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  • Acanthus
    • mollis ‘Hollard's Gold’   CAG01102

      (Golden bear's breeches)
      Acanthus mollis ‘Hollard's Gold’
      $12.00earn 60 points

      One of the most beautiful chartreuse leaved plants you could ever grow.

      Large, 60cm plus, sharply scalloped, red stemmed leaves form spectacular rosettes over Winter, from the centre of which emerge each Spring, sturdy, 1m tall stalks topped with large hooded pink and white flowers, enclosed in sharp leafy bracts.

      Both the leaves and flowers are excellent for cutting and the flowers remain interesting even when dried.

      Will happily go dormant over Summer if grown dry, my prefered option as it can then be grown in full sun for best colour and the curled golden leaves erupting from the bare earth each Autumn are a breath taking sight.

  • Agave
    • potatorum   CAG02362
      Agave potatorum
      $12.00earn 60 points

      A mid sized species forming a sphere of stiff, very blue, glaucous leaves, short and broad with prominent, red-black, sharks teeth around the margin and a wavy terminal spine.

      Its globular form is a stunning counterpoint to modern architecture and coupled with an ironclad constitution and impressive armament it is an ideal candidate for municipal and commercial gardens, rooftops or in a pot on the deck. Otherwise plant a few in a sea of gravel with Freesia in your choice of colours for a cheap and stunning, irrigation free, permanent lawn substitute.
      Doesn't run, pups are borne clustered around the base and if left attached form attractive clumps. I would expect it to be cold hardy in 99% of Australian gardens.

      Flowers are limey green and in clusters on a giant asparagus like stalk, more graceful than some of the larger species but less grand.

  • Artemisia
    • ludoviciana ‘Valerie Finnis’   CAG00925

      (Prairie sage, White sagebrush)
      $12.00earn 60 points

      A staple of gardens the world over though indigenous through most of North America. A suckering carpet of silver, broadly lance shaped leaves for borders and edgings or combined with other vigorous perennials, Bearded Iris maybe, in drifts or clumps. Cut down regularly to maintain broadest foliage and low growth or if left unchecked it will eventually form a dense mound of wiry, branching stems bearing irrelevant, small, pale yellow, button-like flowers, quite an effective silver shrub in wilder parts of the garden or fence line.

      Very vigorous and perfectly drought tolerant on well drained soils, struggling in heavy clay though more successful in lower rainfall regions. Impervious to any heat and cold experienced in this country but, as with most of the genus, unlikely to tolerate the summer humidity of more tropical climes. Dead easy and indestructible.

      Might work as a silver, water efficient lawn when mown routinely.

      Broader, more simple leaved than A. ‘Silver Queen’ and perhaps better when kept low.

  • Dracunculus
    • canariensis   CAG02357

      (Canary Island Dragon Arum)
      Dracunculus canariensis
      $12.00earn 60 points

      A more subtle Dragon Arum from the Canary Islands with a tapering white spathe that ensorcells a stiff creamy spadix atop a fleshy stalk of palmate foliage. Elegant, lush and not stinky, it forms loose colonies in shaded sites, perhaps at its best emerging from a sea of suitable woodland groundcover, Pelargonium tomentosum, Cyclamen hederifolium, Parochetus africanus, Cosmos diversifolius or Viola banksii are some suggestions. Or have it peeking out between bold shrubs, like Echium candicans and Aeonium, which can offer it protection.

      Easily grown in any soil, summer deciduous and then no water is necessary.

      As with many drought loving geophytes these are decidedly unsuited to life in a pot, plants sold are two years old and need to get in the ground ASAP.

  • Euphorbia
    • characias subsp. wulfenii   CAG00819
      Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii
      $12.00earn 60 points

      A drought hardy evergreen, shrub-like perennial. The stout reddish stems, clothed in glaucous grey green leaves, arise from a central rootstock. In their second year large heads of chartreuse flower-like bracts are produced above dense whorls of foliage.

      Cut back spent stems to base as they do not flower again.
      As seen on TV and in books, magazines....... Extremely tough and highly ornamental both in foliage and flower.
      Loves coastal conditions and easily grown in any reasonably drained sunny site elsewhere.

      Differs from ordinary E. characias in that the small flower in the centre of the bracts are yellow instead of red.

      Seedlings from select forms in the nursery, expect some variability, especially in size, but the standard should be high, reject those dull of flower or palsy of leaf. I would clone them but I have yet to see a cutting grown plant perform well, typically just flowering themselves into oblivion with little tolerance for dryness, anticipate ~15 good years out of a seedling.

    • dendroides   CAG01595

      (Tree spurge)
      Euphorbia dendroides
      $12.00earn 60 points

      Undoubtedly one of the greatest and hardiest of the genus. The dome like crown of branches atop the central trunk becomes denser and more magnificent with time. During spring each branch bears a cluster of small green flowers, each held in showy, bright chartreuse bracts, then with rising summer temperature the narrow, soft green, glaucous leaves flare yellow, orange and red before being shed to conserve moisture over summer when its structural form can be most admired.

      At home in limestone soil around the Mediterranean Sea it will happily tolerate all but poor drainage and heavy shade though lean soil, drought and exposure yield the finest form and colour.

      Prune not. It is properly shrubby with persistent branches, unlike herbaceous types (e.g. E. wulfenii).

  • Gazania
  • Iris
    • kochii   CAG00706

      (Flag Iris)
      Iris kochii
      $12.00earn 60 points

      An exceptional Iris, performing reliably in all but the shadiest of gardens, and having both beautiful flowers and valuable foliage.
      The sturdy stems of strongly scented, regal purple, flag iris flowers are are held above compact clumps of sword-like, grey-green leaves.

      Under favourable conditions it will repeat bloom several times throughout the year.

      As with all Iris feed well and avoid high nitrogen fertilizers.
      Prefers a well drained, alkaline soil and thrives in coastal conditions.

      Used to great effect in large drifts, mass plantings or as edgings, due to the neat foliage, and is often combined with Iris albicans for a stunning combination.

      Extensively used by the landscaping industry, it is available bare rooted in any quantity.
      Trade enquiries welcome.

  • Limonium
    • minutum   CAG01351
      Limonium minutum
      $12.00earn 60 points

      A bun forming species from the Iberian peninsula with tightly packed rosettes of small, dark green, spoon shaped leaves and producing a thicket of finely branched flower stems bearing many tiny, pale lavender, starry flowers all summer long.

      A quick hair cut in autumn to remove the flowering stems returns the plant to its sculpted form and makes sure new winter growth will receive plenty of sunlight.

      Almost indestructible, it is at home in any well drained sunny site and is perfect for planting between loose paving or wall cracks where it will self seed gently for that cottage garden look and be content with the reflected heat.

      Unfortunately deeply penetrating roots make it completely useless for pots.

  • Oxalis

    (Wood sorrel)
    Oxalidaceae

    A globally distributed genus with as many different growth habits as there are habitats.

    Cormous species from winter rainfall regions of southern Africa are of most relevance to Perth gardens, being hardy and colourful while requiring no summer water. Well suited to massed display and accepting of pots unlike most geophytes. Many too flower in autumn and winter when blooms can be scarce.
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