you fill anything: a 500mm concrete pot can pass 40kg empty, and wet potting mix adds roughly a kilogram per litre, so a big planted pot easily exceeds 100kg. Position large pots empty, in their final spot, then plant them. If you know you will rearrange, the large pot range includes lightweight options made for exactly that. Self watering and indoor pots Self watering designs hold a reservoir under the root zone that the mix draws on as it dries, stretching watering to weekly or better and smoothing out the wet-dry swings that stress ferns, herbs and leafy tropicals. They are the best answer for busy households, hot balconies and anyone who travels. The self watering planter range covers indoor pots through to full sized outdoor troughs. Styling that keeps working Groups of odd numbers in one material family always resolve: three pots in the same finish at staggered heights make a composition, while five unrelated pots make clutter. Repeat one shape, an egg pot or a cylinder, along a path or across a terrace and the repetition reads as design. Keep tall narrow forms for entries and corners, low bowls for tabletops and succulents, and troughs for hedging lines and balcony edges. Common questions What pot size do I need for a plant in a 200mm nursery pot? A pot 250mm to 300mm wide. Going one size up at a time keeps the mix healthy and the plant growing; going three sizes up usually backfires. Do terracotta pots crack outdoors? Quality terracotta handles Australian conditions well. Frost is the main risk, because saturated porous clay can flake when it freezes, so in frost prone districts lift pots onto feet, keep drainage sharp and favour premium Italian terracotta. Do I need to seal the inside of my pot? Only if you want terracotta to hold water longer, in which case paint the inside (never the outside) with a pot sealer. Glazed, composite and concrete pots need no sealing, though raw concrete can leach lime at first, so flush it with water a few times before planting acid lovers. How much potting mix will I need? About 10 litres for a 300mm pot, 25 litres for a 400mm pot and 45 litres or more at 500mm. Always use a premium potting mix rather than garden soil, which compacts and drains poorly in containers. How are pots delivered? Pots are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Oversized and extra heavy pieces are freighted at cost, and everything is packed for transit by suppliers who ship pots daily.

Potting Mixes, Mulches & Fertilisers

Everything under the plants comes from here: premium potting mixes, composts and manures, bark mulches, and fertilisers from brands like Scotts Osmocote, Seasol, Richgro and Yates. The range covers speciality mixes for natives, citrus, orchids and succulents alongside the all purpose workhorses, in everything from small bottles of liquid feed to 70L bags of mulch. Match the mix to the plant and the bag count to the job with the guide below, and have the heavy lifting delivered Australia wide. Choosing the right mix Bagged products are not interchangeable. Potting mix is engineered to drain and hold air inside a container, so it is the only thing that belongs in a pot; garden soil in a pot sets like concrete. In the ground the roles reverse: composts and manures improve the soil you already have, and bagged garden soil bulks up new beds. The speciality mixes matter more than they look. Native mixes such as Scotts Osmocote Native run low phosphorus to suit banksias, grevilleas and most Australian natives, citrus mixes feed harder for hungry fruiting trees, and orchid and succulent mixes are built around fast drainage above all else. If in doubt, a premium all purpose potting mix with controlled release fertiliser already in it covers everything else. How much potting mix, mulch and manure to buy Pots. A 20cm pot takes about 5L of mix, a 30cm pot about 15L, and a 40cm pot about 30L. One 25L bag fills a 35cm pot with some left over, and a 50L bag handles a large tub. Mulch. At the recommended 75mm depth, one 70L bag covers about one square metre and a 25L bag roughly a third of that. Measure the bed and round up. Manure and compost. Spread 25L over about half a square metre, fork it through, then rest the bed for two weeks before planting. Clay breakers. Gypsum goes on at around 1kg per square metre for heavy clay. Follow the bag rate and water it in. Feeding through the year Two applications of a controlled release fertiliser, one in early spring and one in late summer, carry most gardens. Use a native specific fertiliser like Neutrog Bush Tucker for phosphorus sensitive plants, and sulphate of potash in late spring where flowers or fruit matter more than leaves. Liquid seaweed is a tonic rather than a feed: applied fortnightly it helps new plantings establish and stressed plants recover, but it does not replace fertiliser. Indoor plants prefer little and often, which is where the pour and feed or mist bottles beat granules. If you are setting up for a full planting weekend, the garden tools and accessories range and pest control products cover the rest of the job, and the pots and planters collection has sizes to match every bag of mix on this page. Common questions Can I use garden soil in pots? No. It compacts, suffocates roots and breeds fungus gnats indoors. Use potting mix in every container, and keep the garden soil and compost products for building up beds. Which products suit native plants? Low phosphorus is the rule: a native potting mix in containers and a native formulated fertiliser in the ground. Standard composts and mulches are fine around most established natives. Does mulch really need to be 75mm deep? Close to it. Under 50mm, weeds push through and moisture evaporates; much over 100mm and light rain never reaches the soil. Keep mulch a hand width clear of trunks and stems to prevent collar rot. How does delivery work for heavy bags? Substrates are delivered Australia wide alongside your plants, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order.

Queensland

Every plant here is matched to the Queensland climate, from the humid tropical north to the subtropical southeast. The range runs from foxtail palms and rainforest natives for the tropical coast to bottle trees and olives that shrug off dry inland summers. Over 1,600 plants are listed, so start with your corner of the state: what thrives in Cairns can sulk through a Toowoomba frost, and the reverse is just as true. Why Queensland grown stock matters These plants come straight from production nurseries around the state, acclimatised to real heat, humidity and summer storms before they reach a garden. That head start shows in the first season: less transplant sulk and faster root establishment. The range skews toward what gardeners here actually plant, which means screening lilly pillies, palms, flowering natives, citrus and tough feature trees. Matching plants to your part of the state The state covers three distinct growing worlds, and the collection serves all of them. On the tropical coast from Mackay to Cairns, the Foxtail Palm (Wodyetia bifurcata), a native of Cape Melville in the far north, grows to about 10m, and Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia) spreads a 10m canopy of scarlet flowers. Golden penda and native gardenia both want these frost free conditions too. In the subtropical south east, almost everything here performs: Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' makes the classic 2m to 3m privacy hedge, the Ivory Curl Tree flowers at a garden friendly 6m to 8m, and lemon scented myrtle holds around 6m. Inland and on the ranges, frost changes the rules. The Queensland Bottle Tree (Brachychiton rupestris) handles drought and poor soil but only light frost, so shelter young trees through their first winters, and frost hardy choices such as Little Gem magnolia and crepe myrtles are the safer bets for Toowoomba and the granite belt. Roots, paving and pool fences Warm climate trees grow fast, so root behaviour is worth checking before you dig. The Foxtail Palm has fibrous, non-invasive roots that are safe beside paving and pools, and the tuckeroo and bottle tree are similarly well behaved. Royal Poinciana is the exception: its broad surface roots will lift paths, so give it open lawn well clear of pipes and paving. Planting and spacing in the heat Plant from autumn through early spring where you can, so roots establish before the next hot summer. Space 'Resilience' at 1m for a dense screen, lemon scented myrtle and native gardenia at 1.5m, ivory curl trees at 3m for an avenue and tuckeroos at 4m for a windbreak or street run. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, mulch 75mm deep, and make sure heavy wet season rain can drain away, because more subtropical plants drown in February than die in September. Common questions Do these plants only suit Queensland? No. Most also thrive in northern New South Wales, coastal Western Australia and other warm parts of the country. Check the climate tags on each product page, and everything is delivered Australia wide. Which of these trees give the biggest flower display? Royal Poinciana is the showpiece in warm frost free areas, golden penda flowers in heavy flushes of yellow, and crepe myrtles run from December into March. The tropical plant collection holds more warm season colour. What should I plant near a pool? Foxtail and other clean trunked palms are the standard choice for good reason: non-invasive roots and no heavy leaf drop into the water. The palm tree range covers sizes from courtyard to avenue. Is the Queensland Bottle Tree slow? Yes, and that is part of its appeal. It builds its bottle shaped trunk over many years, stores water through drought, and its taproot keeps it safe near paving. Our bottle tree guide covers it in detail. How does delivery work for large trees? Delivery starts from $29.95 with no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Rockery Plants

Rockery plants have to cope with the toughest position in the garden: shallow soil, sharp drainage and heat radiating off stone. Every plant here is tagged for rockeries, over 350 in all, from carpeting groundcovers and strappy lomandras to sculptural agaves and silver leaved lavenders. The real decision is the mix, softening spillers against bold structural forms, and how much water your climate will give them. Filter by height, climate and water needs below. How to choose rockery plants that last Think in three roles. Structural plants give the rockery its bones: agaves and jade from our succulents and cacti range, a dragon tree where you want real scale, or a grass tree (Xanthorrhoea glauca) if you are happy to wait, since it adds only a centimetre or two of trunk a year. Fillers bring flowers and movement at knee height, with lavender, blue fescue and society garlic the reliable core. Spillers finish the job, tumbling over edges and knitting the stones together: Blue Chalk Sticks, creeping boobialla and seaside daisy all work hard here. The honest trade off is speed against control. Quick spreaders such as seaside daisy (Erigeron karvinskianus) cover bare stone in a season but self seed readily and will jump into every pocket if allowed. Sculptural succulents hold their shape for years and never crowd a neighbour, yet a rockery planted only with slow growers looks bare for its first two summers. Mix both, and let the spillers run while the structure fills out. Where rockery plants work hardest A rockery is the practical answer to ground that defeats lawn and garden beds alike: slopes too steep to mow, shallow soil over rock, the baking strip beside a driveway, and terraced retaining walls. Seaside daisy and creeping boobialla are proven on walls and slopes, rooting as they spread and binding the surface as they go. Climate sets the palette. In tropical and subtropical gardens, lean on lomandras, no mow grass and the tougher succulents, and skip blue fescue and cushion bush, which both struggle through humid summers. In cooler southern gardens the silver leaved classics come into their own, and Lomandra 'Lime Tuff' shrugs off frost, drought and coastal salt in one compact tuft around 40cm to 50cm high. In arid and semi arid districts, agaves, jade and Blue Chalk Sticks get by on occasional deep watering once established. Planting and spacing among stone Place the stones first, then plant into the pockets between them, filling each with a free draining mix rather than rich compost. Overfed rockery plants grow soft and lose their shape. The numbers that matter: Creeping boobialla: 1m apart. Each plant hugs the ground at about 15cm high and spreads to 2m. Blue Chalk Sticks and seaside daisy: 40cm apart for dense cover within a year. Lomandra 'Lime Tuff': 50cm apart for a continuous strappy band. French lavender: 60cm apart. It reaches about 1m each way and flowers most of the year in mild climates. Blue fescue at 30cm and dwarf mondo grass at 15cm for tight carpets between stepping stones. Water new plantings deeply once or twice a week through their first summer. After that, most of this collection is genuinely drought tolerant and resents a daily sprinkle far more than a dry fortnight. Keeping a rockery looking sharp Maintenance is light but never zero. Shear spillers back from paths once a year, cut spent lavender heads to keep bushes tight, and pull seaside daisy seedlings from pockets where they are not wanted. Mulch with gravel rather than bark: it suits the setting, holds no moisture against succulent stems and stays put on a slope. Feed once with controlled release fertiliser in spring, and make sure winter drainage stays sharp, because more rockery succulents are lost to wet feet than to drought. Our waterwise garden guide covers watering settled plantings in more depth. Common questions What are the best plants for a hot rockery in full sun? Structure first: agave, jade and Blue Chalk Sticks all hold their looks through heat bouncing off stone. Soften them with French lavender and society garlic. For hundreds more options, the full drought tolerant range is the place to browse. Which rockery plants handle frost? Lomandra 'Lime Tuff', blue fescue, seaside daisy, society garlic, creeping boobialla and the grass tree are all frost hardy. Most succulents are not, so in cold districts give agaves and jade the warmest, best drained pocket, or grow them in pots you can move. How do I stop spreading groundcovers taking over? Match the vigour to the space. Seaside daisy self seeds readily and suits big informal banks, while dwarf mondo grass and blue fescue stay exactly where they are put. An annual shear along the path edges keeps the quick ones honest. Can I plant these into a retaining wall? Yes. Seaside daisy and creeping boobialla are both rated for retaining walls and slopes and will cascade over the face within a couple of seasons. Our low maintenance groundcovers include plenty of other candidates. How does delivery work? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Roses

This is a compact range of roses chosen for Australian conditions rather than a catalogue of hundreds. Iceberg, the most planted rose in the country, covers hedging and mass planting. Zepeti stays under a metre for pots and borders, and the thornless yellow banksia rose will clothe a fence or pergola. All are frost hardy and happiest with at least six hours of sun. Decide first whether you need a bush, a compact bedder or a climber, then choose on colour. Bush, bedder or climber: choosing the right rose Match the plant to the job before you shop on colour. Iceberg (Rosa 'Iceberg') is the workhorse: about 1.5m tall, lightly fragrant, and covered in white blooms almost continuously from spring to late autumn, which is why it turns up as a flowering hedge in front gardens across the country. Zepeti is the compact option at 80cm by 60cm, a disease resistant bedder with deep red flowers that suits pots, balconies and tight borders. For height, the yellow banksia rose (Rosa banksiae 'Lutea') climbs to 6m, grows fast, and is completely thornless, though it needs a genuinely sturdy structure and will spread past 4m if you let it. The assorted roses are mixed unnamed varieties around 1.2m, a budget way to fill a bed when exact colour matters less. Where roses do their best work Six hours of direct sun is the entry requirement, eight is better, and good airflow around the foliage matters almost as much. Roses handle a remarkable spread of Australian climates: all four lines here are rated from the subtropics through warm temperate and cool temperate gardens to Mediterranean climates, and Iceberg extends into arid regions as well. In humid coastal gardens fungal pressure is real, so favour morning sun that dries the leaves early and keep plants pruned open. In dry southern and inland gardens, they are among the most reliable flowering shrubs you can plant, coping with heat and drought once established. Planting and spacing Plant into deep, free draining soil enriched with compost, and water deeply twice a week through the first summer. Space Iceberg at 1m for a continuous flowering hedge, Zepeti at 50cm for mass planting and mixed bush roses at 60cm. Give the banksia rose 3m of fence or pergola per plant. Mulch 75mm deep and keep it clear of the stem. Pruning and feeding through the year Prune bush roses hard in late winter, removing dead wood and crossing stems and shortening the rest by about half, then feed as the new growth starts. Repeat flowering types like Iceberg and Zepeti reward a light trim and a feed after each flush. The banksia rose is the exception: it flowers on older wood, so prune it after flowering in spring, never in winter. Common questions Do roses grow in subtropical climates? Yes. Iceberg and Zepeti both carry subtropical climate ratings. Give them morning sun, airflow and free draining soil, and expect a longer flowering season than southern gardens see. Which rose has no thorns? The yellow banksia rose is thornless, which makes it the sensible climber for archways, gates and anywhere people brush past. Are roses safe around pets? Everything in this range carries our Pet Friendly flag. The practical hazard is thorns rather than toxicity, and the thornless banksia rose removes even that. How many Icebergs for a flowering hedge? One per metre of run, plus one for the far end. A 6m front fence takes 7 plants and closes into a continuous 1m to 1.5m hedge within a few seasons. How does delivery work? Delivery runs Australia wide from $29.95, with no minimum order. Pair them with other fragrant plants or full sun performers in the same delivery, and everything carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Rustic & Aged Pots

These are pots with history baked in: barnacle textured aged ceramics, sandblasted earthenware and hand finished limestone that look like they have stood in a courtyard for fifty years, and only improve as they weather. The collection runs from small Pompeii bowls under $40 through Old Stone and Atlantis jars to carved Thai limestone near $5,000, in bowls, eggs, urns, jars and tall planters. If new and glossy is not your garden, you are in the right place. How the aged look is made, and how it wears Three materials carry this collection. Aged ceramic makes up most of it: high fired pots given a textured, mineral crusted surface in production, so the weathering you see is permanent and frost stable rather than a coat of paint. Sandblasted earthenware is softer and more porous, closer to traditional clay, with a dry matt surface that drinks in moisture and grows lichen readily. Limestone is the top shelf option, carved from solid stone and left with tool marks that read as decades of wear from the day it arrives. All three keep ageing in place. Rain streaks settle in, edges soften, and in shade a little moss takes hold, which is exactly what you paid for. Where rustic pots work best The aged finish flatters gardens that glossy pots fight: Mediterranean courtyards with olives and rosemary, cottage plantings, tropical gardens where jars sit among big foliage, and formal gardens that want gravitas rather than shine. They also forgive real world knocks; a chip on a barnacle textured jar vanishes into the character, where the same chip on a glazed pot is a wound. Cluster odd numbers of the smaller Pompeii bowls and eggs, or let one big Old Stone or Atlantis jar stand alone at the end of a path. The largest pieces here overlap with the statement pots collection, which covers placing a single feature piece in detail. Practical care, sizing and drainage Size the pot to the plant as you would any other: a 200mm nursery pot suits a decorative pot about 30cm across, a 300mm wants 40cm, and small trees need 60cm plus. Check the drainage hole is open, cover it with mesh, and stand the pot on feet so the base dries between waterings. The one material that asks for thought is earthenware. Being porous it wicks moisture from the mix, so plants in it want slightly more frequent water, and in frost prone inland districts it should sit raised and free draining so it never freezes waterlogged. Aged ceramic and limestone shrug off frost, salt air and full sun. Never seal or paint these pots; sealing traps moisture in the walls and halts the patina that makes them work. Common questions Will my pot look exactly like the photo? Close, not identical. The aged surface is applied by hand and no two pots take it the same way, which is the appeal. Expect variation in texture and tone within the same product line. How do I speed up the weathered look? Position the pot in part shade near plants that get watered, and wipe the surface occasionally with diluted natural yoghurt to invite moss and lichen. A season of weather does more than any product. Are these pots heavy? Aged ceramic is moderate, comparable to glazed pots of the same size. Limestone is genuinely heavy and should be positioned once, empty, before planting. Everything is delivered Australia wide from $29.95 with a minimum order of $300, and the biggest pieces are freighted at cost. What if I want the weathered tone without the texture? Raw mineral surfaces in the concrete and stone pots collection weather to a similar quiet grey with a smoother face, and classic clay in the terracotta pots range ages to a paler, chalky version of the same character.

Saucers, Stands & Pot Accessories

This is the hardware that makes potted gardens actually work: saucers from $2.95 to catch the overflow, pot feet and risers to keep drainage holes doing their job, heavy duty trolleys rated for serious weight, and stands that lift plants to eye level. None of it is glamorous, and all of it gets used daily. If you are buying a large pot, add the trolley and the feet in the same order; retrofitting them under a full planter is a wrestle. Matching the accessory to the pot Saucers are sized to the base of the pot, not the rim. Measure the base and add 2cm to 5cm so overflow lands in the saucer rather than beside it. The growers plant saucers cover standard nursery pot sizes, and the terracotta Italian pot feet and rubber risers do the opposite job: they lift the pot so water can leave. Three feet suit pots to about 40cm across; use four or more beyond that. Moving weight without hurting yourself A planted 50cm pot easily passes 50 kilograms wet, which is why trolleys are the most quietly essential item here. The wheeled trolley suits pots from 270mm to 370mm across, and the extendable heavy duty mover stretches from 330mm to 510mm for larger pieces, with the cast iron trolley for the heaviest of all. Put the trolley under the pot before you fill it. If your pots get rearranged with the seasons, the trolley is the plan. Stands, brackets and display Stands solve the flat problem: a huddle of pots on the ground reads as clutter, while the same pots at three heights read as a display. The tiered metal stands hold a whole collection in one footprint, the arched Mona and corner stands suit entries, and the wall brackets and brick hooks lift trailing plants off the floor entirely. Indoors, the ceramic pot and stand sets do both jobs in a single piece. Common questions Do outdoor pots really need feet? On paving, decking or any sealed surface, yes. A pot sitting flat traps water against its own drainage hole, which rots roots and stains the surface underneath. Feet cost a few dollars and prevent both. What size saucer suits a 300mm pot? Measure the base, which on a tapered 300mm pot is usually 200mm to 240mm, then choose a saucer a size up. Slightly too big is fine; too small ends up on your floorboards. Will a trolley hold a large planter? The cast iron and extendable heavy duty trolleys are built for exactly that, and they pair with anything in the large pots and planters range. For inside the house, match a saucer or stand from this page to pots from the indoor pot collection. Everything is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery.

Screening Plants 1m to 2m

Every plant here matures between 1m and 2m, which makes this the band for screening pool equipment, bins and low fences rather than blocking a two storey view. Low screening plants work best when their natural height sits inside the band, so nothing in the collection needs constant cutting to stay put. With over 80 options, the choice comes down to speed against tidiness, flowers against dense foliage, and how cold your winters get. How to choose screening plants that finish at head height The most common mistake in this band is buying a 4m grower and planning to keep it at 1.5m. It can be done, but you pay in clipping several times a year, and the base thins as the plant keeps trying to be a tree. Everything in this collection matures between 1m and 2m, so start with plants whose genetics already agree with you. Then weigh speed against character. Coastal Rosemary (Westringia fruticosa) is fast growing, finishes near 1.5m and handles frost, drought, salt and poor soil, which is why it anchors so many low screens. For flowers and birds, the dwarf bottlebrushes are the picks: Captain Cook weeps to about 1.8m with bright red brushes in spring and again in autumn, and Callistemon 'Candy Pink' matches it at 2m. On damp ground that most hedges hate, the dwarf melaleucas answer: 'Snowstorm' at 1.8m and 'Claret Tops' at 2m both tolerate wet feet as well as dry spells. For a softer formal look in frost prone gardens, Camellia sasanqua 'Paradise Pearl' holds a dense 2m line with white blooms flushed pink, and for foliage interest there is 'Hot Tips' rhaphiolepis with its bronze red new growth, or the glossy variegated Coprosma 'Green and Gold'. Where a low screen earns its place Use this band to hide what sits at ground level: pool pumps, bins, air conditioning units, a blank stretch of fence. At 1.5m a screen hides a seated person, and at 2m it covers most standing sightlines beside a patio. Low screens also divide space, separating a driveway from a front garden or a lawn from a vegetable patch, all without shading either side. Cold districts are well served here. Westringia, correa, the dwarf callistemons and melaleucas and the sasanqua camellias are all frost hardy, so the band suits Canberra, Tasmania and the cold inland as readily as the coasts. In the humid subtropics the bottlebrushes and melaleucas thrive, with 'Captain Cook' rated from the tropics down to cool temperate gardens. On exposed coast, White Correa (Correa alba) and coprosma shrug off salt wind that burns softer foliage, though coprosma takes only light frost. Spacing and planting for an even screen Most plants here close into a solid line planted 1m apart: the bottlebrushes, melaleucas, correa, rhaphiolepis and coprosma all follow that rule. Plant Coastal Rosemary at 70cm and 'Paradise Pearl' at 80cm. A 10m run therefore takes 10 to 14 plants depending on the choice, and adding one more lets you finish each end with a plant rather than a gap. Dig each hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in well, and mulch 50mm to 75mm deep with the mulch kept off the stems. Plants in this size band establish quickly, and a young screen at these spacings usually closes up by the second or third season. Care in the first two years Water deeply twice a week through the first summer rather than a light daily sprinkle. Tip prune from the start: five minutes with the shears after each flush of growth builds the dense base that makes a screen work, and it is far easier than trying to thicken a leggy plant in year three. Feed with controlled release fertiliser in spring. For the full method, our guide on creating a great hedge and keeping it sharp walks through it step by step. Common questions What grows fastest to 1.5m? Coastal Rosemary and the dwarf bottlebrushes are the quickest here, with 'Snowstorm' melaleuca close behind. All of them are fast growers that still stop inside the band, so the speed does not cost you years of corrective pruning. Do I still need to trim plants that stop at 2m? Lightly, yes. A clip once or twice a year keeps the foliage dense to the ground and the line even. What you avoid is the constant cutting needed to hold a large screen artificially low. Which of these handle coastal wind? White Correa, Coastal Rosemary and Coprosma 'Green and Gold' all carry coastal and salt tolerance. The two natives are frost hardy as well, so they suit cold coastal sites; the coprosma is better where frosts stay light. What if I need more height later? Step up a band rather than pushing these plants past their genetics. The screening plants for 2m to 4m cover the next range, and shrubs for privacy spans both. How does delivery work? Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Screening Plants 2m to 4m

This is the workhorse privacy band. A screen that matures between 2m and 4m clears a standard 1.8m fence, blocks the sightline from a neighbouring deck or window, and still lets winter sun into the yard. With over 250 screening plants to pick from, the real decisions are growth rate against trimming, perfume against pure density, and how much frost your garden sees. Filter below by height, width and climate, or start with the guide under the grid. How to choose screening plants in the 2m to 4m range Speed first. Mock Orange (Murraya paniculata) is the fast, fragrant default for warm climates, reaching about 3m and closing ranks planted 1m apart. The viburnums are just as quick, with 'Emerald Lustre' running to 4m untrimmed and usually held lower. The price of that pace is two or three trims a year once the screen is established. Slower choices repay patience with less work. Port Wine Magnolia (Magnolia figo) takes its time to 3m but is very easy to shape, carrying small cream and burgundy flowers with a strong port wine perfume in spring. Sweet Osmanthus reaches 4m with tiny flowers that smell of apricots, and it is untroubled by frost. For foliage colour, Photinia 'Red Robin' flushes bright red new growth on a fast 4m frame. The native options hold their own. Cascade Lilly Pilly is unusual among lilly pillies for its fluffy pink flowers and soft weeping new growth, reaching about 4m at 1m spacings, while 'Big Red' matches the height with bright red flushes. Both take clipping well and bring birds into the garden. Matching the screen to your climate Tropical and subtropical gardens. Murraya, Cascade Lilly Pilly and 'Emerald Lustre' viburnum all thrive in heat and humidity. One caution: murraya berries are spread by birds and the species is discouraged in parts of coastal Queensland, so check local rules or choose a sterile form. Warm temperate and coastal gardens. Nearly everything here performs, and the lilly pillies, viburnums and kohuhus all carry coastal and salt tolerance. Cool temperate and frost prone gardens. Photinia 'Red Robin', Sweet Osmanthus, Teddy Bear Magnolia and the kohuhus (Pittosporum tenuifolium) are all frost hardy. Murraya and Port Wine Magnolia take light frost only, so keep them for milder sites. Spacing: how many plants for your fence line Divide the run by the spacing, then add one so a plant sits at each end. 1m apart: murraya, photinia, Cascade Lilly Pilly, Port Wine Magnolia and 'Emerald Lustre'. A 12m boundary takes 13 plants. 700mm apart: 'Screen Between' kohuhu, which holds under 2m wide at 4m tall and suits tighter beds. 1.5m apart: Sweet Osmanthus and Teddy Bear Magnolia, both broad and dense, so fewer plants do the same job. Set the row at least 60cm off the fence so you can reach the back face with shears, and resist planting tighter to hurry the result: crowded rows compete below ground and thin at the base by year three. Planting and early care Plant into a hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in heavily and mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch clear of the stems. Water deeply twice a week for the first summer, then taper off. Feed in early spring and again in late summer with a controlled release fertiliser. Most importantly, start trimming early: light tip pruning from the first season builds density at the base, where a privacy screen actually earns its keep. Our lilly pilly care guide covers pruning timing for the native options in detail. Common questions How long before I get real privacy? From 200mm pots at the spacings above, expect a meaningful visual break in 18 months to two years and full cover by year three. Fast growers such as murraya and the viburnums sit at the quick end of that range in warm climates. Can I hold a 4m plant at 2.5m? Yes, and most people should. The 4m figures are untrimmed heights, and two clips a year holds these plants comfortably at 2.5m to 3m with a denser face than any unclipped screen. Which screening plants stay narrow? 'Screen Between' kohuhu holds about 1.8m wide and Teddy Bear Magnolia around 2.5m. If the bed is under a metre wide, step across to the tall and narrow screening range instead. What if this band is taller than I need? Screens that finish lower live in the 1m to 2m screening collection, which suits pool surrounds, front gardens and low boundaries. How does delivery work? Delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95. Orders need to reach the $300 minimum before delivery, which a hedge run does easily, and advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Screening Plants 4m to 8m

When the problem is a two storey house, a road or a shed, this is the band that fixes it. Every plant here matures between 4m and 8m, from clipped lilly pilly walls to clumping bamboo and slim conifers, over 190 in all. Tall screening plants demand honesty about width and winter shade before you buy, so weigh the guide below against your boundary before choosing. Every one of them is delivered Australia wide. Be sure you need this much height A screen in this band will hide a two storey window, but it also throws long winter shade, spreads 2m to 4m wide in most cases, and puts the trimming beyond step ladder reach. Measure the sightline you need to block before you buy. If a 3m hedge would do the job, the 2m to 4m screening range costs far less to maintain over the next twenty years. When the height is genuinely needed, choose from screening plants proven to carry foliage to the ground at this scale. Choosing tall screening plants: the real trade offs Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' remains the default for good reason: about 5m untrimmed, dense to ground level, psyllid resistant so the foliage stays clean without spraying, and happy clipped at whatever height you settle on. Sweet Viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum) is the fast growing classic at 5m to 6m and is frost hardy, which most of the lilly pillies are not. For speed with a contained footprint, Slender Weavers bamboo reaches about 8m on a clumping base that stays 1m to 2m across, so it screens a two storey wall from a bed barely a metre deep. For formality, Pencil Pine holds 5m tall by 1m wide with almost no clipping. Among the natives, Lemon Scented Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) makes a fragrant 6m screen, Luehmann's Lilly Pilly carries edible riberry fruit at around 7m, and Blueberry Ash and Native Frangipani give lighter framed flowering screens to 8m. Spacing and planting at this scale 1m apart: Lilly Pilly 'Resilience', Sweet Viburnum and Slender Weavers bamboo for a solid wall. 1.5m apart: Lemon Scented Myrtle, Luehmann's Lilly Pilly and Little Gem Magnolia, which also keeps its roots well behaved near paving. 2m to 3m apart: Blueberry Ash at 2m and Native Frangipani at 3m, where a softer, more tree like screen suits the space. Set the row at least 80cm off the fence, more if you will ever need access behind it. Dig each hole twice the pot width and no deeper, water in thoroughly and mulch well. Tall screens are usually planted from 200mm pots up to 45L stock; bigger sizes buy years of growth, and advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Care while the screen grows up Water deeply twice a week through the first two summers, because a plant heading for 6m is building a root system to match. Feed in early spring and late summer. Resist the urge to leave the plants untouched until they reach full height: trimming the sides from year one builds the dense face you are after, and you can let the leaders run until the screen hits its target, then top it and hold it there. Plan access for trimming at height too. A 6m hedge needs a platform ladder or a professional with a boom, which is worth knowing before planting rather than after. Common questions What is the fastest screen to 6m? Slender Weavers bamboo is the standout, the quickest here to real height once established, and our bamboo screening guide covers how it behaves. Among conventional hedges, Sweet Viburnum is the fastest of the group. Will these damage pipes or paving? Slender Weavers is a clumping bamboo, not a runner, so the base stays contained. Little Gem Magnolia and Pencil Pine both carry non invasive root ratings, and Tuckeroo is another safe choice near hard surfaces. Give the broader trees generous clearance from structures as a matter of course. Can I keep these plants lower than 4m? Most of them, yes. Sweet Viburnum is commonly held at 2m to 3m, and 'Resilience' clips to any height from 2m up. If you plan to hold a screen at 2.5m forever, though, start in the band below and save yourself the work. Which tall screens handle frost? Sweet Viburnum, Pencil Pine and Little Gem Magnolia are frost hardy. The lilly pillies, the bamboo, Lemon Scented Myrtle and Blueberry Ash take light frost only, so cold inland gardens should lean on the first group. If width is the tighter constraint, the tall and narrow screening collection narrows the field further. How does delivery work for big plants? Everything is delivered Australia wide, with standard delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, quoted for your address. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Seeds

This is our vegetable seed range: 23 varieties covering the crops Australian home gardeners actually sow, from carrots, beetroot and broccoli through to Lebanese cucumber, zucchini and climbing beans, plus Italian Purple garlic sold as ready to plant bulbs. Most packets are $5.95, so trialling a new variety costs less than a coffee. Check your climate zone and the season before you sow, then work through the buying guide below for spacing, depth and succession tips. How to choose seeds for your climate Australia sows by climate, not by calendar. In tropical and subtropical gardens the brassicas, carrots and beetroot go in through autumn and winter, once the heat and humidity ease. In temperate and cool zones, sow root crops and brassicas from late summer into autumn or again in early spring, and hold the heat lovers, zucchini, Lebanese cucumber and climbing beans, until the soil has warmed after the last frost. Garlic is the exception: plant the bulbs in autumn everywhere, because the cloves need winter cold to split into full heads. Sowing basics that matter Sow at a depth of roughly twice the seed's width. Fine carrot and lettuce seed is barely covered, while beans go down 25mm. Direct sow root crops where they will grow, since carrots and radish fork when transplanted. Raise brassicas in trays and plant out at four to six weeks. Keep the surface consistently moist until germination, which takes 5 to 10 days for most vegetables, and thin seedlings early rather than letting them fight. A quality seed raising and potting mix beats garden soil in trays every time. Succession sowing keeps the harvest coming The cheapest productivity trick in gardening: sow a short row of carrots, rocket, lettuce or radish every three to four weeks instead of emptying the packet at once. Radish Raphael is ready in about six weeks and rocket in four, so small regular sowings give a continuous picking bed instead of one glut. Our fruit and vegetable garden guide covers planning a full year of beds. Common questions How long do seeds keep? Stored cool, dry and dark, most vegetable seed stays viable for two to three years. Write the year on the packet and use the oldest first. When should I plant garlic bulbs? March to May in most of the country. Break the bulb into cloves, plant them 15cm apart and 5cm deep with the pointy end up, and harvest around November when the leaves brown off. Can I grow these in pots? Rocket, lettuce, radish, beetroot and purslane all crop well in containers at least 25cm deep. Give fruiting crops such as zucchini a 40 litre pot and full sun. Our plant propagation guide walks through raising seedlings step by step.

Self-Watering Pots

Every pot here has a built in water reservoir beneath the root zone, so plants draw moisture up as they need it instead of swinging between soaked and bone dry. That means topping up once a week or so rather than watering daily through an Australian summer, and far better odds for balcony pots, office plants and anyone who travels. The range runs from compact planters around $10 to the statement Milano and Armour egg pots, in troughs, squares, rounds and a hanging basket. How a self watering pot works A reservoir in the base holds water beneath the root zone, and the potting mix wicks it upward as it dries. The plant takes what it needs, so you top up through a fill point every week or two instead of watering daily. In summer heat expect to refill weekly for a thirsty plant in full sun. Through winter, a full reservoir can last three to four weeks. Choosing the right style Match the shape to the job. The Roman and Oslo troughs, both around 600mm long, suit balcony rails, window ledges and herb runs, and sit alongside the rest of our trough planters. The Milano and Armour egg planters are the feature pieces for doorways and patios, sharing their soft curves with our egg and round pots. The Greenville and Modern planters are the all rounders for decks and living rooms, and the self watering hanging basket tames the fastest drying position in any garden. Potting up correctly Plant directly into the pot rather than hiding a nursery pot inside, because wicking only works when the mix is in contact with the reservoir. Use a quality free draining potting mix, water from the top for the first two to three weeks while the roots settle, then switch to filling the reservoir. Outdoors, keep the overflow outlet clear so a summer storm cannot flood the base. Common questions Are self watering pots good indoors? They are one of the best choices. The enclosed base means no saucer and no drips on timber floors, and moisture stays steadier than most of us manage by hand. Keep the reservoir low in winter when growth slows. What plants suit them? Leafy tropicals, ferns, herbs and vegetables thrive on the constant moisture. Succulents and cacti need a dry spell between drinks, so give those a standard pot from our small pots range instead. Can they live outside in the weather? Yes. These are tough UV resistant planters made for Australian sun, and unlike terracotta they will not crack in a frost. Being light for their size, they are also easy to shift while planted. How does delivery work? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, so most customers add planters to a plant order rather than buying them on their own.

Shrubs

Shrubs do the structural work in a garden: the hedges, borders and flowering layers that sit between lawn and canopy. This is the full range, over 650 varieties from 50cm border fillers to 6m screening plants, so the filters matter more than the scrolling. Decide the job first, hedge, screen, border or feature, then narrow by mature height and your climate. The main trade-off to watch is growth rate against clipping, because fast cover always brings more maintenance. Start with the job, not the plant A page this size only makes sense once you name the task. For privacy and hedging, the heavy lifters are lilly pillies, murraya, viburnum and photinia: Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' reaches about 5m untrimmed and holds happily at 2m to 3m, while Mock Orange (Murraya paniculata) gives a fragrant 3m hedge in warm climates. For borders and low structure, look to Westringia 'Zena' at 1m, gardenias at 1.2m to 1.5m, and rosemary 'Tuscan Blue' at 1.5m. For seasonal colour, camellias carry autumn and winter, hydrangeas own the shaded summer bed, and Tibouchina 'Alstonville' brings purple through autumn at up to 4m. The privacy shrub collection and native shrub range are tighter shortlists if the job is already clear. Use the filters to turn 700 into five The sidebar filters run on the same data as these descriptions, so they are the fastest route to a shortlist. Filter by mature height band first, then climate zone, then the tolerance that defines your site: frost, drought, salt wind or wet feet. A feature filter such as Pet Friendly, Bird Attracting or Fragrant usually finishes the cut. Thirty seconds of filtering beats twenty minutes of scrolling every time. Matching shrubs to climate In tropical and subtropical gardens, murraya, gardenias, ixora and tibouchina thrive on the humidity that camellias and hydrangeas merely tolerate. In cooler southern gardens the roles reverse: camellias, photinia, westringia, viburnum and rosemary are all frost hardy, while murraya and gardenias struggle anywhere winters bite hard. Hydrangeas want afternoon shade in every warm region. If you garden inland, filter for frost hardy before anything else and save yourself a failed winter. Planting and spacing rules of thumb Hedge spacing follows mature width. As working numbers from this range: 'Resilience' and murraya at 1m, Camellia 'Pure Silk' at 1m, Gardenia 'Florida' at 60cm, Westringia 'Zena' at 60cm and rosemary at 60cm. Dig each hole twice the pot width and no deeper, water in hard, mulch 75mm and water deeply twice a week through the first summer. Tip prune from the start if you want density at the base, because no amount of later clipping fixes a leggy first year. Common questions What counts as a shrub rather than a tree? Multiple stems from the base and a mature height usually under 5m. Plenty of plants here blur the line, and several larger lilly pillies can be grown either way depending on pruning. Which shrubs suit pots? Compact growers with modest root systems: dwarf gardenias, Murraya 'Min a Min' at about 1m, rosemary, and dwarf lilly pillies all do well in containers 40cm and up with quality mix and regular water. Which shrubs are safe around pets? Use the Pet Friendly filter rather than guessing. 'Resilience', Camellia 'Pure Silk' and rosemary all carry the flag; gardenias and hydrangeas do not, so keep those away from animals that chew the garden. How long does a hedge take to join up? Planted at the spacings above with proper watering, most hedging shrubs here touch within two to three growing seasons. Deciduous shrubs move faster in spring but rest bare in winter, which is worth knowing before you plant one as a screen. How does delivery work? Everything is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Shrubs for Privacy

These are the shrubs that turn a fence line into a green wall: over 100 dense evergreen varieties selected for screening, from 1.5m compact hedgers to plants that will happily close off a two storey sightline. The right pick comes down to three things: the height you actually need to block, the width your garden bed can give up, and whether your winters bring frost. Filter by mature height and climate, or read the full buying guide below. Choosing privacy shrubs by height Work out the sightline you are blocking before you buy anything. To screen a neighbouring window above a standard 1.8m fence, you need foliage at 2.5m to 3m, and the shrub that does that with the least effort is one whose natural height sits just above the target. Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' reaches about 5m untrimmed and is easily held at 2m to 3m, Sweet Viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum) grows to 6m and is commonly kept at the same band, and Mock Orange stops naturally around 3m with fragrant white flowers as a bonus. For lower dividers, Syzygium 'Baby Boomer' at 1.5m and Westringia 'Jervis Gem' at 90cm hedge neatly without wanting to be trees. Screening a narrow bed Width is the number people forget. A standard screening shrub pushes 2m to 3m into the garden, which a side passage cannot spare. Columnar selections solve it: Straight and Narrow lilly pilly holds close to 1m wide while reaching 5m, and Pittosporum 'Screen Between' runs about 1.8m wide at 4m tall from 700mm spacings. Both give full height privacy from a bed less than a metre deep, with almost no side pruning. Climate check before you order Frost is the divider in this category. Lilly pillies and murraya take light frost only, so in Canberra, Ballarat or the tablelands choose the frost hardy screeners instead: Sweet Viburnum, Photinia 'Red Robin', 'Screen Between' and Indian hawthorn all cope. In the humid subtropics the advantage flips to lilly pillies and murraya, with 'Resilience' resisting the psyllid that disfigures older varieties. On exposed coast, westringia and viburnum shrug off salt wind that scorches softer foliage. The wider hedging and screening range includes trees and bamboo if shrubs alone cannot reach your height. Spacing, quantities and the first two years Space 'Resilience', Sweet Viburnum, murraya and 'Red Robin' at 1m; Straight and Narrow at 60cm to 80cm; 'Screen Between' at 700mm; 'Baby Boomer' at 60cm. Divide your fence length by the spacing and add one plant for the end of the run. Tighter planting causes root competition and thin bases, not a faster screen. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, feed in early spring and late summer, and tip prune lightly from day one so the base stays as dense as the top. Common questions What is the fastest shrub here for privacy? Sweet Viburnum and murraya are the quick growers, with 'Screen Between' close behind. Expect meaningful cover in 18 months to two years from 200mm pots, and budget for two to three trims a year once they hit height. How many plants do I need for a 10m fence? At 1m spacing, 10 to 11 plants. At 700mm, 15. Set the row 60cm off the fence so you can reach the back face to prune. Can I grow a privacy screen in pots? Straight and Narrow and 'Baby Boomer' both handle container life in large pots, which suits rented homes and paved courtyards. Expect a lower final height than in ground. Which screening shrubs are pet friendly? 'Resilience', Straight and Narrow, Cascade and 'Baby Boomer' all carry our Pet Friendly flag. Photinia and viburnum do not, so check the flag on each product page if your dog chews plants. When will I actually have privacy? Planted right, most of these screens close within two to three seasons. Our step by step guide to planting a privacy screen covers preparation, watering and early pruning, and the lilly pilly collection compares every variety we grow. Everything is delivered Australia wide with a 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Slow Growing

Slow growing plants are the low maintenance backbone of a garden: they hold their shape between prunes, stay in scale with the space you gave them, and rarely surprise you. This range runs from clipped box and dwarf olives to grass trees, bottle trees, Japanese maples and slow, sculptural indoor plants. If you need presence straight away, buy the biggest size available. These are plants you buy at the size you want, not the size you hope for. Why slow growing plants earn their keep Speed is the most oversold trait in gardening. A fast plant fills a gap in two seasons, then asks to be cut back two or three times a year, every year, forever. Slow growing plants invert the deal: more patience up front, then years of a garden that holds its shape on one annual prune. Under this tag we keep plants that put on roughly 30cm of growth a year or less, and many, like grass trees and bottle trees, grow far slower than that. Slow also means predictable. These are the plants to set near paths, pools, walls and windows, because the plan you plant is the plan you keep. How to choose Formal hedges and borders. Japanese Box and English box build the classic clipped edge on a single annual trim. Spaced 30cm to 40cm apart, they close into a low border in three to four seasons. Architectural features. Dragon trees, grass trees (Xanthorrhoea glauca), Queensland bottle trees and beaked yucca deliver sculpture that never outgrows its spot. Small and courtyard trees. Frangipanis, Teddy Bear magnolias and Japanese maples lead the slow growing trees collection, all of them happy for decades in the one corner. Pots and tubs. Dwarf olives like 'Bambalina', dwarf date palms, jades and kentia palms will live in a 50cm to 60cm pot for years between repots. Groundcovers. No Mow grass (Zoysia tenuifolia) and kidney weed creep rather than run, filling gaps without invading the beds next door. Where they work in Australian gardens The range spans every climate, but match the plant to yours. Grass trees, bottle trees and yuccas are built for dry and frost light gardens and ask for very little water once established. Olive trees and pencil pines suit Mediterranean climates around Adelaide and Perth as well as inland gardens with cold winters. Japanese maples colour best in cool temperate gardens with shelter from hot afternoon wind, from the ranges of New South Wales through Victoria and Tasmania. Box grows almost anywhere in the country, which is why formal gardens lean on it so heavily, while the palms and frangipanis want the warm half of the continent or a frost free microclimate further south. Buy the size you want to see With a fast screening plant, small stock catches up quickly and saves money. With slow growers the calculus flips: the years are the expensive part, so it is usually worth buying the most established size on offer. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and a semi advanced grass tree or olive arrives with a decade of growing already done. If the real job is privacy on a deadline, a slow plant is the wrong tool. Start with the hedging and screening range instead and accept the trimming that comes with speed. Planting and care Slow growth means modest appetites. Plant into free draining soil in a hole twice the width of the pot, water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then taper to weekly or less once established. Feed once in early spring with a controlled release fertiliser at half the packet rate: heavy feeding will not make a slow plant fast, it just forces soft, floppy growth. Mulch 75mm deep and keep it off the trunks. Prune once a year at most, box after its spring flush, olives and maples in late winter. Common questions How slow is slow growing? As a working rule, 30cm a year or less. Within that there is a wide spread: a dwarf olive might add 20cm a year, while a grass tree adds one to two centimetres of trunk. Will a slow growing plant still get big eventually? Some will. Slow describes the rate, not the destination, and a bottle tree is still a substantial tree given thirty years. Check the mature height on the product page, then decide whether the timeframe suits the space. Are slow growing plants better in pots? Generally yes. They exhaust the mix slowly, keep their proportions, and need repotting every two to three years instead of every spring. Use a premium mix and a pot only one size up from the current one. Can I make one grow faster? A little. Consistent water, an annual feed and a warm sheltered position all help at the margins, but growth rate is genetic. If the pace worries you, buy bigger stock instead: everything here is delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95, and our 30 day healthy plant guarantee covers the trip.

Slow Growing Trees

Slow growing trees put on well under 30cm of height a year, which keeps you in charge: no surprise shading, no roots outgrowing a courtyard, no ladder work. That makes these trees the pick for small gardens, pots and any spot where an ordinary tree eventually becomes a problem. The range runs from Japanese maples, ginkgos and dogwoods for cool climates to frangipanis, bottle trees and grass trees for warm and dry ones, with olives and dwarf magnolias in between. How to choose a slow growing tree Every tree here puts on well under 30cm of height a year, so the choice comes down to look and climate. For seasonal beauty, the deciduous group, Japanese maples, ginkgos, dogwoods and hornbeams, earns its keep twice: fresh spring foliage, then autumn colour. For year round structure, evergreens like the Teddy Bear magnolia, olives, bay and stone pine hold a solid green presence at a manageable scale. The third group is pure sculpture: dragon trees, grass trees, bottle trees and beaked yucca grow slowest of all and read as living statues rather than shade trees. Where they work in Australian gardens Slow growing trees are the safest planting near courtyards, paving and pools, because the root system stays in scale with the canopy. Beyond that, match the tree to your climate. Maples, dogwoods, hornbeams and ginkgos colour best in cool temperate gardens with cold autumn nights, from the ranges of New South Wales through Victoria and Tasmania. Frangipanis, bottle trees and grass trees suit the warm and dry half of the country, and frangipani in particular wants a frost free winter. Olive trees split the difference, thriving anywhere with hot dry summers, and grow slowly enough to hold in a large pot for a decade. If autumn colour is the priority and speed matters less than variety, the deciduous trees collection casts a wider net. Planting and care Dig the hole twice the width of the rootball and no deeper, plant at the original soil level, and stake for the first year in windy spots. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then taper off; most of these trees are drought tolerant once established. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the trunk, and feed once in early spring at half the packet rate. Slow trees have small appetites, and overfeeding just forces weak growth. Prune deciduous trees lightly in late winter and evergreens after flowering. Because the years are what you are really paying for, it is often worth starting with established stock: advanced and large trees are freighted at cost. Common questions How slow is slow? Most trees here add 15cm to 30cm a year. The sculptural group is slower again; a grass tree adds one to two centimetres of trunk a year, which is why advanced specimens are so prized. Will they stay small forever? No. Slow is a rate, not a ceiling, but the timescales are long: a tree adding 20cm a year takes 25 years to reach 5m. Check the mature height on each product page and plan for the size you will actually live with. Which slow growing tree suits a pot best? Olives, Japanese maples, frangipanis and bay all live happily for years in a 50cm to 60cm pot with premium mix and an annual top up. The wider slow growing range covers shrubs and groundcovers for the same low maintenance garden, delivered Australia wide with our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Small Pots

Small pots, up to about 30cm, are the working size for desks, shelves, windowsills and starter plants. The 96 designs here take anything from a 100mm seedling to a 200mm nursery pot, in terracotta from $7.95, glazed ceramic, terrazzo, woven finishes and hanging baskets. At this size the pot is half the display, so buy in sets and repeat materials. Sizing, watering and styling advice sits in the guide below the grid. What fits in a pot under 30cm Small pots take the 100mm to 200mm nursery pots that most indoor plants, herbs, succulents and seedlings arrive in. The match matters more at this scale than any other, because a 100mm plant lost in a 30cm pot sits in a mass of wet mix its roots cannot reach. Keep the decorative pot 2 to 5cm wider than the nursery pot: a 140mm plant into an 18cm pot, a 200mm plant into a 25cm pot. When a plant outgrows the size class altogether, the medium pot collection picks up where this one stops. Cachepot or direct plant At this size, the drop in method wins most of the time. Leave the plant in its nursery pot, sit it inside the decorative pot, and lift it out to water in the sink, letting it drain before it goes back. No saucer, no drips on the bookshelf, and swapping plants takes ten seconds. Plant directly only when the pot has a drainage hole and lives somewhere a saucer is acceptable, or outdoors where drips do not matter. A sealed pot with a plant potted straight into it is how most indoor plants drown. Materials at this scale Terracotta is the workhorse, from $7.95 for the classic Italian pots, and its porous walls pull moisture out of the mix, which is exactly what succulents, cacti and herbs on a hot windowsill want. The full terracotta range starts at this size. Glazed ceramic holds moisture longer and suits thirstier foliage plants, and brings colour: whites and naturals recede politely, while a glazed blue or pink becomes part of the display. Terrazzo and concrete read contemporary, woven planters soften a shelf, and the hanging baskets here get trailing plants up off the bench entirely. Watering small pots The smaller the pot, the faster everything happens. A 15cm terracotta pot can go from soaked to bone dry in two summer days, while the same pot glazed holds for close to a week. So group pots by thirst, not just by looks, and check with a finger rather than watering on a schedule. In winter, most indoor plants in small pots want water half as often. If small pots outdoors dry out by lunchtime, they are telling you the plant needs the next size up. Common questions Does a small pot need a drainage hole? If you plant directly into it, yes, no exceptions. If it has no hole, use it as a cachepot with the plant kept in its nursery pot, and tip out any water that collects in the base after watering. Can small pots live outside? Terracotta, glazed ceramic, concrete and terrazzo all can. The practical limit is water: under 30cm of pot dries fast in sun and wind, so outdoor small pots suit succulents and mediterranean herbs far better than leafy plants. The outdoor pot range covers the weather ready materials in every size. How do I style a shelf of small pots? Repeat one element and vary another. Three different shapes in one material reads as a collection; three materials in one colour does the same. Odd numbers beat even, and a riser or stack of books doing height work beats a flat line of rims. Is there a minimum order? Orders need to reach $300 before delivery, so small pots usually ride along with plants or larger pots rather than shipping alone. Everything is delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95.

Small Trees for Urban Gardens

A small block still deserves a real tree. Everything in this collection stays compact enough for courtyards, narrow side setbacks, driveways and gardens under powerlines, most finishing between 3m and 8m. The range covers flowering crepe myrtles and magnolias, Japanese maples and ornamental pears for autumn colour, productive citrus and stone fruit, and tidy native features like ivory curl tree. Decide whether you want evergreen screening, seasonal colour or fruit, then let mature size make the shortlist. How to choose a small tree Start by naming the job. If the tree must hide something all year, choose evergreen: Little Gem and Teddy Bear magnolias, ivory curl tree, or a compact olive. If it is there to be beautiful, the deciduous flowering trees give you more theatre per square metre than anything else in the nursery: crepe myrtles flower from December to March then colour up for autumn, ornamental pears and crabapples put on a spring blossom show, and a Japanese maple earns its keep three seasons out of four. If the tree should feed you, dwarf and standard citrus, apples, peaches and pomegranates all crop happily inside a small footprint. Then check mature height against the space. Most trees here finish between 3m and 8m, but the difference matters: a 3m Acoma crepe myrtle suits a courtyard where an 8m ornamental pear would swallow it whole. Working within urban constraints Urban planting is mostly about what surrounds the tree. Under powerlines, stay below 4m at maturity: the compact crepe myrtles, dwarf citrus and Japanese maples are safe picks. Near paving, driveways and plumbing, favour trees with well mannered roots such as crepe myrtles, magnolias and citrus, and keep any tree at least 2m from paths and 3m from the house. In a narrow side setback, look for naturally upright forms like Tolleys Upright olive or a columnar magnolia rather than fighting a spreading canopy every season. And remember winter sun: a deciduous tree on the north side shades the house in January and lets light through in July, which is the cheapest climate control there is. Matching tree to climate Cool climate gardeners in Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra and the ranges get the best from Japanese maples, ornamental pears, crabapples, silver birch and the stone fruit, all of which want winter chill. From Sydney and Perth north, crepe myrtles, frangipani, citrus and the evergreen magnolias take over, with crepe myrtles the standout for reliable flowering in heat. Adelaide and inland gardens suit olives, pomegranates and crepe myrtles, which shrug off hot dry summers once established. Very few trees do everything everywhere, which is exactly why this collection is broad. Planting, pots and care Plant into a hole twice the width of the rootball and no deeper, water in with 20L, and mulch 75mm deep clear of the trunk. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer. Feed flowering trees once in early spring, citrus in spring and late summer. Nearly all of the compact varieties here also grow well in large containers: allow a 50cm to 60cm pot for a dwarf citrus, crepe myrtle or Japanese maple, use premium potting mix and water more often than you think, daily in a heatwave. Prune deciduous trees in winter for shape, evergreens lightly after flowering. Common questions What is the best small evergreen tree for privacy? Teddy Bear Magnolia is the tidy formal option at 4m with dense glossy foliage. For a softer native look, ivory curl tree sits around 6m in gardens. Both hold foliage to the ground when young and clip well. Which small trees will not lift paving? Crepe myrtles are the standard answer: their roots are fine and non invasive, which is why councils plant them in nature strips. Magnolias, citrus and Japanese maples are also safe near paths and pools at normal planting distances. What can I plant under powerlines? Stay with trees finishing under about 4m: Acoma, Zuni and the Diamonds in the Dark crepe myrtles, dwarf citrus, or a Japanese maple in shade. Avoid anything sold as reaching 6m or more, however slowly it gets there. What arrives when I order a tree? Sizes run from 200mm pots through 25L and 45L advanced trees, with selected varieties larger again. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every tree is delivered Australia wide and covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

South Australia

Every plant in this collection can be delivered to South Australia, grown by partner growers who freight direct to Adelaide and regional SA. The range runs from advanced ornamental pears and crepe myrtles to hedging, natives and no mow lawn alternatives, all selected with SA conditions in mind: hot dry summers, cool wet winters and soils that often run alkaline. Use the filters to narrow by size, position and water needs, or start with the guide below the grid. How this collection works Not every grower in the country freights to every state, so this page shows only the stock grown by partners who deliver into South Australia. What you see is what can actually reach your door, from tubestock through to advanced ex ground trees at landscape scale. Standard delivery starts from $29.95, large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries the 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Gardening in the South Australian climate Most of settled SA is Mediterranean: long hot dry summers, mild wet winters, and less annual rainfall than any other state. That rules out thirsty tropicals but suits a surprisingly wide palette. On the Adelaide plains, frost is light and rare, so jacarandas, crepe myrtles and olives all thrive. The Adelaide Hills are a different garden altogether, with regular winter frost and higher rainfall, so choose frost hardy deciduous trees and tough evergreens there. Coastal suburbs and the peninsulas add salt wind, which is where westringia and other coastal natives earn their keep. Soils vary from deep sand to heavy clay, and many run alkaline, which most Mediterranean and Australian native plants take in their stride. What grows well in SA Deciduous ornamentals are the backbone of Adelaide gardens: crepe myrtles for summer flowers on low water, ornamental pears like the Chanticleer for reliable autumn colour, and weeping mulberries as feature trees. Among evergreens, look to the drought tolerant end of our best hedging plants, particularly westringia, box and photinia, which hold a hedge on far less water than a lilly pilly. Australian natives such as lomandra, dianella and kangaroo paw handle sand, alkalinity and dry summers with almost no help, and no mow grasses make a practical lawn substitute where water restrictions bite. Planting and establishment in SA Autumn is the best planting window in a Mediterranean climate. Plant from March to May and the winter rain does most of the establishment watering for you, so roots are settled before the first hot summer. Spring planting works too, but budget for deep watering twice a week right through until autumn. Improve heavy clay with gypsum before planting, use a soil wetting agent on water repellent sand, and mulch everything 75mm deep. Feed in early spring with a controlled release fertiliser, choosing a low phosphorus native formulation for natives. Common questions Which parts of South Australia do you deliver to? We ship to every state and territory, and this collection is specifically stock from growers who freight into SA, covering Adelaide and most regional centres. Delivery starts from $29.95, with no minimum order. Advanced and large trees are freighted at cost and quoted for your address. When is the best time to plant in SA? Autumn, comfortably. Soil is still warm, rain is coming, and plants get two mild seasons to root in before summer. Avoid planting evergreens in December and January unless you can water deeply and often. What survives frost in the Adelaide Hills? Deciduous trees such as ornamental pears, crepe myrtles and mulberries shrug off Hills frost, as do box, westringia and photinia. Skip frost tender choices like poincianas and most tropical foliage plants, which belong on the plains or further north. My soil is alkaline. Does that limit me? Less than you would think. Most Mediterranean plants, olives, pears, crepe myrtles and the majority of hardy natives are comfortable at a higher pH. The main casualties are acid lovers like camellias, azaleas and magnolias, which do better in SA grown in pots of quality potting mix.

Special Offers

Every plant in the special offers is priced below its usual listing, and the range spans the whole nursery: hedging, feature trees, palms, groundcovers and indoor foliage, from tubes through to advanced sizes. Over 1,000 lines are marked down at any given time, and the list changes as stock moves through. Shop it exactly like the main catalogue, filtering by height, climate and use, and remember that a reduced price still carries the full 30 day healthy plant guarantee. What lands in the special offers list These are the same plants, from the same growers, as the rest of the catalogue. A plant joins the special offers when its price drops below the regular listing, which happens for ordinary nursery reasons: a season turning over, a grower batch coming ready together, or stock we want moving before it sizes up into a bigger pot. Nothing on this page is a seconds bin, and nothing is excluded from the standard guarantee. How to shop a page this size Treat it as the whole store at better prices rather than a bargain table to scroll. Filter by mature height and climate zone first, then by use: screening, pots, groundcover, feature. If you came for something specific, it is faster to check whether that plant is marked down than to browse. The discounts reach the top sellers too, Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' among them, so a full hedge run at a reduced price is a genuinely good buy. Making one delivery work harder Markdowns are the easiest way to get more garden out of a single delivery. Hedge runs suit the maths best, since ten or fifteen plants of one variety fill a whole boundary in one order. Mixed orders work too: pad a feature tree out with tubestock, the cheapest way to add plant numbers, or add groundcovers and border fillers you were going to buy eventually anyway. Buying a discounted plant with confidence A lower price changes nothing about how the plant is grown, packed or backed. Discounted stock is picked and packed exactly like full priced orders, delivery starts from $29.95, advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and the 30 day healthy plant guarantee applies in full. The one honest caution: marked down lines sell through, so if a particular plant matters to your plan, order it rather than watching it. Common questions Are discounted plants lower quality? No. They come from the same production benches as full priced stock and pass the same dispatch checks. The price reflects our stock position, not the plant's condition. How long do the reduced prices last? Until the stock sells or the season changes, whichever comes first. The list is live, so a price you see today is not promised for next month. Do large and advanced plants appear here? Yes, including advanced hedging and screening plants and feature trees. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. What is the cheapest way to fill a whole garden? Tubestock from this list. Small plants establish quickly, catch up faster than most people expect, and let one order cover beds, borders and a screen at once. Flowering trees are worth adding while freight is already booked. How does delivery work? Everything is delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Every plant, discounted or not, carries the 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Statement Pots

A statement pot does the work of a garden bed, a sculpture and a focal point at once. This collection gathers the largest and most distinctive pieces we sell: grand glazed jars, metre wide limestone bowls, aged urns and commercial scale planters from the Premium Glaze, Old Stone, Atlantis, Pompeii and Thai Limestone ranges, at every price from an accessible feature pot to a commissioned centrepiece. Some are made to be planted, others to stand empty as objects. Both approaches are covered in the guide below the grid. How to choose a statement pot The most common mistake is buying too small. A pot that looks enormous on a showroom floor shrinks the moment it stands against a house wall, so measure the space and be braver than feels natural. As a working rule, a feature pot beside an entry should reach somewhere between knee and hip height, and a jar meant to be seen across a garden needs to be at least 80cm tall to register. One large piece almost always beats three medium ones. Decide next whether it will be planted or stand empty: sculptural jars like the Pompeii Opium Jar and the Old Stone Cannibal Jar hold their own with nothing in them, while wide bowls such as the Wide Sala Pond and the Thai Limestone Stella Bowl ask for planting or water. Placement before anything else Position a statement piece where a sightline ends: opposite a window you actually look through, at the turn of a path, centred on a blank wall. Set it in place empty, live with it for a day, then commit, because a planted metre wide pot can weigh several hundred kilograms and will not be shuffled sideways later. Raise it slightly on pot feet so water clears the base, and check the ground is level; a large jar exaggerates every lean. On balconies confirm the load rating first and favour lighter GRC and ceramic pieces over carved limestone. Many of these pieces also appear in the extra large pots collection, which covers the practical sizing detail. Planting a feature pot Keep the planting simpler than the pot. A single clipped olive, a frangipani, a cycad or a spill of trailing rosemary reads far better in a distinctive vessel than a mixed arrangement fighting the vessel for attention. Use premium potting mix, cover the drainage hole with mesh, and in very deep jars fill the bottom third with upturned plastic pots before adding mix to save weight and money. Wide shallow bowls dry fast in summer, so plan on watering them every day or two in hot weather. If the pot stands empty, drill drainage or tip it after rain; a sealed jar of stagnant water breeds mosquitoes. Materials and how they age Premium Glaze ceramic keeps its colour and shine for decades and needs nothing beyond a rinse. Aged ceramic and earthenware pieces from the Old Stone and Pompeii ranges are made to weather further, growing more convincing each year; the full range of that look lives in the rustic and aged pots collection. Carved limestone slowly silvers and takes on moss in shade. GRC and lightweight concrete finishes mellow evenly, and the raw mineral pieces sit alongside their smaller siblings in the concrete and stone pots range. Common questions How do these big pieces arrive? Standard sizes are delivered Australia wide from $29.95 with no minimum order. The largest jars and limestone pieces are freighted at cost on a pallet, quoted for your address, and a hand trolley plus two people handles most GRC pieces from kerb to garden. Do statement pots need drainage holes? Planted, always. Standing empty, either drill the base or choose a shape that sheds rain. Waterlogged pots are the main cause of winter cracking in any material. What suits a windy site? Weight wins in wind. Cast concrete, limestone and the heavier glazed jars stay put; a tall light pot with a leafy tree becomes a sail. If you must use a lightweight piece, ballast the base with 20kg of gravel before the mix goes in.

Subtropical Plants for Warm Climates

Subtropical gardens get the best of both worlds, humid warm summers and mild winters, and this collection gathers more than 150 plants proven in exactly those conditions. Azaleas make up the biggest block, flanked by tibouchinas, olives, citrus, cordylines, star jasmine and a run of tough succulents. If you garden anywhere from the central Queensland coast down through Brisbane and northern New South Wales, or in a warm frost free pocket further south, start here. The guide below the grid sorts the range by job. What subtropical means for plant choice The subtropics, roughly the coastal strip from central Queensland through Brisbane to the New South Wales north coast, hand a gardener humid summers with most of the year's rain, and mild winters where frost is rare near the coast and light further inland. Plants here are chosen for that pattern. They take humidity without collapsing into fungal problems, and they flower or fruit without needing the deep winter cold that some southern favourites rely on. If your climate fits that description, everything in the grid is a reasonable candidate rather than a gamble. The azalea block: colour through the cooler months Azaleas dominate this collection for a good reason: few shrubs flower as heavily through a subtropical winter and spring. The indica types such as 'Alphonse Anderson', 'Magnifica' and 'Alba Magnifica' grow to 1.5m or more and take more sun than most people expect. The kurume types stay compact, usually under 1m, and suit pots and low borders. The Autumn series repeat flower across autumn, winter and spring rather than in one flush. All of them want the same things: morning sun with afternoon shade, acidic soil around pH 5 to 6, and mulch over their shallow roots instead of cultivation around them. Flowering shrubs with subtropical credentials Tibouchinas are the signature purple of Brisbane autumns. 'Alstonville' makes a small tree of 3m to 4m covered in violet flowers, while compact forms like 'Jules' and 'Little Beauty' hold the same colour at about 1m. Around them sit bougainvilleas and dipladenias for hot walls and fences, brunfelsia for scent, and cordylines for year round foliage colour where flowers come and go. Productive plants for warm climates The citrus range is the easy win: Eureka and Meyer lemons, limes and kumquats all crop generously in subtropical backyards. Avocado 'Reed' and the green tea plant extend the harvest. The olive trees, including Manzanillo and the ornamental Swan Hill, grow into handsome silver canopies anywhere warm, though they set their heaviest crops in drier climates with colder winters, so on the humid coast treat fruit as a bonus rather than the point. Planting and care in a humid climate Autumn and spring are the ideal planting windows, giving roots two mild seasons before the first hard summer. Humidity is the main management issue, so give shrubs airflow rather than cramming them, water the soil rather than the foliage, and mulch 75mm deep. Feed azaleas with an azalea and camellia fertiliser straight after flowering, and give tibouchinas a light prune at the same point in their cycle to keep them dense. Succulents and echeverias want the opposite treatment: a raised bed, an unwatered corner or a pot on a hot step where summer rain drains away instantly. Common questions I garden in Sydney, Perth or Adelaide. Is this collection for me? Mostly yes. Warm temperate gardens overlap heavily with the subtropics, and azaleas, tibouchinas, citrus, olives and star jasmine perform in all of them. The main check is frost: cordyline fruticosa forms, dipladenias and other soft tropicals need a protected spot once frost enters the picture. Can azaleas really handle Queensland sun? Indica varieties take a surprising amount, especially with deep mulch and steady moisture. The safest position anywhere in the subtropics is morning sun and afternoon shade, which keeps flowers lasting longer too. Which of these plants shrug off light frost? Azaleas, 'Alstonville' tibouchina, olives, citrus (with young trees covered on the coldest nights), magnolias and star jasmine all cope with the light frosts of the subtropical hinterland. The succulents handle frost poorly when wet, so keep them dry through winter. How is this different from the tropical collection? The tropical garden plants are matched to the true tropics and lean on palms, heliconias and big foliage. This collection is calibrated for the milder band just south of that, where azaleas and olives succeed and a light frost is possible but not routine. Plenty of gardens can draw from both. What about the succulents in this range? Echeverias, aloes and crassulas earn their spot as the no water answer for hot paving, retaining walls and pots. Give them full sun and sharp drainage, and browse the full succulent collection if that corner of your garden is bigger than a pot or two.

Succulents

Succulents are the lowest effort sculpture you can put in an Australian garden, provided the drainage is honest. This range runs over 80 varieties, from 15cm ice plant groundcovers and steel blue chalk sticks to spined agaves and the slow, architectural dragon tree. Choose by job first: carpeting a hot bank, filling pots on a balcony, or anchoring a rockery with one bold rosette. Then check frost, because that is the only thing most of these genuinely resent. Choosing by the job you need done For groundcover on hot, dry banks, Blue Chalk Sticks (Senecio mandraliscae) sits 30cm high and spreads to a metre per plant, and ice plant (Delosperma cooperi) hugs the ground at 15cm with electric pink flowers. For pots and courtyards, the sculptural rosettes carry the look: Agave 'Blue Glow' at 45cm, the slow and intricate Queen Victoria agave at 40cm, and jade plant at up to a metre. For a feature with real presence, the Dragon Tree (Dracaena draco) reaches about 4m over 10 to 15 years, and red yucca sends 1.5m flower spikes over a 1m clump of grassy foliage. Firesticks adds a 2.5m column of coral toned stems where you want colour without flowers. Where succulents thrive, and where they sulk Arid, Mediterranean and warm temperate gardens are home ground, and most of the range also handles coastal salt and poor soil without complaint. The humid subtropics are workable with one condition: water must drain away fast, so raised beds, slopes and pots beat flat clay every time. Frost is the real divider. Queen Victoria agave, ice plant and red yucca are frost hardy and safe for Canberra or the Adelaide Hills, while jade, snake plant and crown of thorns are frost tender and need a warm wall or a pot that moves under cover in winter. Most of the rest, dragon tree included, take light frost only. Planting, drainage and spacing Free drainage is non-negotiable. In the ground, mound the bed or plant on a slope; in containers, use a cactus and succulent mix in a pot with generous holes, and terracotta dries out fastest if you tend to overwater. Space blue chalk sticks and ice plant at 40cm for continuous cover, mass Agave 'Blue Glow' at 60cm and red yucca at 1m. Wear gloves around agaves, whose leaf tips are genuinely sharp, and around euphorbias like crown of thorns and firesticks, whose milky sap irritates skin and eyes. Watering and the seasons Water deeply, then let the mix dry out completely before the next drink. In summer that might mean weekly for pots; in winter, monthly is often generous. Overwatering kills more succulents than drought, heat and neglect combined, and a plant going soft and translucent is telling you the roots are wet. Feed lightly in spring if at all. Common questions Why is my succulent going mushy? Too much water or too little drainage, almost without exception. Let the soil dry right out, and if the plant sits in a saucer of water, stop that today. Are succulents safe around pets? Many are not. Jade, snake plant, kalanchoes and the dragon tree are toxic to cats and dogs, and euphorbia sap is a hazard to people as well. Ice plant carries our Pet Friendly flag, but check each product page before planting where animals graze. Can I grow succulents in Melbourne or Canberra? Yes, with frost hardy picks such as Queen Victoria agave, ice plant and red yucca, or by keeping tender varieties in pots that winter under a veranda. Drainage matters even more in cool, wet winters. What pairs well with them? The spined and structural side of the family lives in our agave collection and cactus range, and our succulent care guide covers propagation and repotting. How does delivery work? Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Succulents & Cacti

Succulents and cacti are the plants to reach for when you want colour and sculpture on the least water. The range here runs from blue groundcover senecios under 30cm to spined golden barrels, architectural agaves and the slow growing Dragon Tree at around 4m. Most ask for nothing beyond full sun and sharp drainage, so the real decision is frost, because many tolerate only a light one. Filter by height, climate and position below, or read the buying guide under the grid. How to choose succulents and cacti Start with the job, because this range covers everything from flat carpets to a small tree. For spilling over walls and clothing hot banks, look to the trailing senecios and ice plants. For pots and rockery pockets, the rosette formers: echeverias, haworthias and compact agaves such as 'Blue Glow' at 45cm. For real structure, step up to columnar euphorbias at 2m to 3m or the Dragon Tree (Dracaena draco), which builds to about 4m over 10 to 15 years. Speed is the honest trade-off. A Golden Barrel Cactus takes decades to reach 60cm, which is why advanced specimens cost more than a shrub of the same size. Buy the biggest you can afford where structure matters, and buy small everywhere else. Where succulents and cacti thrive Dry-summer regions are home ground: inland and semi arid districts, Perth and Adelaide, and warm temperate coastal gardens. Most also handle Brisbane's subtropical humidity if drainage is sharp, and about half this range shrugs off salt spray, which makes these natural picks for seaside beds and rockery plantings. Frost is the limit. Many tolerate a light frost only, so in cold districts keep the tender types, jade and golden barrel among them, in pots that winter under the eaves. For the most punishing positions, start with our succulents chosen for hot climates. Planting and spacing Drainage decides everything. In heavy soil, plant on a mound or raised bed 20cm to 30cm above grade, into a gritty free draining mix. Space Blue Chalk Sticks at 40cm centres for a solid blue carpet and 'Blue Glow' agaves at 600mm for a massed display. Give every agave room to reach its full spread without leaning over a path, and keep the fiercely spined golden barrels at least a metre back from anywhere people walk. Finish with gravel mulch rather than bark, kept clear of the stems. Watering, feeding and winter care Water deeply, then let the mix dry out completely before watering again. Established plants in the ground mostly live on rain outside the hottest months. Cut water right back once nights cool, because cold wet roots kill far more succulents than cold air does. A half strength, low nitrogen feed in spring is plenty. For planting combinations, our agave garden ideas guide is a good starting point. Common questions Can succulents handle humid summers? Most can. The bulk of this range is happy in subtropical gardens provided water drains away fast and air moves freely around the plants. Smooth leaved types cope better than furry or powdery coated ones, which can mark and rot through weeks of summer rain. Will succulents survive frost? Roughly half this range tolerates a light frost; hard freezes are another matter. In cold inland or southern gardens, grow the borderline types in pots and shift them under cover for winter, or plant against a north facing wall that holds the day's warmth. How often should I water a succulent in a pot? Only when the mix is bone dry. In a hot summer that can mean weekly; in winter it can stretch past a month. Leaves that wrinkle slightly are asking for a drink, leaves turning soft and translucent have had too much. Are succulents and cacti safe for pets? Treat them with the same caution as any ornamental. Several common types, including jade plants and kalanchoes, are toxic to cats and dogs if chewed, and euphorbia sap irritates skin and eyes. Assume nothing here is pet safe unless its product page carries our Pet Friendly flag.

Succulents for Hot Climates

Every plant on this page is tagged both heat tolerant and drought tolerant, so these are succulents for hot climates in the strictest sense: the ones that hold their colour through baking summers, reflected heat off walls and long dry spells. The range runs from groundcovering chalk sticks and ice plants to sculptural agaves and the 4m Dragon Tree. Your real decision is winter, because most of these tolerate only a light frost. Filter by height and position below. Choosing the right plant for a hot position Succulents for hot climates split into three roles: groundcovers, rosettes and features. For covering a hot bank or verge, Blue Chalk Sticks (Senecio mandraliscae) sits at 30cm tall, spreads to about a metre and knits into a solid blue carpet. Ice plants and gazanias do the same job with flowers. For pots, borders and rockery pockets, choose the rosette formers: 'Blue Glow' agave holds a neat 45cm rosette edged in red, and Queen Victoria agave stays even tighter. For a feature with real presence, jade builds to a dense 1m shrub and the Dragon Tree slowly makes a 4m sculpture. Where succulents for hot climates earn their keep These are the beds that break ordinary plants: north and west facing walls, strips beside driveways, unirrigated verges and inland gardens where summer sits in the forties for days. Succulents store their own water, so they keep their looks while lawns brown off. They suit Perth, Adelaide and inland towns especially well, handle coastal salt in large part, and most cope with Brisbane humidity when drainage is sharp. If your whole garden runs this way, our arid and semi arid climate range is built on the same logic. The trade-off is cold: most of these tolerate a light frost only, so gardeners in frosty districts should favour pots they can move. Planting and spacing Plant into free draining soil, or mound beds 20cm to 30cm high where the ground is heavy. Space Blue Chalk Sticks at 40cm centres for cover within a couple of seasons, 'Blue Glow' agaves at 600mm for a massed display, and Silver Spoons kalanchoe at 40cm for a silver grey groundcover. Gravel mulch reflects less heat onto the foliage than dark bark and will not hold moisture against the stems. Even the toughest succulent establishes faster with a deep weekly drink through its first summer; after that, rain does most of the work. Care through summer and winter In extreme heatwaves, young plants appreciate temporary shade cloth, but established plants ride it out. Water deeply and rarely rather than lightly and often, ease off completely as nights cool, and feed once in spring at half strength. Winter wet is the main killer, which is why drainage matters more than any other decision. Our waterwise garden guide covers companion plantings that live on the same rations. Common questions Do succulents need shade in extreme heat? Established plants generally do not. Fresh plantings are the exception: give them some afternoon protection through their first heatwave and water deeply the evening before a scorcher is forecast. Can these handle frost as well as heat? Some inland gardens serve both extremes. About half this range tolerates a light frost, but hard freezes will mark or kill most succulents, so in cold winter districts grow the tender types in pots and move them under cover. What is the best succulent groundcover for a hot bank? Blue Chalk Sticks at 40cm centres is the reliable answer, with ice plant for flower colour in the gaps. Both root as they spread, which helps bind loose slopes. Will these grow in Brisbane humidity? Most will. The majority of this range carries the subtropical climate tag, and the recipe is raised free draining beds, gravel mulch and air movement. The full succulent and cactus range notes climate suitability on every product page.

Sydney & NSW Ready

Syzygiums

Syzygium is the genus behind Australia's lilly pillies, and this is the full range: over 30 selections from dwarf hedgers around 1m to rainforest natives that make 7m screens and shade trees. All are evergreen, bird attracting and quick to respond to clipping. The choice comes down to three things: the mature height you need, how narrow the space is, and whether your area's psyllid pressure calls for a resistant selection. The guide below the grid walks through it. Matching a syzygium to the job Height first. For borders, pots and low hedges under a metre, 'Tiny Trev' stays around 1m untrimmed and 'Baby Boomer' finishes near 1.5m. For the classic 2m to 3m privacy hedge, Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' is the one most gardeners should start with: about 5m if left alone, easily held at hedge height, with clean psyllid resistant foliage. Side passages and narrow boundaries belong to Straight and Narrow, which climbs to 5m while holding roughly 1m wide without constant clipping. At the top of the scale, Syzygium luehmannii makes a 7m screen or small shade tree with weeping coppery new growth. Habit is the second decision. 'Cascade' brings soft weeping growth and fluffy pink flowers at about 4m, while most others carry glossy upright foliage flushed red or bronze when young. Where lilly pillies thrive These are east coast rainforest natives, so they are at their best from tropical and subtropical gardens down through warm temperate zones, and nearly all of them handle coastal wind and salt. Humidity is no obstacle; it is actually where psyllid pressure rises, which is why resistant selections such as 'Resilience', 'Northern Select' and 'Backyard Bliss' are worth choosing in warm humid areas. Most tolerate a light frost only, so in colder inland districts protect young plants for their first two winters. For alternatives beyond the genus, our hedging and screening range covers frost hardy options too. Planting and spacing Spacing sets how fast the wall closes. Plant 'Resilience' and other broad screeners at 1m centres, 'Backyard Bliss' at 800mm, Straight and Narrow at 60cm to 80cm, 'Baby Boomer' at 60cm and 'Tiny Trev' at 50cm for a low border. Set the row 60cm to 80cm off a fence so you can prune the back face. Dig each hole twice the pot width and no deeper, water in hard, mulch 75mm deep and water deeply twice a week through the first summer. Feeding, clipping and berries Feed with a controlled release native friendly fertiliser in spring and late summer, and tip prune from the start: a hedge clipped lightly from year one builds a dense base that never goes leggy. Expect fluffy white flowers followed by magenta berries that bring birds; on most selections here the berries are edible and make a sharp jam. Our guide to lilly pillies for screening and privacy covers hedge training in more detail, and the broader lilly pilly collection includes related genera beyond Syzygium. Common questions How fast do lilly pillies grow? The fast growing screeners planted from 200mm pots give meaningful privacy in around two years and a solid wall by year three. Dwarf selections are slower, which is exactly what you want in a border. What causes the bumpy leaves on my lilly pilly? Psyllid, a sap sucking insect that pits soft new growth on older Syzygium australe types. Clip off affected flushes and feed the plant, or sidestep the problem by planting a resistant selection such as 'Resilience' or 'Northern Select'. Are lilly pilly berries edible? Most selections here carry our Edible flag, and the riberry (Syzygium luehmannii) is a recognised bushfood. Flavour is tart rather than sweet, best in jams and cordials. Are lilly pillies safe for dogs and cats? Popular selections including 'Resilience', 'Baby Boomer' and 'Tiny Trev' carry our Pet Friendly flag, which makes them a sensible hedge choice for a garden with animals. Check the flag on each product page rather than assuming it covers the whole genus.

Tall and Narrow Screening Plants

Side passages, driveway edges and boundary beds rarely offer more than a metre or two of width, and this collection exists for exactly that squeeze. These tall narrow screening plants give height without the spread, from 60cm wide columns to slim 1.5m screens, over 90 choices in all. The real decision is between naturally columnar plants that barely need clipping and quicker growers held narrow with shears, and the guide below walks through both. How to choose a tall narrow screening plant The low maintenance path is a plant that stays slim on its own. Straight and Narrow Lilly Pilly holds about 1m wide at 5m tall with almost no side pruning, and Pencil Pine does the same in conifer form, an Australian selection that keeps under 1m wide unclipped. 'Sky Pencil' Japanese Holly is the tightest of all at about 60cm wide, though it stops near 2.5m. Callistemon 'Slim' brings bottlebrush flowers and bird life to a 3m by 1.3m column, and 'Thin Fence' viburnum packs the speed of sweet viburnum into a 1.2m width. The alternative is speed with commitment. Leighton Green (Cupressocyparis leylandii) reaches 12m untrimmed and 4m wide, and it makes a superb narrow hedge only if you trim twice a year without missing. It suits rural boundaries and big windbreaks better than side passages. Matching a slim screen to climate and position The classic columnar conifers, Pencil Pine, Italian Cypress and Spartan Juniper, are frost hardy, drought tolerant and wind tolerant, which is why they line driveways across the cold inland and through the drier climates of Adelaide and Perth. They dislike humid tropical summers. In the subtropics and tropics, reverse the logic: Straight and Narrow, 'Lush and Thin' murraya and Timor Black bamboo all thrive in heat and humidity, the bamboo reaching around 12m with glossy black canes on a clumping base. One honest caveat on deciduous choices: Capital Pear gives a fast 10m column with autumn colour, but it stands bare through winter, so use it where summer screening matters more than year round privacy. Spacing for narrow screens 50cm to 60cm apart: 'Sky Pencil' holly at 50cm; 'Thin Fence' viburnum and 'Lush and Thin' murraya at 60cm. 60cm to 80cm apart: Straight and Narrow Lilly Pilly for a dense narrow wall. 1m apart: Pencil Pine, Spartan Juniper, Italian Cypress and Callistemon 'Slim'. 1.5m to 2m apart: Timor Black bamboo at 1.5m; Capital Pear at 2m. Keep the row at least 40cm off a wall or fence so air moves behind the foliage. In a side passage, measure the finished width honestly: a plant that matures at 1.2m wide in a 90cm passage will be brushed past every single day, and no amount of clipping makes that pleasant. Care and clipping Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, taper once established, and feed in spring. Columnar conifers need one light trim a year at most, and never cut back past the green growth, because most conifers will not reshoot from bare wood. Broadleaf columns such as the lilly pilly and murraya take harder clipping happily. Watch the base of any narrow screen: keep mulch clear of the stems and let light reach the bottom of the plant, since a slim screen that goes bare at ankle height has lost half its point. Our guide on building a dense hedge applies just as well to narrow ones. Common questions What is the narrowest screening plant available? 'Sky Pencil' Japanese Holly holds about 60cm wide, the slimmest here, with Straight and Narrow Lilly Pilly and Pencil Pine at about 1m. All three keep those widths by habit rather than constant cutting. What suits a hot, exposed driveway? Italian Cypress and Spartan Juniper both tolerate frost, drought, wind and poor soil, and Pencil Pine matches them while staying slimmer. Space any of them 1m apart for a formal line. Which slim screens suit tropical and subtropical gardens? Timor Black bamboo, 'Lush and Thin' murraya and Straight and Narrow Lilly Pilly all handle heat and humidity well. The Mediterranean style conifers prefer drier air and perform better south and inland. Do tall narrow plants still need height maintenance? Only if the mature height overshoots the job, so check it first: Capital Pear and Italian Cypress run to about 10m, while Callistemon 'Slim' stops at 3m. For more height options at conventional widths, the 4m to 8m screening range is the sibling collection to browse. How does delivery work? Delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Tall Planters

Tall planters give you height without bulk: bullets, cylinders, crucibles and tall squares that lift plants toward eye level, frame a doorway or fill a blank corner without swallowing floor space. Most pieces here are cast in glass reinforced concrete or lightweight StoneLite, so they carry the look of solid stone at a fraction of the weight. Heights run to around 550mm, in finishes from raw concrete grey to sandstone and blue. Settle on the silhouette first, then choose the finish. Choosing a tall planter Start with proportion. A tall planter already gives you height, so it flatters plants that mound or spill, not towering specimens. Aim for two thirds pot to one third plant, or the reverse; half and half looks awkward. Bullet pots taper to a narrow base and read as sculpture, tall squares and cylinders hold more soil and suit a small tree, and crucibles flare at the rim to show off trailing foliage. Check the opening before you buy. A 300mm mouth hides a 200mm nursery pot neatly; the larger bullets and squares take 250mm to 300mm pots. For a serious rootball, step up to our tree planters. Materials and weight Most of the range is glass reinforced concrete or lightweight StoneLite, the look of stone at a fraction of the weight. A tall shape carries its load high: empty these are manageable for one person, filled they sit firm. Filling and drainage Never fill a tall planter with mix from the base up. Plants only use the top 300mm to 400mm of soil, so build a false bottom from an upturned grower pot or foam box and plant above it. You save 20 litres or more of mix and the pot stays movable. Add gravel first for ballast in exposed spots, and stand the pot on feet so the drainage hole never seals against paving. Where they work A matched pair flanking the front door is the classic move: same pot, same plant, both sides. A single anchors a blank patio corner, and three cylinders in a row screen a balcony edge. Mix silhouettes with wider bowls from the large pots collection or softer shapes from our egg and round pots. Common questions Will a tall planter blow over? Not once planted, provided there is real weight low down. Gravel beneath the false bottom keeps the centre of gravity low, and the flared crucibles are steadier than they look. What fits inside without repotting? Measure the mouth and subtract about 50mm for the largest nursery pot that drops in cleanly. Kept in its plastic pot on a false bottom, a plant swap takes two minutes. Do concrete finishes need sealing? No. GRC and StoneLite are built for outdoor life and weather gently. New concrete can nudge soil pH up for the first season, so line the pot for anything that prefers acidic soil.

Terracotta Pots

Real Italian terracotta starts at $7.95 here and runs to a 500mm rolled rim classic, alongside the aged Old Stone range and lightweight terracotta look planters that keep the colour without the kilograms. Clay is the traditional choice for a reason: it breathes, it keeps roots cool in summer, and it looks better at ten years old than new. Choose true terracotta for warmth and patina, or the lightweight versions for balconies and frost prone districts. Choosing between clay and terracotta look Genuine Italian terracotta, from the small Florentine pots to the 500mm rolled rim, is porous fired clay. It wicks moisture out through its walls, which keeps roots cool and well aerated, making it the classic home for succulents, citrus and herbs that hate wet feet. The trade off is weight and thirst: clay dries faster and large pots are heavy before soil goes in. The Old Stone pieces and the terracotta sprayed lightweight planters give the same warm tones at a fraction of the weight, with none of the porosity. Where terracotta earns its place Terracotta suits sunny courtyards, Mediterranean plantings and coastal gardens, and its fast drying walls are an advantage anywhere humid. The caveat is hard frost. In cold inland districts, Canberra, Tasmania and the ranges, water absorbed into the clay can freeze and flake the surface, so choose the lightweight terracotta look pieces there, or lift clay pots onto feet under cover for winter. Everywhere else, clay ages beautifully in the open. The white bloom and moss it develops are the point. Planting and care in clay Soak a new terracotta pot in water for ten minutes before planting so it does not pull moisture straight out of the fresh potting mix. Expect to water direct planted clay roughly twice as often as glazed or fibreglass pots in summer, or fit the self watering Milano version and halve it instead. Stand pots on terracotta feet or risers to keep the base draining. A 300mm pot takes about 10 litres of mix; the 500mm rolled rim closer to 45. Common questions Why is my terracotta pot turning white? That chalky bloom is mineral salts from water and fertiliser wicking through the clay. It is harmless, and most owners like it. Scrub with a stiff brush and diluted vinegar if you prefer the pot looking new. Is terracotta frost proof? Frost resistant, not frost proof. In districts with regular hard frosts, keep clay lifted, dry and under cover through winter, or use the lightweight terracotta finish planters instead. What shapes are there beyond the classic pot? Terracotta cylinder bowls and tapered cylinders sit within the cylinder pot range, and the egg shaped terracotta pots appear in the egg and round pot collection. All of it is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order.

Terrazzo Pots

Terrazzo brings the speckled stone look without the crippling weight: every planter here is cast over a fibreglass core at roughly a quarter of the weight of traditional terrazzo, so a statement pot can still go up in a lift. The range runs from moon bowls and wok bowls through egg pots and cubes to full troughs, mostly in white, grey and black, with matching saucers for indoor use. Pick your shape first, then size up a touch: terrazzo always reads better slightly oversized. How to choose a terrazzo pot Match the silhouette to the position. Low moon bowls and wok bowls suit tabletops, benches and succulent plantings where you look down at the pot. Egg pots, from the standard sizes up to the giant egg, are the all rounders for porches and living rooms. Cubes, tall squares and the tall tapered square carry entrances and corners, and the troughs handle balcony edges and screening runs. Because the finish is identical across shapes, mixing a bowl, an egg and a cube in one corner still reads as a set. On size, follow the standard rule: the decorative pot's opening should be 3cm to 5cm wider than the nursery pot going into it. A 200mm nursery pot slips into a small egg; a 300mm pot needs a large. If you plan to plant directly rather than drop the nursery pot in, go one size larger again for root room. Where terrazzo works best The fibreglass core is the practical difference. At a quarter of the weight of cast terrazzo, these pots suit balconies and rooftops with load limits, and one person can reposition them rather than two. The composite does not absorb water, so it will not flake in frost the way porous materials can, and it handles coastal spray, which makes it one of the few decorative finishes that performs from Cairns humidity to Canberra winters. White and light grey also stay cooler in full sun than dark pots, a real advantage on exposed northern and western aspects. Care and drainage Outdoors, use the drainage holes and stand pots on feet or risers so the base dries between waterings. Indoors, pair each pot with its matching terrazzo saucer, and empty the saucer half an hour after watering rather than letting the pot stand in it. The surface cleans with a damp cloth and mild detergent; skip pressure washers and abrasive pads, which dull the finish. A 40cm pot takes about 25 to 30 litres of quality potting mix and a 50cm pot closer to 55, so fill large pots in their final spot. Common questions Are terrazzo pots frost and weather proof? Yes. The fibreglass composite is non porous, so freezing water cannot flake the surface, and the pigments are UV stable. They are a sound choice for exposed positions in cold districts where terracotta struggles. Do terrazzo pots work indoors? They are one of the better indoor finishes because they are light, sealed and tidy. Use the matching saucers to protect floors, or keep the plant in its nursery pot inside the terrazzo pot for zero mess repotting. What matches terrazzo in the wider range? The trough planters include terrazzo runs for balconies, the egg and round pots carry the same curves in other materials, and the cube and square planters continue the geometry. How does delivery work? Terrazzo pots are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order.

Tools & Accessories

This is the working end of the nursery: over 50 garden tools and accessories from brands that earn their keep, including Felco, Fiskars, Cyclone, GARDENA and Gorilla Carts. The range covers pruning gear from floral snips to telescopic tree pruners, digging and weeding tools, brooms and rakes, rain gauges and weather stations, and wheelbarrows and carts up to 235 litres. Match the tool to the scale of the job and it will outlast the plants it tends. Choosing garden tools that last Buy on the cut, not the colour. Bypass secateurs slice like scissors and leave clean wounds on living stems, which is what you want for roses, shrubs and fruit trees; anvil types crush against a flat plate and belong on dead wood. A professional bypass pair such as the Felco 2 secateurs will handle daily pruning for decades if cleaned and sharpened. From there the pruning ladder runs upward: loppers add two handed leverage for branches thicker than a finger, and telescopic tree pruners reach high limbs while your feet stay on the ground, which is safer than any ladder. Hauling: wheelbarrows versus carts A wheelbarrow is the manoeuvrable choice for narrow paths and tipping into corners, and the 80 to 100 litre trays here suit most home gardens. A 100 litre poly tray wheelbarrow carries mulch and prunings without the weight of steel. Four wheeled garden carts trade agility for stability: they hold 60 to 235 litres, tow flat loads without balancing, and the dump versions tilt to empty. Poly trays shrug off rust and are lighter to push; steel takes rubble and rough treatment. Flat free wheels are worth having on any block with bindii or buried offcuts. Watering by numbers, not guesswork A rain gauge is the cheapest useful tool in the garden: knowing whether the weekend storm delivered 5mm or 25mm tells you whether to run the irrigation at all. Weather stations go further, logging temperature, humidity and wind, which is genuinely handy when you are deciding if a heatwave calls for extra water or a frosty night calls for covers. New plantings need the most attention, and our planting and care basics guide explains how much water matters in the first season. Care and storage Wipe sap off blades with soapy water after each session, dry everything before it goes away, and run a drop of oil over pivots and springs every few weeks. Sharpen secateurs and shears little and often rather than grinding them annually. Timber handles last longer with an occasional rub of linseed oil, and every tool lasts longer stored under cover rather than against the fence. Common questions What is the difference between bypass and anvil pruners? Bypass blades pass each other like scissors and cut cleanly on green growth. Anvil blades close onto a flat plate and can crush living stems, so keep them for dead or already removed wood. Should I buy a wheelbarrow or a garden cart? Narrow paths, tight corners and tipping work favour a wheelbarrow. Big flat blocks, heavy loads and anyone who would rather tow than balance favour a cart. Plenty of gardens justify one of each. How do I keep secateurs cutting well? Clean off sap, keep the pivot oiled and touch up the blade edge with a fine sharpening stone every few weeks of regular use. A blunt blade tears bark and invites disease into the plant. Do tools ship with my plants? Yes. Garden tools and accessories are delivered Australia wide alongside your plants with no minimum order, so adding a rain gauge or a pair of secateurs to a plant order is the easy way to buy them. Pots do the same, and the pots and planters range pairs naturally with this one.

Tree Planters

When the plant is an advanced tree, the pot has to earn its place. These wide mouthed tree planters and commercial grade boxes are built for exactly that: deep, stable vessels that hold the volume of mix a maturing tree needs without splitting or tipping. The range runs from lightweight StoneLite tubs from about $80 through glazed ceramic planters to architectural GRC squares built for commercial installs, in finishes from raw concrete and shale grey to terracotta and white. Choosing a planter for a tree Size on the rootball, not the tree. Choose an opening at least 200mm wider than the rootball so there is fresh mix on every side, and a depth close to the opening width. For a tree in a 400mm nursery pot, that means a planter around 600mm across. Going one size larger again buys years before the next repot. The StoneLite tubs and chopped tubs are the entry point, the glazed ceramic planters bring colour, and the GRC squares suit commercial installs. Weight is the real decision An empty planter is easy to move and a full one is not. A 600mm planter holds over 100 litres of mix, more than 100kg wet before the tree goes in, so position the empty planter where it will live, on pot feet, then fill and plant in place. Lightweight StoneLite and GRC keep the empty weight manageable. On balconies and rooftops, check the structure can carry a filled statement size. Drainage and care A tree in a planter lives entirely on what you give it. Use a premium potting mix rather than garden soil, water deeply until it runs from the base, two or three times a week through summer, and feed with a controlled release fertiliser each spring. Keep the drainage holes clear and never stand a tree planter in a saucer of water. Where they work Formal pairs at an entry, a single specimen anchoring a courtyard, or a row along a boundary where you cannot plant in the ground. Browse the large pots collection for underplanting and companion pieces, set tall planters beside a low wide box for contrast, or soften a run of squares with our egg and round pots. Common questions Which trees are happy long term in a planter? Naturally compact or slow growing trees. Olives, citrus, crepe myrtles, frangipani in warm areas and Japanese maples in cool ones all spend decades in a large container. Fast forest trees outgrow any pot. Will I need to repot? Eventually. A tree in a generous planter goes three to five years before it wants root pruning or a size up; choosing the bigger planter pushes that job further away. How do these ship? Planters are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Most customers order the planter with the tree going into it.

Trees

Every tree here can be delivered Australia wide, from $10.95 tubestock to advanced specimens well over head height. The range covers more than 500 trees: shade and avenue trees, flowering ornamentals like jacarandas and crepe myrtles, evergreen magnolias, olives and citrus, and Australian natives from grass trees to tuckeroos. A tree is the biggest single decision most gardeners make, so choose mature size first and purpose second. The guide below the grid walks you through both. Start with the job, then check the size Buy a tree for what you need it to do. Shade over a west facing wall calls for a spreading canopy, a jacaranda or an Illawarra flame tree. Privacy along a boundary wants a dense evergreen such as a weeping lilly pilly or Brisbane box. A courtyard feature has to earn its spot with flowers or form, which is where crepe myrtles, magnolias and Japanese maples come in, because all of them stay compact enough to plant near the house. Then hold the mature height against your block. A jacaranda reaches 10m to 15m with a canopy nearly as wide. A tuckeroo makes about 8m, a 'Little Gem' magnolia 4m, and the compact crepe myrtles around 3m. Planting a 15m tree in a 6m wide backyard is the most common tree buying mistake we see, and the hardest to undo five years later. Evergreen or deciduous Evergreen trees such as lilly pillies, magnolias, olives and tuckeroos hold their screen and their shade all year, which makes them the default for privacy and for framing a garden. Deciduous trees like Japanese maples, ornamental pears, crepe myrtles and liquidambars work the other way: dense shade in summer, bare branches that let winter sun through. Over a north facing lawn or an outdoor living area, deciduous is usually the smarter pick. For a year round backdrop or screen, browse the evergreen tree range. Matching a tree to your climate Tropical and subtropical gardens. Poincianas, frangipanis, golden pendas, ivory curl trees and tabebuias flower hard in heat and humidity. Most tolerate no more than the lightest frost. Warm temperate gardens around Sydney, Perth and coastal South Australia take the widest range: jacarandas, olives, citrus, magnolias, crepe myrtles and most of the natives. Cool temperate and frost prone gardens, including Melbourne, Canberra, the tablelands and Tasmania. Japanese maples, ornamental pears, birches, liquidambars, crepe myrtles and many eucalypts shrug off hard frost. Tropical flowering trees do not. Dry inland gardens. Eucalypts, kurrajongs and the Queensland bottle tree cope with heat and low rainfall better than almost anything else on this page, with olives close behind. Tubestock, potted or advanced The same species often appears here at several sizes, and the price difference is real. Tubestock from about $11 is the cheapest way to plant a windbreak, a driveway avenue or a whole new garden, and young trees establish quickly because their roots have never been pot bound. Mid size stock in 200mm pots through to 45 litre bags balances cost against head start, and suits most single tree purchases. Advanced and ex ground trees give an instant result for a landmark position. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, with common tiers at $179.95 and $209.90 and specialist transport quoted for the biggest specimens. Planting and the first two summers Dig the hole twice as wide as the rootball and no deeper, so the trunk flare sits at soil level. Backfill with the soil you removed, water in with 20 litres, then mulch 75mm deep and keep the mulch clear of the trunk. Stake loosely only if the site is windy, and take stakes out after the first year so the trunk thickens properly. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, weekly through the second, and feed with a controlled release fertiliser each spring. Keep large growing trees at least 5m from the house, further from sewer lines, and never plant a fig near paving or pipes. Common questions How fast will my tree grow? Fast species such as poincianas, eucalypts and ornamental pears can put on a metre or more a year in good conditions. Magnolias, maples and olives are slower, closer to 30cm to 50cm. A tree planted small usually overtakes expectations by year three once its roots are away. Which trees are safe near the house? Compact trees with well behaved roots: crepe myrtles, 'Little Gem' magnolias, Japanese maples and citrus can all sit 2m to 3m off a wall. Keep figs, large eucalypts and poincianas well clear of structures, paving and pipes. What should I plant for quick shade? In the tropics and subtropics, a poinciana or golden penda. In temperate gardens, an ornamental pear or jacaranda. All sit at the fast end of the range, and choosing from the flowering trees means you get a show each year while the canopy builds. Can I mix fruit trees into an ornamental garden? Yes, and it usually works well because both want sun, deep watering and an annual feed. The fruit tree range covers citrus, avocados, figs, mangoes, mulberries and stone fruit for the sunniest corner of the yard. How do trees travel? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every tree is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Tropical Plants

Tropical plants trade on scale: big glossy leaves, bold flowers and fast lush growth that turns a bare corner into a resort bed in a couple of seasons. This range holds over 400 of them, from foxtail palms and giant bird of paradise down to xanadu philodendrons, cordylines and heliconias. Winter is the deciding factor, because most are frost tender, so the real choice is between planting out, potting up or growing indoors. Filter by height, position and climate below. Building a tropical garden in layers The lush look is really a planting formula: canopy, mid storey, understorey. For the canopy, the Foxtail Palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) is the fast growing headline act at around 10m, with the slower kentia a refined choice for shade and pots. The mid layer carries the drama: Giant White Bird of Paradise reaches about 6m with paddle leaves, and heliconias such as 'Hot Rio Nights' hold hanging red bracts at 3m. Underneath, xanadu philodendron mounds to 1m, cordylines and crotons add leaf colour at 1.5m to 2m, and elephants ear fills shade with 1.8m of glossy green. The palm range and heliconia range go deeper on the two signature families. Where tropical plants grow in Australia In Cairns, Darwin and Brisbane, everything here grows outdoors and the only limits are space and drainage. Warm temperate gardens in Sydney and Perth can still run a convincing tropical scheme by choosing from the large group tagged for their zone: strelitzias, golden cane palms, frangipani and most cordylines cope, especially against a warm wall or by a pool. In Melbourne, Canberra and the frosty inland, treat the true tropicals as pot plants that summer outside and winter under cover, or grow the indoor half of this range as houseplants. Our tropical climate collection filters the range to the plants happiest in the far north. Planting and spacing for the lush effect Tropical beds are planted tighter than ordinary borders because overlap is the point. Space giant bird of paradise 2m apart for a screen, golden cane palms 1.5m, heliconias 1.5m, and elephants ear and xanadu 1m for solid understorey cover. Shelter matters as much as spacing: the big paddle leaves shred in wind, so plant them behind a fence, wall or windbreak. Give everything deep, rich soil with compost dug through, and shade the understorey plants from harsh afternoon sun. Water, feeding and the winter question These plants grow hard in the warm months and want steady moisture and food to do it: mulch deeply, water thoroughly in dry spells, and feed monthly with a liquid or twice a season with controlled release fertiliser from spring to early autumn. Then ease off. Cold wet soil in winter does more damage than cold air, so let pots dry further between drinks and hold the feed until spring. Poolside planting deserves its own thought, and our tropical poolside plant guide covers the tidy, non invasive choices. Common questions Can I grow tropical plants in Melbourne? Outdoors, only the hardiest few in sheltered warm microclimates. The reliable route is pots that move under cover before frost, or the indoor tropicals: monstera, philodendrons, peace lilies and kentia palms all thrive inside a Melbourne living room. Which tropical plants work around a pool? Foxtail palms, giant bird of paradise, xanadu, cordylines and evergreen frangipani are the standards. Palms are particularly good value here because their fibrous roots will not lift paving. Are tropical plants safe for pets? Assume not unless the product page carries our Pet Friendly flag. Alocasias, philodendrons and monstera all contain irritant calcium oxalate, while golden cane and kentia palms are flagged pet friendly and make the safer choices for a garden with animals. How fast will a tropical garden fill in? Faster than any other style in a warm climate. Planted in spring at the spacings above, heliconias, elephants ear and strelitzias give a full layered look by the second summer, with palms adding height each year after.

Trough Planters

Troughs turn a bare balcony rail or a strip of paving into a planted edge, and this range covers every version of the job: self watering balcony troughs from about $57, terrazzo and timber planters for decks, and large GRC divider troughs that work as freestanding green walls. Many sizes have matching cubes and squares, so you can run a continuous line. Measure the internal length first, then choose the material by weight and weather. How to choose a trough planter Start with length, then weight. Balcony troughs of 500mm to 610mm, including the Roman and Oslo self watering models, sit on rails and narrow ledges and stay light enough to lift planted. Mid sized troughs from 450mm to about a metre, in terrazzo, timber or lightweight concrete, suit decks, entries and garden edges. At the top of the range, the GRC divider troughs are deep freestanding planters designed to carry a full row of screening plants: they replace a fence panel rather than decorate one. Self watering troughs earn their keep on balconies and in rentals. The reservoir in the base cuts watering to once or twice a week through summer, which is the difference between a lush window box and a crisped one after a long weekend away. Where troughs work Three jobs come up again and again. The first is the balcony screen: a run of troughs planted with something upright gives privacy without drilling a single hole. The second is edging, where a repeated 450mm to 700mm trough marks the boundary of a deck or path far more cleanly than scattered round pots. The third is the hedge in a box, a divider trough planted up as a movable green wall between outdoor living zones. Material matters more outdoors than in. Fibreglass, terrazzo composite and GRC shrug off coastal salt and frost, so they suit exposed positions in every state. Timber crates weather to a soft grey within a year or two. In hot inland and northern gardens, avoid dark troughs in full western sun, because a black planter can cook the root zone on a 40 degree afternoon; lighter colours or a morning sun position solve it. Soil volume, drainage and weight A 600mm x 200mm trough takes roughly 20 litres of potting mix, a metre long trough closer to 50, and a large divider trough well over 100, so buy mix by the job rather than the bag. Every outdoor trough needs open drainage holes, and on decks and tiles it needs feet or risers underneath so water can actually escape. Fill troughs in their final position: even a lightweight trough becomes a two person lift once it holds wet soil. For anything larger, a trolley or riser from the saucers, stands and pot accessories range saves your back and your tiles. Common questions How many plants fit in a trough? Space small hedging and border plants 15cm to 20cm apart, so a 600mm trough takes three to four and a metre long trough five to six. For a single feature plant, choose a trough whose opening is at least 5cm wider than the nursery pot. Do troughs need saucers? Outdoors, no: feet or risers are better because they let the base drain and dry. Indoors or on a sealed balcony, yes, and the saucer should run the full length of the base so overflow cannot sneak past the ends. Which troughs match other pots in the range? The terrazzo troughs share their finish with the terrazzo pot range, and the GRC and StoneLite troughs pair with the cube and square planters, so a matched run of shapes is easy to build. How does delivery work? Every trough here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order.

Tubestock

Tubestock is the cheapest way to plant in quantity: young plants raised in small tubes and sold at a fraction of the price of advanced stock. Over 1,100 plants sit in this collection, spanning natives, hedging, groundcovers and trees. The trade-off is time, usually about a year against a 200mm pot. The payoff is scale, a whole hedge or garden bed for the cost of a few potted plants. Filter by mature height, climate and use, then order the numbers the job needs. Why buy tubestock instead of potted plants A tube holds a young, well rooted plant with a season or two of growth behind it. For a single feature tree the saving hardly matters, but for a 20m hedge, a bank of groundcover or a whole new garden it decides whether you plant the lot this year or in stages. The honest trade-off is time. Tubestock typically runs about a year behind 200mm stock, though young plants suffer less transplant shock and close the gap faster than most people expect. How to shortlist over 1,100 plants Treat the sidebar filters as your shortlisting tool. Start with mature height, because a plant that outgrows its spot is the mistake that costs most to fix later. Set your climate zone next; most of the range suits warm temperate and subtropical gardens, and the frost hardy filter matters for inland and southern sites. Then filter by use. Screening favourites like Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' lead the bestsellers, with groundcovers for mass planting and Australian native plants close behind. Spacing and how many to order Spacing follows the plant's mature size, not the size of the tube, so set tubes out at the same centres as potted stock. Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' (Syzygium australe) goes in at 1m apart for a dense screen and reaches about 5m if left untrimmed. No Mow Grass (Zoysia tenuifolia) knits into a soft lawn alternative at 30cm centres, native violet (Viola hederacea) covers moist shade planted 300mm apart, and Japanese Box builds a formal border at 30cm to 40cm. Divide the run or the bed by the spacing and order that number. Planting tighter buys root competition, not a faster result. Getting young plants established Small plants forgive almost everything except a dry first month. Dig each hole twice as wide as the tube and no deeper, water in heavily, then mulch 75mm deep with the mulch kept clear of the stems. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer rather than a light sprinkle every day, and feed with a controlled release fertiliser in early spring. Our guide to establishing new garden plants walks through the first season step by step. Common questions How long does tubestock take to catch up? Fast growers such as lilly pillies and most hedging and screening plants sit about a year behind 200mm stock, and by the third season the difference is hard to pick. Slow growers like box hold the gap longer, so buy those in larger sizes if the timeline matters. Are small plants harder to keep alive? Not harder, just less forgiving early on. A tube's small root ball dries out faster than a potted plant's, so the first four to six weeks of regular water decide the result. After that, establishment is quick. How many groundcovers per square metre? At 30cm centres you need about ten plants per square metre, and native violet at 300mm spacing works out the same. For spreading shrubs, one plant per square metre is usually plenty. Waiting for coverage always costs less than overplanting. Is there a minimum order? No. There is no minimum order, so a handful of tubes travels as easily as a bulk planting. Everything here is delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Urns & Jars

An urn or jar is the one pot that works unplanted, which makes this the collection for focal points rather than everyday planting. The range runs from 30cm table scale jars to Atlantis pieces close to 1.5m tall, in glazed ceramic, aged stone finishes, lightweight GRC and carved Thai limestone. Some are best planted, some are best left empty at the end of a path or beside a door. The guide below will help you judge scale, placement and drainage before you choose. Choosing urns and jars: scale first, style second Most people buy focal pots one size too small, because a jar that looks enormous in a showroom shrinks the moment it stands in open garden. Measure the viewing distance before you order. A piece seen from the house across a lawn needs to be 80cm tall or better to register, which is where the Premium Glaze Adobe Jar (86cm), the Apollo Jar (85cm) and the Palace Jar at a full metre earn their price. Beside a door or on a terrace, 50cm to 70cm reads well: the Atlantis Temple Jar and the Egyptian and Samos pots sit in this band. On an outdoor table or a plinth, the 30cm to 40cm Well Jar, Mentor and Dipping Jar are enough. For a genuinely commanding piece, the Sentry Pot stands 149cm tall. Planted, empty or water Look at the opening before you plan the planting. A jar with a belly wider than its neck should never be planted directly, because the day the plant needs repotting, the root ball will not come back out. Leave narrow necked jars empty as sculpture, or drop in a nursery pot of trailing rosemary or dichondra that can be lifted freely. Wide mouthed urns and jars plant normally, and the classic treatment for a footed urn, such as the GRC and StoneLite classic urns with matching pedestals, is one clipped ball or a single season of trailing colour. Water jars suit still water and a couple of floating plants; there are true water bowls in our bowl planters collection as well. Materials and weathering The Premium Glaze pieces are high fired glazed ceramic, so the colour is permanent and the surface wipes clean. Atlantis and Old Stone finishes are mineral coatings designed to age; they soften and gain character outdoors, which is the point. Thai limestone is carved stone, immensely heavy and effectively permanent. GRC and StoneLite are moulded composites at a fraction of the weight of cast concrete, which makes an urn and pedestal a two person job rather than a crane job, and they are the sensible choice for balconies and rooftops. Everything here weathers; place a jar where rain can rinse it and it will look after itself. Common questions Can I plant straight into a jar with a narrow opening? Avoid it. Plant into a plastic nursery pot that fits through the neck and rest it inside, or keep the jar empty. You keep the silhouette and you can lift the plant out any time. Will glazed jars survive frost? High fired glazed ceramic handles Australian frosts well. The main risk is water sitting inside an empty jar through a freeze, so tip them out before winter in cold districts or stand them where rain drains away. Do urns and jars have drainage holes? It varies by piece and is noted on each product page. Water jars are sealed by design; most plantable urns drain. If you plant a sealed piece, use it as a cache pot with a nursery pot inside. How are the big pieces delivered? Everything 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. For more everyday sizes in the same finishes, browse the large pots collection.

Variegated

Variegated plants carry cream, silver or gold markings on every leaf, so one well placed specimen lifts a bed of plain green. This collection holds our full variegated range: climbers like jasmine and creeping fig, hedging shrubs, camellias, gingers, flax lilies and a few advanced feature trees. Most keep their colour best in morning sun or bright dappled light. Prices run from small tubes to landscape sized specimens, all delivered Australia wide. How to choose a variegated plant Start with the job, then pick the pattern. For hedges and borders with built in contrast, look to Gardenia 'Swirl', Variegated Weigela or the silver edged Smokie Coastal Rosemary. To cover a fence or wall, Variegated Jasmine, Ice Caps Creeping Fig, Variegated Ivy and the pink flowering Pandorea jasminoides all climb or scramble willingly. For strappy texture through a border, Variegated Flax Lily and Variegated Society Garlic hold their stripes year round, while Variegated Shell Ginger and Baptist's Pandanus bring a lusher tropical look. If you want a single statement, there are advanced specimens here too, from the Variegated New Zealand Christmas Tree to a full sized Variegated Elm. Where variegated foliage works in Australian gardens Cream and white markings read brightest against shade, which makes these plants the natural fix for dull south facing beds and the ground beneath established trees. In tropical and subtropical gardens, Variegated Shell Ginger and Baptist's Pandanus give colour every month of the year. In cooler southern gardens, Variegated Weigela, the camellia 'Emperor of Russia' and Variegated Elm are reliably frost hardy. On coastal and dry inland sites, Variegated Agave, Variegated Oleander and Smokie Coastal Rosemary keep their markings on very little water. Many of these plants flower well on top of the foliage show: the gardenias here sit within our wider flowering shrubs range, with more in the gardenia collection. Planting and care: keeping the colour Position decides how good the variegation looks. Most variegated plants colour best with morning sun and shelter from harsh afternoon sun, which can scorch the pale leaf margins. Deep shade does the opposite and dulls the contrast. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, mulch 75mm deep with the mulch kept clear of stems, and feed lightly in spring. Heavy nitrogen pushes fast plain green growth at the expense of the pattern. The one job specific to this collection is watching for reversion. If an all green shoot appears, cut it back to its point of origin as soon as you see it. Green shoots carry more chlorophyll, grow faster than the variegated wood, and will take over the plant within a couple of seasons if left. Common questions Why is my variegated plant turning green? It is reverting. Some shoots mutate back to plain green, and because they photosynthesise more efficiently they quickly outgrow the rest of the plant. Prune every green shoot back to where it starts and the variegated growth stays in charge. Do variegated plants grow more slowly? Usually, yes. The pale sections of each leaf hold little chlorophyll, so expect roughly two thirds the pace of the equivalent green form. Allow for that in your spacing rather than planting tighter. Which variegated plants handle full sun? Variegated Agave, Variegated Oleander, Smokie Coastal Rosemary and Variegated Flax Lily all take open sun. Keep the shell ginger, ivy and Variegated Sensation Peace Lily in bright shade, especially north of Sydney. Spreading types like Ice Caps Creeping Fig also appear in our groundcover collection. How do these plants arrive? Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced specimens are freighted at cost, and every plant is covered by the 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Victoria

Everything on this page is grown by partner nurseries that deliver direct to Victorian addresses, so what you see is what can actually reach your door in Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and regional Victoria. The range leans into what the state does best: advanced deciduous trees such as maples, elms, oaks and ornamental pears, plus magnolias, crepe myrtles, olives, evergreen screening and instant native groundcover tiles. Larger trees are freighted at cost, and the buying guide below covers climate and planting timing. How this collection works Nursery Near Me ships to every state and territory, but big trees travel best when they start close to home. This page gathers the stock held by partner growers who run their own deliveries into Victoria, including a specialist advanced tree nursery and the growers behind our instant groundcover tiles. That is why the range looks different from the national catalogue: it is heavy on mature deciduous trees, olives, magnolias and screening plants, the categories Victorian gardens ask for most. Delivery starts from $29.95, advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and there is no minimum order. What grows well in Victoria Victoria is the most reliably four seasoned state on the mainland, and the plant palette should use that rather than fight it. Cold winters and real autumns are exactly what deciduous trees want, which is why Japanese maples, claret ash, ornamental pears, elms, oaks and birches perform better in Melbourne, the Dandenongs, Ballarat and Gippsland than almost anywhere else in the country. Crepe myrtles earn their keep twice here, flowering through summer then colouring in autumn. In the drier north and west, olives, bay trees and pencil pines handle hot summers and lean soil, and frost hardy natives such as coast banksia, callistemons and grass trees hold their own across most of the state. The main caution runs the other way: tropical growers and frost tender palms struggle outside the warmest coastal pockets. If a plant's page lists it as frost tender, treat Melbourne as its southern limit and give it a sheltered north facing spot, or grow it in a pot you can move. Advanced trees and planting timing Much of this collection is advanced and ex ground stock, trees with years of growth already on them. For Victorian buyers the timing works in your favour: winter is the ideal window to plant deciduous trees while they are dormant, so an advanced maple or ornamental pear planted in June is settled before the spring flush. Evergreens such as magnolias, olives and lilly pillies prefer the soil warmth of autumn or spring. Freight on large trees is quoted at cost, with common tiers around $179.95 and $209.90 and specialist transport priced by the job. Planting in Victorian conditions Heavier clay soils are common across Melbourne and the western districts, so dig the hole twice as wide as the rootball but no deeper, and plant slightly proud in wet sites rather than sinking the tree. Work gypsum into clay backfill, water in with 20 litres, then mulch 75mm deep keeping mulch off the trunk. Stake advanced trees with two stakes and soft ties for the first year, and water deeply twice a week through the first summer, tapering once the tree is holding its own. Frost rarely bothers anything in this range, but avoid planting evergreens into frozen ground in July in the coldest districts; wait for the soil to wake up in early spring. Common questions Do you deliver to Melbourne and regional Victoria? Yes. Everything on this page is grown by partners who deliver throughout Victoria, from metropolitan Melbourne to regional centres. Standard delivery starts at $29.95 and larger trees are freighted at cost, quoted before anything is booked. What is the best street or driveway tree for Victoria? Ornamental pears and crepe myrtles are the proven performers: upright, tolerant of frost and heat, and sized for suburban blocks. For a bigger avenue, look at the elms and olives in this range, both long lived in Victorian conditions. Which screening plants handle Victorian frost? Leighton Green cypress, Spartan juniper, Portuguese laurel, English box and photinia all shrug off hard frost. Lilly pillies such as 'Resilience' and 'Backyard Bliss' suit Melbourne and the milder coast; in the coldest inland towns, stay with the conifers and laurels. What are the groundcover tiles? They are pre grown mats of spreading natives such as native violet, kidney weed and pratia, delivered ready to lay for instant cover. See the full plant tiles range for varieties and sizing. When should I plant an advanced tree? Deciduous trees in winter while dormant, evergreens in autumn or spring. Every tree carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee, and planting instructions ship with the order.

Western Australia

Gardening in Western Australia asks particular questions of a plant: a long dry summer, winter rain, sand that drains almost too fast, and salt wind along the coast. This collection gathers over 1,900 trees and plants chosen with those conditions in mind, from WA natives like weeping peppermint and grafted flowering gums to olives, cypress and crepe myrtles that treat a Perth summer as home ground. Sort by mature height and drought tolerance to shortlist for your site. Choosing plants for Western Australian conditions Water is the first filter. Most of this range is drought tolerant once established, which matters in Perth, where watering rosters limit sprinkler days and sandy soil holds little in reserve. Check mature height and width honestly too, since the fast growers here are mostly trees in the 4m to 8m class. Mediterranean exotics and WA natives both earn their place: olives, bay and Italian cypress evolved for the same dry summer pattern, while weeping peppermint and the grafted flowering gums were shaped by it here. One state, several climates Perth and the coastal plain run hot dry summers and mild wet winters over deep sand, conditions that suit olive trees, Italian cypress, dragon trees and most Australian natives. The South West around Margaret River and Albany is cooler and wetter, and rewards deciduous trees like ornamental pears and crepe myrtles that colour well in autumn. Inland, the Wheatbelt and Goldfields add frosty nights to dry heat, so lean on the frost hardy filter. In the tropical north, wet season humidity favours melaleucas, poincianas and jacarandas. Screening and shade with real numbers For a boundary screen, Straight and Narrow Lilly Pilly (Syzygium australe) holds about 1m wide at up to 5m tall planted 60cm to 80cm apart; give it reliable summer water on sand. West Australian weeping peppermint (Agonis flexuosa) makes an 8m shade tree or a softer screen at 3m spacing and shrugs off salt wind. Kalamata olives (Olea europaea) planted 3m apart form an informal grove or windbreak and can be held at 3m to 4m with an annual prune, and Mediterranean cypress lines a formal drive at 1.5m centres. Jacarandas remain a Perth favourite; just keep their surface roots well away from paving and pools. Planting into sand and getting through summer Perth sand is famously water repellent. Dig compost and a little bentonite clay through the planting area, apply a soil wetting agent, and plant in autumn or early winter so roots establish on winter rain before facing their first dry season. Water new plantings deeply twice a week through the first summer, mulch 75mm deep with the mulch kept off the trunks, and feed natives with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring. Our waterwise garden guide covers plant choices and watering habits in more detail. Common questions What grows best in Perth's sandy soil? Plants bred by dry summers: olives, Italian cypress, dragon trees and the West Australian weeping peppermint all thrive once established. Improve the sand with compost and a wetting agent at planting and almost everything here performs better. When is the best time to plant in Western Australia? Autumn through early winter across the southern half of the state, so roots settle in while the soil is moist and the heat is off. In the tropical north, the early wet season gives young plants the easiest start. Summer planting works only if you can water deeply twice a week without missing. Which of these trees handle inland frost? Kalamata olive, Mediterranean cypress and the Natchez crepe myrtle are all frost hardy once established. Lilly pillies and jacarandas tolerate light frost only, so in the Wheatbelt give them a warm sheltered spot or choose something tougher. Do you deliver to Western Australia? Yes. We ship to every state and territory, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

White Pots

White is the easiest pot colour to use. It lifts dark foliage, keeps courtyards feeling light, and reads as crisp against timber, brick and render alike. This collection brings together every white and antique white planter in the range: glazed ceramics for indoors, terrazzo and stone finishes for outdoors, self watering designs for balconies, and sizes from a small cache pot to statement bowls and cylinders. The guide below covers materials, sizing and keeping white looking white. Bright white or antique white There are two whites in this collection and they set different moods. The crisp whites, including the Harper bowls and cylinders, the white Terrazzo pieces and the glazed ceramics, read modern and architectural, and they hold their edge against dark walls and lush green planting. The antique whites, such as the Riley egg and bullet pots and the Cafestyle egg, carry a softly aged surface that suits Mediterranean, Hamptons and heritage settings, and they only improve as they weather. Decide which white matches the fixed materials around it, then buy every pot in that space from the same family; repetition is what makes grouped pots look deliberate. Materials, from glazed ceramic to composite stone The glazed ceramics and patterned pots, including the Dotty, Vibes and Panna designs, are happiest indoors or under cover, where their finish stays showroom clean. Terrazzo carries white with a fine stone speckle and enough weight to anchor a windy corner. The Harper and Gavin ranges bring coordinated bowls, drums, troughs and cylinders so one finish can run through a whole courtyard, with the White Harper Bowl the pick for a wide, low statement. For balconies, the Milano, Armour and Greenville self watering planters hold a water reservoir in the base, cutting summer watering to a top up once or twice a week. Getting the size right Indoors, use the cache pot method: leave the plant in its plastic nursery pot and choose a white pot 20mm to 50mm wider, so watering happens at the sink and the pot stays spotless. Outdoors, repot into a container 50mm to 100mm wider than the current root ball, always with drainage holes and a free draining mix. Egg and belly shapes narrow at the mouth, so plan the planting before the roots fill out; there are more of these silhouettes in the egg and round pots collection. Keeping white looking white White shows soil splash and water marks sooner than dark colours, but it also cleans faster. Raise outdoor pots on feet, keep mulch over the mix to stop rain bouncing dirt onto the sides, and wipe glazed surfaces or hose matte ones with a soft brush once a season. White also earns its keep in hot positions: a pale pot reflects sun rather than absorbing it, so roots stay cooler in exposed spots than they would in the equivalent from our black and charcoal pots collection. Common questions Will white pots look dirty quickly? Outdoors they need an occasional rinse, and that is the honest answer. Choose antique white for high splash areas, since its aged finish absorbs wear gracefully, and keep bright glazed white for under cover and indoors. Are white pots better in full sun? Yes. Reflected heat keeps the root zone cooler in summer, which matters for west facing balconies and courtyards. It is the practical reason, beyond looks, to favour pale pots in Australia's hotter regions. Can these pots go indoors and out? The terrazzo, Harper, Gavin and antique white pieces are at home in both. The fine glazed ceramics are best indoors, and each listing notes what the pot is made for. The indoor pots collection gathers the inside only pieces in one place. How does delivery work? Every pot is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost.