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Resources for W.A. Gardeners

Scott Robinson

Updated on the 9th of December 2014


Useful references

Annie's Annuals
Entertaining and informative. A Californian nursery growing an incredible range of plants. Annie's climate is milder than ours, but mostly if Annie can grow it, we can too.
Department of Agriculture and Food
A huge source of locally relevant information on just about everything to do with gardening, often overlooked by gardeners. Particularly noteworthy is the free pest identification service and the comprehensive database of prohibited and permitted organisms which can be found at www.agric.wa.gov.au/organisms.
Florabase
Photographs, descriptions and distribution data on the plants of Western Australia.
Las Pilitas Nursery
A Californian nursery specialising in Californian native plants. An excellent reference on plants for our very similar climate. The descriptions and articles make for a great read.
Mediterranean Garden Society
A global society for gardeners in Mediterranean climates like ours.
Pacific Bulb Society
Members of the P.B.S. have contributed a colossal number of photos and a wealth of information to their online bulb wiki. Membership is highly recommended for the enrichment of your garden.
Pacific Horticulture Society
Whilst technically Californian it's well worth joining for the outstanding quarterly publication about all aspects of gardening on a West Coast.
Plant lust
Seriously simple search for plants and places to find them. An expanding compendium of plants and sources provided by contributors from around the world.
PLANTS - USDA database
Photos, distribution maps and production notes for plants in the U.S., provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Robin's Salvias
A U.K. grower of Salvia providing a fantastic collection of Salvia photos and useful information on their successful cultivation.
Vegetables WA
Locally relevant info on all aspects of vegetable growing for the home gardener and professional alike.
Wildflower Society of Western Australia
If you've ever had the desire to grow any of our beautiful native plants and been dismayed at their lack of availability in garden centres or even useful advice on how to grow them, then you need to join.

Where to get plants your local garden centre doesn't stock

Alameda Homestead Nursery
Here you will find all things Clematis. The montana and viticella varieties will do better for most of us, given additional water, but the large flowered Jackmanii types are feasible in the cooler south. Berwick, Victoria.
Australian Gardener
A hefty selection of plants, bulbs and accessories are to be found at Australian Gardener, different from other major suppliers they are always worth a look. Dandenong Mountains, Victoria.
Bryan H Tonkin
A great source of rare bulbs, with a few perennials thrown in for good measure, from the Dandenong Mountains in Victoria. Their summer catalogue full of winter growers is the one for us, but some of the oh so desirable summer growing bulbs, in the winter catalogue, are unavoidable.
Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery
As the name implies, Daleys supply fruit trees. They also supply nut trees, berries, grape vines and other garden delicacies as well as a selection of ornamental trees. Geneva, New South Wales.
Digger's Club
Heirloom vegetables, seeds, Mediterranean plants and accessories are all on offer and while you don't have to be a member to purchase, the significant discounts members receive makes it more than worthwhile. The notable gardens are well worth a visit also. Mornington Peninsular, Victoria.
Di's Delightful Plants
An extensive range of perennials, shrubs, herbs and vegetables by one of Australia's major tubestock suppliers. Salvias and Lavenders are a speciality with many varieties unlikely to be found anywhere else. Yarra Valley, Victoria.
Garden Express
Offering a comprehensive range of plants and garden supplies, Garden express is like having a garden centre in your mailbox. Apart from a large array of winter growing bulbs there is a considerable selection of other plants suitable for our climate among their drought tolerant offerings. Dandenong Mountains, Victoria
Guildford Garden Centre
A local garden centre offering an eclectic mix of plants and garden art with a focus on less common fruit trees and plants.
Hill View Rare Plants
Choice and rare bulbs from around the world, bulb seed and a few perennials (most notably highly desirable Primulas). The vast majority of the worlds winter growing bulbs come from climates similar to our own, so it's no surprise that Hill View's summer catalogue is an all you can eat buffet of Fritillaria, Cyclamen, Crocus, Calochortus, species Tulips and many other coveted summer dormant treasures with which to sate your appetite. Hobart, Tasmania.
Jackson's Daffodils
Much more than just daffodils, Jackson's grow and sell a wide range of bulbs at prices usually a lot lower than many of the big name suppliers. Their exhibition Daffodils will make you forget all about any other bulbs though. Geeveston, Tasmania.
Mistydowns
An enviable array of heritage roses and perennials, old, rare and new. Always something more to entice and delight. Springmount, Victoria.
Misty Ridge Plant Farm
A refreshing range of well gown native plants and a few representatives from other regions. Just over the hills and well worth a visit.
Paradise Distributors
An eclectic selection of mostly tropical plants, many of them edible or impossible to find elsewhere. Quite a few are suitable for our Mediterranean climate but the tropicals are really only for those of us fortunate enough to live in the northern half of the state or who happen to have a conservatory handy. Nambour, Queensland.
Tesselaar
The well known Tesselaar family have been selling plants and cut flowers since 1939 and their full colour quarterly catalogues are packed full of goodies. Some careful selection will yield a host of very garden worthy plants for W.A. Dandenong Mountains, Victoria.
Triffid Park
Arguably Australia's leading supplier of carnivorous plants and while a lot of them aren't really suitable for our climate these remarkable plants are well worth a little extra effort in order to grow them. Somerville, Victoria.
Verdure Plants
One of the few growers of plants for our mediterranean climate, many will not be found elsewhere, with a passion for Cistus and Salvia. A must visit in beautiful Mundaring.
Wandilla Garden & Gift Centre
A veritable candy store of trees and shrubs, especially the deciduous.
Yamina Rare Plants
If your having trouble finding a tree or shrub locally Yamina is surely the place to find it, with Australia's largest range of trees, shrubs and climbers as well as a few hard to find perennials, for both temperate and mediterranean climates. If your in the Dandenongs the nursery is well worth a visit, just be prepared to leave with an empty wallet as the many drool worthy plants are extremely difficult to resist.
Zanthorrea Nursery
A multi award winning garden centre offering Western Australia's largest range of native plants. If your not into natives a visit here will soon have you converted.

Other plant sources only for non West Australians

Frogmore Gardens
A smorgasbord of mostly drought resistant perennials, shrubs and grasses. Everything you could need for a first rate garden. Newbury, Victoria.
Lambley Nursery
Without Lambley all our gardens would be the poorer. Several decades of introducing new and superior garden plants has helped pave the way for a more sensible Australian gardening attitude and still a treasure trove of new drought resistant perennials are to be discovered in the pages of their catalogue. Ascot, Victoria.
Sue Templeton's Unlimited Perennials
Australia's leading Salvia specialist, single-handedly responsible for introducing so many to our shores and at the forefront of ironing out much of the disinformation surrounding new introductions. Offering one of the largest selection of Sages available anywhere in the world and holder of a national collection. Lavington, New South Wales.
Woodbridge Nursery
One of the countries premium perennial suppliers, Woodbridge is an endless source of wonderful and hard to come by reliable garden plants. Of particular note are the selection of Kniphofia and Dierama. Woodbridge, Tasmania.