Allamanda cathartica

Bleeding heart vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae)

Brazil torch (Megaskepasma erythroclamys)

Canna

Chinese hat plant (Holmskioldia sanguinea)

Chinese lantern (Abutilon hybridum)

Coral plant (Russellia mexicano)

Crocosmia

Daylily

Emilia javanica

Firespike (Odontonema strictum)

Flanders poppy

Haemanthus (Scadoxus multiflorus)

Hippeastrum

Ixora

Jacobean lily (Sprekelia formosissima)

Justicia (Dicliptera suberecta)

Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus)

Mandevilla

Pentas

Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans)

Quisqualis

Red Bells (Ruellia graecizans)

Ruellia ‘Firebird’

Favourites: Haemanthus is a bulbous plant that every year erupts in incredible ‘great balls of fire’ like giant dandelion puffballs made up of dozens of glowing red flowers; the flowers come before the leaves. Be warned, don’t panic! This plant collapses when cold weather comes. Keep the bulbs dry in the pot until spring.

‘Love-lies-bleeding’ with its long, long, drooping plush-like flowers in various shades of crimson is a very interesting plant. Mandevilla ‘Crimson Fantasy’ is a fast, very showy twining plant with large rosy red flowers, lovely with Mandevilla ‘White Fantasy’. Pretty red bells spread madly around.

Allamanda cathartica

Arctotis daisy

Asystasia gangetica

Bidens ‘Goldmound’

Buddleia

Bulbine frutescens

Calendula

Californian poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

Canna

Cestrum

Chinese lantern (Abutilon hybridum)

Coral plant ‘Florida Gold’ (Russellia equisetiformis)

Coreopsis

Cosmidium (Thelesperma burridgeanum)

Cosmos

Crocosmia

Crossandra pungens

Emilia javanica

Euryops daisy

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis)

French marigold (tagetes sp)

Gaillardia

Golden candles (Pachystachys lutea)

Golden chamomile

Golden dollar bush (Reinwardtia indica)

Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)

Golden spider lily (Lycoris africana)

Ifafa lily (Cyrtanthus mackenii)

Ixora

Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa)

Yellow justicia (Justicia aurea)

Lady’s purse (Calceolaria tomentosa)

Leopard lily (Belamcanda chinensis)

Louisiana iris

Marguerite daisy

Mexican marigold (Tagetes lemmonii)

Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia)

Mussaenda

Rudbeckia

Salvia madrensis

St. John’s wort (Hypericum calysinum)

Tansy

Toadflax (linaria)

Turnera elegans ‘Early Bird’

Wallflower (Erysimum cheiri)

Yellow pokers (Kniphofia caulescens)

Zephyranthes

Favourite: What fantastic plants the allamandas are. There is a double yellow, scented form called ‘Halley’s Comet’ that has grown around an ugly palm trunk in my garden and for many months sends down long sprays decorated with flowers. Tough as old boots, absolutely, and very decorative. Very good for a bank also.

Allamanda

Angelonia

Antignon

Arctotis daisy

Baby sunrose (Aptenia cordifolia)

Buddleia

Camellia

Cestrum

Chinese forget-me-not (cynoglossum)

Chinese foxglove (Rehmannia elata)

Chinese lantern (Abutilon hybridum)

Climbing oleander (Strophanthus gratus)

Climbing pink foxglove (Asarina erubescens)

Cosmos

Crinum lily

Curcuma lily (Curcuma australasica)

Evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa ‘Rosea’)

Flowering cypress (Tamarix gallica)

Gerbera

Incarvillea arguta

Ipomoea fistulosa

Japanese windflower (Anemone hupehensis var. japonica)

Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa)

Justicia carnea

Lapeirousia

Louisiana iris

Mandevilla

Marguerite daisy

Michaelmas daisy (aster)

Mock Erica (Physostegia virginiana)

Mussaenda

Nutmeg bush (Tetradenia riparia)

Penstemon

Pentas

Perennial phlox

Pincushion plant (scabiosa)

Pink monkey tails (Stachytarpheta mutabilis)

Pink plumbago

‘Pretty in Pink’ (Justicia brasiliana)

Primula

Rain lily

Ruellia brittoniana

Ruellia macrantha

Soapwort

Thryptomene

Favourites: Incarvilla which is a graceful, willowy plant that sends out long sprays of dainty pink penstemon-like flowers on and off, year round. Nutmeg bush is such an interesting plant. Are its feathery sprays of flowers pink, or grey, or even pale mauve? Look at it in different lights and you decide! Whatever, it is beautiful…

Arctotis daisy

Browallia

Calendula

Californian poppy

Canna ‘Bengal Tiger’

Chinese hat plant (Holmskioldia sanguinea)

Chinese lantern (Abutilon hybridum)

Clivia

Coral plant (Russellia Mexicano)

Crocosmia

Day lily

Emilia javanica

Firefly bush (Justicia rizzinii)

Gaillardia

Gerbera

Iochroma fuchiodes

Ixora

Leopard lily

Lion’s tail (Leonotis leonurus)

Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia)

Orange trumpet vine (Pyrostegia venusta)

Rondoletia odorata

Vallota lily (Cyrtanthus elatus)

Favourites: Hardy, brilliant orange lion’s tail. The amazingly bountiful Mexican sunflower, even in winter it is lovely. Crocosmia, which has arresting spikes of orange flowers. There are several yellow and bright red forms of this pretty flowering corm also.  The common form can spread a lot, the others not so much. Emilia with its little tufty top knots of bright orange, red or yellow. Very interesting.

Hint: Many of the more common forms of iris will grow well and multiply in Brisbane, but it is wise not to be tempted to buy those gorgeous looking bearded iris as they will almost certainly bloom for one year only. Louisiana iris are good for us.

Agapanthus

Angelonia

Aristea

Asystasia gangetica

Blue browallia

Blue butterfly bush (Clerodendrum ugandense)

Blue cone flower (Pycnostachys urticifolia)

Blue eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium)

Blue ginger (Dichorisandra thyrsiflora)

Campanula

Catmint (Nepeta cataria)

Cat’s whiskers (Orthosiphon aristatus)

Centrantherum

Cherry pie (Heliotropium aborescens)

Chinese forget-me-not (cynoglossum)

Chinese hat plant (Holmskioldia sanguinea)

Convolvulus

Delphinium

Eranthemum

Evergreen hydrangea (Dichroa febrifuga)

Evolvulus

Fairy fan flower (Scaevola aemula)

Giant sage (Brillantaisia subulugurica)

Gloxinia perennis

Isotoma

Kingfisher daisy (Felicia amelloides)

Larkspur

Lavender

Lavender star (Grewia occidentalis)

Little boy blue (Otacanthus caeruleus)

Lobelia

Louisiana iris

‘Love-in-a-mist’ (Nigella damascena)

Lupin

Mexican sage (Salvia leucantha)

Michaelmas daisy (aster)

Pentas

Perennial statice

Persian shield (Strobilanthes dyeriana)

Petrea

Pincushion plant (scabiosa)

Plectranthus

Plumbago ‘Royal Cape’

Ruellia brittoniana

Saritaea magnifica

Solanum wendlandii

Tweedia caerulea

Wisteria

Yesterday, today, tomorrow (Brunfelsia australis)

Favourites: Who said there are not many blue flowers! Richly scented cherry pie flowers come in several rich blues and purple. Pale blue scented flowers come on the yellow leaved form. The petrea vine especially the species P. kohautiana which is quite luscious and has very much larger flowers and leaves than the common form.

Angelonia because they are sturdy but dainty and extremely floriferous and defy the worst heat. They come with white, pink, or blue, as well as purple/white and white/purple flowers. The variety ‘Angel Mist’ is extremely good. Convolvulus makes a nice thick mat of sky blue flowers. A good ground cover plant.

The large plectranthus family have many species with pale blue to bright blue to mauvey/blue flowers.  They are all very tough. Tweedia, a sprawly plant that is a little bit difficult to grow, has small flowers of the most heavenly blue.

Hints: Sunflowers should be picked when still green and only a small number of petals are showing, then stood in about 5cms of very hot water for about 1 minute and then arranged immediately.  If there is a brown mark at the base of stems, cut it off.

If you should get some pollen from liliums on your clothes quickly take it off with sticky packaging tape. Cream of tartar, salt and lemon juice will remove the incredibly stubborn stain this pollen can make on your clothing. It is far easier to remove pollen from the tip of your nose after you have smelled them!

Twas midnight through the lattice, wreath’d

With woodbine, many a perfume breath’d

From plants that wake when others sleep,

From timid jasmine buds, that keep

Their odour to themselves all day,

But, when the sunlight dies away,

Let their delicious secret out

To every breeze that floats about.

 

Thomas Moore (1779-1852)

Allamanda ‘Siam Snow’

Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac)

Arum lily

Asystasia

Barleria albostellata

Buddleia

Cardwell lily (Proiphys amboinensis)

Cat’s whiskers (Orthosiphon aristatus)

Chandelier plant (Clerodendrum wallichii)

Cherry pie (Heliotropium aborescens)

Chinese lantern (Abutilon hybridum)

Cleome

Cosmos

Crinum Lily

Double feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)

Eucharis lily

Evening primrose

Gardenia

Ginger lily

Gordonia

Herald’s trumpet (Beaumontia grandiflora)

Ifafa lily

Japanese windflower (Anemone hupehensis var. japonica)

Jasminum polyanthum

Justicia

‘Lady of the Night’ (Brunfelsia americana)

Louisiana iris

Mandevillea

Marguerite daisy

Mexican daisy tree (Montanoa bipinnatifida)

Michaelmas daisy

Mock erica (Physostegia virginiana)

Mock gardenia (Tabernaemontana divaricata)

Moonflower (Ipomoea alba)

Night scented tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris)

November lily (Lilium longiflorum)

Osmanthus fragrans

Pavetta natalensis

Pentas

Plectranthus

Plumbago

Primula

Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota)

Shasta daisy

Snowflake bulb (Leucojum aestivum)

Snowflake bush (Euphorbia leucocephala)

Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)

Stephanotis

Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa)

White butterfly (Gaura lindheimeri)

White potato vine (Solanum jasminoides)

Whitfielda longifolia

Wintersweet (Acokanthera oblongifolia)

Wrightia ‘Arctic Snow’

Favourites: The chandelier plant, an elegant member of the large clerodendrum family. This one has particularly pretty white flowers with long, curving stamens that hang in pendulous racemes. Wrightia ‘Arctic Snow’ is a very good, long flowering shrubby plant with sparkling white starry flowers.
White cleomes are a joy in the garden, but a small item you should know – their stout stems (or rather trunks, as they tend to grow like small trees) have a few thorns…no problem, in exchange for such beauty. The eucharis lily is absolutely divine.

Achillea

Artemisia

Barleria albostellata

Buddleia crispa

Catmint

Curry plant

Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’

Euryops daisy

Golden chamomile

Lad’s love (Artemsia abrotanum)

Lambs ears (Stachys byzantina)

Lavender

Mexican sage (Salvia leucantha)

Orange justicia

Rosemary

Salvia discolor

Santolina

Shady lady (Plectranthus argentatus)

Silver cineraria

Strobilanthes glossipinnus

Favourites: Lad’s love with its tangy, interesting fragrance. Lavender and rosemary, Plectranthus argentatus ‘Shady Lady’, a particularly beautiful plectranthus that has intensely silver, velvety leaves. It makes a good ground cover. Old-fashioned Mexican sage with its long wands of purple velvety flowers, that blooms for months and Buddleia crispa, oh yes, this is a BIG favourite. This species is not a bit like most of the other varieties of buddleias and has branches of beautiful pure silver leaves of a different shape. Barleria albostellata is an unusual but interesting shrub with many white bell flowers that emerge from balloon-like heads and is another one that flowers well in a shady spot (of course, well-drained).

Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ is dainty but hardy and lives up to its name perfectly. It can cope with light shade and makes a perfectly beautiful basket with long ‘dangles’. The artemisias are very interesting plants in the garden and their silvery leaves give out curious scents when brushed on passing by. All silver plants will only flourish in well-drained soil and often do better in poor soil; most need full sun and little water.

Amaranthus viridis

Arum lily ‘Green Goddess’

Chinese hat plant (Holmskioldia sanguinea)

Evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa ‘Alba’)

Nicotiana knightii

Nicotiana langsdorfii

Shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana)

Zinnia ‘Envy’

Favourites: The beautiful arum lily ‘Green Goddess’ is a good plant to grow in a bath or a pond (sit it in its pot so that it is not too deep in the water). Its large flowers are a deep green at the base merging to snow-white.  Very hardy but watch for the lily caterpillar in summer which can demolish the plant.

Amaranthus viridis is a light green ‘love-lies-bleeding’ plant and looks beautiful mixed in with deep blue or cerise flowers and of course it has the most interesting long ‘tails’ that attract attention from visitors. One variety has knobbly ponytails.

I just love the tall, double, pale green Zinnia ‘Envy’.  It mixes so well with blues and cerise and particularly, purple flowers.