If we’re honest, there is a teeniest bit of greed underlying our love of the hydrangea. Think about it. It’s like we don’t just get one flower when we cut a hydrangea blossom to take indoors, we get a whole bunch of little florets held together in a ready-made bouquet. It’s the best of both […]
Let’s talk about colour bias in the garden. Go for a walk, take a good look around and what soon becomes obvious is that most of us like our flowers to be colourful and our foliage to be green. Which begs the question: are we missing out? What follows is a short hit list of […]
Sunlight plays a big part in how a garden feels. Too little means it’s dark and gloomy: too much and you and your plants end up being scorched and exposed. How the sun rises and sets also has an impact. Even how light shines on or through what we plant. The power of sunlight in […]
Here’s something we’ve all done – been impulsive and brought a plant home from the garden centre. It was sitting there looking very special and before you know it, you’ve decided to treat yourself. Home it comes… to brighten your day, or week or, if you’ve hit the jackpot, you have years of loveliness to […]
Picking a shrub to plant is a little bit like choosing a tree – it’s something that’s going to be in your life for many years. Which is why you might want to do a little background research before you start shopping to make sure it’s going to be a happy decision. Common sense says… […]
If you’ve ever grown a modern rose, you’ve probably wondered why some people are still nervous about growing roses? We’re talking about that whiff of fear that still lingers, inherited from a past time when there were rose specimens so fussy and delicate that they could make a stately home’s head gardener weep. Happily since […]
If you’ve seen a magical Jury Magnolia in bloom it’s a safe bet you’ve fallen in love and are making plans to plant one yourself. Which you’ll be pleased to know is also a smart decision because these are expertly bred, bullet-proof performers. Think high pedigree combined with the gorgeous looks of a supermodel. Also, […]
It doesn’t matter where you live, if you’re deciding what to plant based on weather forecasting you may as well buy monthly lottery tickets and expect them to pay the rent. Not that we’re taking a swipe at meteorologists. Even with their insights things are usually a bit up in the air. While one coast […]
Why do we go out into the garden when we’re stressed? Pandemic, financial security, work deadlines are just three jolly topics that might send us outdoors. But then when we are out in the garden we’re faced with unpredictable Mother Nature. Seeking respite where we don’t have control doesn’t make sense…until you scratch the surface […]
Who gives much thought to where a particular plant comes from, its history? It’s sitting there at the garden centre with a handy pot label telling us all we need to know about how much sun and water it likes. What’s never on the label is the plant’s back-story – where its ancestors grew. Were […]
Music and perfume pack the most powerful punches when it comes to emotional hooks. Remember dancing under the stars on a jasmine-scented evening? If you hear that song and catch the same perfume on the breeze, you’re transported straight back in time. Rather than wait for chance, it’s easy to create your own happy-scented-memory bubble […]
Ever wondered why roses have always had such a big fan club? Or why the rose is cast as the hero flower in so many fairy tales? And why private and public gardens are created to be filled with just roses? (Not to be rude but have you ever heard of a daisy garden?) Yes, […]
How does a random plant – like the hydrangea – suddenly leap out of last century to become the It plant? (If you don’t believe us, visit Pinterest.) Yup – Hydrangeas have definitely moved on from being a granny-garden relic to being über popular and here are 4 reasons to plant hydrangeas… 1. Hydrangeas look […]
How to quickly transform your garden… just add some strappy plants. It’s the simplest way to take dull, outdated plantings and lift them into being described as edgy and lovely. It doesn’t really matter which strappy plants you decide to add to your existing garden, but picking something easy-to-grow and good-looking makes a lot of […]
Fashion flip flops – we all know that – and gardens go through the same cycles. Go to a garden show and you’ll see that last year’s geometric pavers have been overshadowed by this year’s natural gravel and stepping stones. Planting schemes shift in the same way: wild and blowsy to tight and clipped; cool […]
Ever wondered why sometimes something you’ve planted ends up looking really good? And it’s not just you that thinks that: other people are pointing at it saying, “That looks fantastic”. The reason is really simple – it’s not just about the flowers; the foliage is working just as hard. It’s just like a good flower […]
Are we so shallow to think a plant must have flowers? And that a foliage plant is just a work-horse in the garden? Hopefully not – because we’d be missing out. Bred in Europe, the Pacific™ Coprosmas are certainly as dependable and solid as a work horse. Plant them pretty much anywhere and they will […]
We humans are smart enough to avoid reinventing the wheel. So when we find a great restaurant, doctor or garden rose, we tend to head back to the same source when we’re looking for another delicious night out, some good health care or lovely, bullet-proof roses. Which is why it’s worth sharing this bit of […]
If you lived way down south…. really south as in the southern hemisphere, as in the southern states of Australia, you’d be enjoying some cold crisp spring weather right now. And with it you’d be blown away by all the glorious Magnolia trees in bloom. No exaggeration, they are everywhere. It’s almost as though someone […]
Ever wandered into a tucked-away part of a garden, somewhere a bit less tended, where the child in you whispers, ‘this is where the fairies live’? Or have you ever wondered what was missing from your lovely manicured landscape? The answer is a wilder pocket of garden. And that’s because these spaces push different buttons […]
Let’s focus for a second on the small hedge. Why? Because it’s a landscaping super-tool that everyone needs to know about. But first, a definition: a hedge is a row of the same plants that are deliberately grown together to form a continuous living barrier. Most people notice big hedges because they are tall and […]
Question: Since 2016, what daphne is the best one to plant? (Hint: think royalty…) The answer is the Daphne Perfume Princess™ which was released that year. And proof that she reigns supreme comes from the fact that she’s now been around long enough to prove that every compliment paid to Her Highness is based on […]
Plants don’t have legs, so how do they get from A to B? And why? In other words, how has something like phlox, which grew wild originally in the United States, ended up living a cosmopolitan life almost everywhere around the globe? The answer comes down to us plant lovers, the people who look for […]
Here’s a fact: a single long-stemmed red rose is a romantic gesture, but if you’re planning to declare life-long love, find a garden seat nestled beneath glorious sprays of roses. Yup – sprays of roses take romance to a totally different level. Roses that produce many blooms on each branching stem are glorious, lovely and […]
Hooray! We’ve turned the cold-weather corner! We’re standing in the spring sunshine! Can you feel your heart skip a beat – in a good way? Yup – it’s that time of year when the garden magic happens, and here are 3 flowers for your spring garden… 1. The magician’s bouquet: first, walk into your nearest […]
Here’s something you might not know about strappy plants – they’re a brilliant fix when you find yourself faced with a gardening disaster. Take these 3 reasons to use strappy plants. We’ve all been here: this is how strappy foliage can dig us out of the hole (pun intended)… 1. Inserting some style: at some […]
Love gardening? You probably have a garden full of treasures, all screaming to be noticed and appreciated. Which is fine until you realise that every time you walk outside you feel like there’s way too much going on. It’s visually exhausting; there’s nothing to focus on; there’s no hierarchy like we see in Nature. Making […]
Finding something special to plant in a garden’s dark & shady spot is tough. The usual list of candidates – ivy, hostas, ferns and palms – are OK, but sometimes (ho hum) that’s not enough. Here are some plants for shaded areas in your garden… 1. Graphic relief: one of the tricks to dealing with […]
When did bushes & shrubs step out of the spotlight? Remember when they were part of the holy trinity of garden plant types – trees, bushes, lawn? The point is, the bushy plant well-deserves its place. Here are some great reasons to plant bushes & shrubs and how to use them cleverly… 1. Bushes buffer […]
Strange as this sounds, one of the reasons why Flower Carpet® roses have become every-gardener’s-best-friend comes down to the leaves, so sometimes we need to just stop and appreciate the foliage. That’s right – not the flowers but the foliage. Let’s be clear: no-one is saying that the flowers aren’t the main reason that the […]
How often do you find yourself bent double or crouched down in the garden just to see a flower up close? It’s not surprising given a lot of the plants that make a garden lovely live below our knees. Pansies. Daffodils. Zinnias. Gardenias. We all have our favourites, and we can’t hold their short stature […]
Meet your end-of-summer garden project: a four-step guide on how to plant a flowering hedge. So, why plant a hedge? And why plant one that has flowers? The answer is obvious: all gardens need some hedge-screening; and a screen of lovely flowers beats a wall of green leaves any day. 1. Hedge power: Hedges have […]
There’s a simple secret behind the great gardens – they hook us in via our senses. If you think your garden is a bit ho hum, here are 3 essentials for garden design that will transform your garden into a joyful space full of fragrance, movement and colour. 1. Perfume: Even blindfolded, you should be […]
If walking into a garden centre overwhelms you, this is what’s going on and here’s how to sort it, with a few garden centre tips. To start with, there are a lot of plants to choose from. Then it’s about the fact that plants are living things and no-one wants a fail (aka dead plants). […]
Do you ever dream of having a garden, like our grandparents, that’s filled with flowers and perfume? The surprise is that creating the perfect garden that looks and smells like the real thing is as easy as one, two, three… 1. Start small: don’t tackle the whole forty acres but pick the areas where you’re […]
The only downside to cut flowers is the certainly that a week or so after you popped them into the vase, you’ll be throwing them out. So whether you fork out the cash or cut flowers from your own garden, the incentive is the same – having fresher flowers and making them last longer. Here’s […]
Bold coloured foliage in a garden can be tricky to get right. But you’ll get wow results using these three little bold foliage tips to pack a punch. Be warned: if you’re a fan of pastel hues and safe mid-greens, what follows may surprise you… 1. Shake it up but keep it linear: in other […]
Celebrity status comes with a sting. The greater your celebrity crush, the higher the pedestal you’ve built and the more unattainable the subject of your fandom becomes. This happens to gardeners who are rose fans. Being the celebrity flower since ancient times, the rose is the mega-star in the garden. Everyone knows who the rose […]
Has this ever happened to you? You’re walking through your plant nursery or garden centre and your eyes lock on to a fabulous plant. In that moment you know you have to have one. You’re stopped dead in your tracks, admiring the foliage of something like Canna Tropicanna® and at the same time another part […]
Gardens that look beautiful are certainly lovely to enjoy, but sweetly scented gardens take our enjoyment to a whole new level. Whether your outdoor space is simply a small deck, or a full sized garden and yard, here are some simple tips to design a fragrant garden. 1: Think big. Flowering trees, simply because of […]
We all like alstroemerias (aka Peruvian lilies). Alstroemerias are a florist’s favourite because they are lovely and last forever in a vase. They’re also low maintenance and look good in the garden. So here’s a guide to grow alstroemerias… 1.They’re idiot proof: anyone can grow them. Alstroemerias like soil that’s not boggy and not bone […]
Here are 3 reasons to plant coprosmas and why the Pacific™ Coprosmas in particular deserve a spot in the garden: 1. Best cold colour: when summer is long gone and the days get steadily colder, it’s time for Pacific™ Coprosmas to shine. There’s a bit of science behind why this happens: as the temperature drops, […]
You love roses. You’d love to grow your own roses, but you’ve heard roses can be tricky. Here’s some rose tips, so you can learn how to care for your roses, starting with tip number one… 1. The right spot: it’s a basic move and it makes sense. Roses prefer a sunny spot so put […]
It’s a lucky gardener who gets to plant a tree. It’s also a biggish life decision – most trees live for decades – so no-one wants to make a mess of it. Here’s 3 steps to choose the right tree for your garden… 1: How big? A Great Dane puppy will outgrow a studio apartment […]
Magnolias make our hearts race. They’re luscious, scented and dewy. Those lovely blooms in the canopy of a large tree are great for parks, but what about home gardeners working with smaller spaces? We need lovely magnolias that fit into our lives. Lucky for us, the Fairy Magnolia® series of magnolias exists to grant our […]
A variety of factors, including water restrictions and an uncertain economy, are making people more conscious of their water use and water bills. Then there are our increasingly complicated lifestyles, which make treating for pests and diseases or replacing dead plants an unmanageable time drain. Add to that the growing desire to do our small […]
Garden experts list weatherproof plants that save time, money As you’re planning and planting your garden this year, you’ll want plants that can stand up to weather extremes. With record breaking heat waves and ongoing destruction from droughts and flooding, it looks like extreme weather conditions may be here to stay, at least in many […]
Let’s be honest… it’s easy to see why we love Daphne Perfume Princess. She’s a gorgeous, heady-scented Daphne and there is absolutely no way anyone could describe her as fine-framed or fussy. If you see a Daphne Perfume Princess™ growing alongside a traditional daphne you will be shocked: she looks like a buff supermodel sitting […]
As the popularity of outdoor leisure spaces explodes, designers are stressing the need for large container gardens. Not only do bigger pieces better match the scale of surrounding trees and architecture, experts explain – they soften the harsh lines and defined spaces of hardscaping. So here are 3 steps to designing a container garden: STEP […]
How do you find the right plant for those less-than hospitable places in your yard or landscape? Here are a few such spots and the perfect plants for them, with 6 landscape solutions. LOCATION: Driveway and/or side of road. SOLUTION 1: Next Generation Flower Carpet® roses for continuous, season-long blooms, road salt tolerance and outstanding cold, […]
Low-maintenance landscape ideas mean less work and more play! The desire for low-maintenance landscapes just keeps growing while at the same time, our love for outdoor amenities like fire pits, grills, dining areas and seating shows no signs of slowing. So combining the two should mean less work and more play, right? California landscaper and […]
Question: if you had to choose between a great-looking plant that was complicated to grow, or an equally great-looking plant that was dead easy to deal with, which would you choose? Be honest: you’d pick the unfussy plant. In fact, growing pretty plants that are easy is one of the best ways to be a […]
Have you ever bought something only to realise later at home that it’s a bit ordinary? It happens to us all the time simply because retailers do a great job making everything look fantastic and ‘must-have’. The same rule applies to plants: it’s too easy to grab a pretty little thing from the garden centre […]
At last! Stripes are in – and that’s everywhere you look, from the catwalk to wallpaper, to the garden centre. Which is brilliant news, because stripes are fun. Stripes are easy to work with and get right. And stripes look terrific. So let’s cut to the chase and talk about how to go about designing […]
Are you ready for what’s coming next in garden trends? The Big. The Bold. Textured via Leaf. It started indoors – remember when all those New York lofts filled with monsteras and elephant ears? Now it has spilled outdoors into the landscape where it’s looking even better. Here are some suggestions of the big and […]
Around the world, many people are staying very close to home. Which means they’re making their own fun right where they live. And a lot of that has been garden-related: from planting vegetable gardens to tending tiny bonsai trees. If you haven’t yet jumped on the green wave, here are 4 ways to start gardening… […]
These are unsettling, confronting, coronavirus times. Apart from the uncertainty and anxiety, it’s a time when some of us are being run off our feet. Others are doing their bit by staying close to home doing less than usual. And this can mess with our heads. Which is why it makes sense to remember a […]
What follows is NOT a doomsday-weather, climate-change rant. Here instead are some tips on how to garden through extreme weather. And it’s somehow reassuring to understand that there’s nothing radical here. It’s all common sense, tricks used by gardeners for as long as anyone can remember. Take a look and you’ll see it’s not a […]
Why is it that warm climate gardens look so good when they’re filled with hot & bright coloured plants? Is it the bluer sky? Do brighter hues look best growing beneath a hot sun? Whatever’s going on, these riot-of-colour gardens in warm places (think southern California, Tuscany, Sydney) make us feel happy. If you live […]
Walking around the latest garden trade shows in Europe, it doesn’t take long to spot that something BIG is going on in the way of new garden trends. The format isn’t new, but how it’s being interpreted is completely pushing the boundaries… We’re still seeing hedging plants – because they are still the best way […]
Here’s a brutal truth. Many home gardens look a bit ho hum. And it’s got nothing to do with the amount of love their owners give them. Nope. Most of the time it’s because they lack one vital thing – a garden framework. But surely planting armloads of plants and tending them with care is […]
If your gorgeous flower filled garden doesn’t thrill you any more, it could be time for a stock-take… You’ve got bullies: this can be hard to spot, but a balanced mix of plants can go from looking astonishingly lovely, to dull, just because some of the plants in the mix don’t know how to hold […]
Here’s a trend that makes complete sense – building forever gardens, ie. gardens that are long-lasting. Landscapes with quality features (paving, decks, fences, etc), and plantings that keep looking good, year after year. Why? Because a garden like this costs the owner and our planet less in the long run given they’re built and planted […]