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Rosa 'White Carpet' (Carpet Rose) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

The wonderful thing about groundcover roses is that they are highly disease-resistant, simple to grow, and they flower almost year round. They're easy to maintain AND there's no need for any fancy pruning. Just cut back hard in early spring to promote prolific flowering. Unfortunately, in a time when everyone wants low-maintenance plants, carpet roses often get dismissed as too 'boring'. I say, there's no such thing as a boring plant - just boring plant design! Sadly, carpet roses...

February 26, 2024

Lomandra 'White Sands' (Mat Rush) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

A beautiful, easy-care plant for creating impact in your planting schemes. Not all grasses give year-round impact the same way Lomandra 'White Sands' does. Maybe because this Australian native is, in fact, a rush not a grass. That means it copes with both damp and dry conditions. It's also tolerant of both full sun and shady conditions. Whether mixed with flowering plants, shrubs, or planted massed in large groups  Lomandra 'White Sands' is always a standout plant. It's perfe...

February 26, 2024

Ohiopogon 'Nana' (Dwarf Mondo Grass) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

Dwarf mondo grass is a tough little plant that pops up in many garden designs. Itโ€™s ideal for using between pavers instead of pebbles. The most commonly grown dwarf mondo in New Zealand is Ophiopogon 'Nana', which matures at around 100mm high. When you plant mondo itโ€™s best to plant lots of small plants planted closely together, rather than a few bigger plants scattered about. Some professionals plant them around 10cm apart, using a staggering 200 plants per m2 ๐Ÿ˜ฑ.But donโ€™t call the...

February 26, 2024

Ophiopogon 'Nigrescens' (Black Mondo)

Despite its small stature, 'black mondo grass' is a great plant for adding drama to a planting scheme. The narrow strap-like leaves give a grassy effect, and the unrivaled black colour makes a great contrast to other garden plants.Often used as an edging plant, 'black mondo grass' will also spread to form a dense, weed-supressing groundcover, maturing at around 200mm high. Best surface coverage is achieved when multiple small mondo plants are planted closely together, at around 100mm apart....

February 26, 2024

Nandina 'Lemon and Lime' (Heavenly Bamboo) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

๐Ÿ™ŠShh, don't tell everyone, but I think this might just be the perfect small garden plant ๐ŸŽ‰for all you low-maintenance, time-poor and novice gardeners.Nandina 'Lemon and Lime' is the green form of the common 'heavenly bamboo' plant (most people know the common old red types, and not everyone's a fan of those ).Growing to a nice, neat size of just 1m x1m size, Nandina 'Lemon and Lime is lush & leafy & reliable in both sun and semi-shade. Did I mention it's evergreen, so it'll even lo...

February 26, 2024

Best White Camellias for Hedges ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

Camellia Sasanqua 'Setugekka' (Sasanqua Camelia)Camellia Sasanqua 'Early Pearly' (Sasanqua Camelia)Camellia Sasanqua 'Silver Dollar (Sasanqua Camelia)Also beautiful as standalone shrubs , these 3 white camellias are the ones that I suggest first for my garden design clients when they want a white flowering camellia hedge ๐ŸŒณ๐ŸŒณ๐ŸŒณ.Camellia's make excellent hedges for a few reasons including...โœ…They're evergreen (ie they keep their foliage all year) so they will give your garden year-ro...

February 26, 2024

Acorus gramineus 'Ogon' (golden variegated sweet flag) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

PLANTS FOR FREE!!Well, almost.....These small grass-like plants are super easy to grow and great value for money as the little tufts will spread naturally over time to form a dense ground cover. Itโ€™s like getting free plants!Fantastic, because like most small plants, youโ€™ll get the best design impact if you grow them in groups or large drifts.๐Ÿ’ซSweet flag is an excellent plant for foliage contrast and an interesting alternative to the small limey lomandras like โ€˜Little Conโ€™,...

February 26, 2024

Escallonia 'Apple Blossom' (redclaw) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

๐ŸŒฑTalk about underrated!Here's a tough little hedge plant that should be giving poor old over-used Griselinia littoralis a run for its money ๐Ÿ’ซI say a tough 'little' plant but there are a a range of escallonia cultivars, so estimated mature sizes vary immensely, but it's a plant that can be kept clipped to size as a hedge ๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŒฒ.โœ‚ Escallonias should be pruned after flowering (which is in early summer) has finished.No, it's not a NZ native plant, BUT it does offer diversity and it's a...

February 26, 2024

Ajuga reptans 'Jungle Beauty' (bugle flower) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

๐ŸŒฑThis lovely little blue flowering feature plant is.... Ajuga reptans 'Jungle Beauty'. It's not the typical planting choice for between pavers, but sometimes it's good to mix it up ๐Ÿ˜'Ajuga' aka 'bugle flower ' is a spring flowering groundcover ideal for shade and semi-shaded positions. It's pretty easy to grow, though it doesn't like 'wet feet'๐Ÿ’ฆ๐Ÿ‘ฃ.Maturing at a petite 250mm high, one plant can spread 1โ€“2 metres plus wide, as it spreads by rooting. However, for a fast cover, it'...

February 26, 2024

Lomandra 'Frosty Tops' (mat rush) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

๐ŸŒพI love using THIS lomandra in my garden designs JUST AS MUCH as all the other lomandras ๐Ÿ˜….What's not to like! 'Frosty Tops' has that gorgeous grey-green foliage that everybody is loving currently, and being very heat tolerant, it's a better bet for those of us gardening in a humid climate than grey-green than Festuca glauca (blue tussock) or Helictotrichon sempervirens (blue oat grass).Lomandra 'Frosty Tops' needs a lot of space, maturing at around 800mm+ wide. Growing to such a good size...

February 26, 2024

Farfugium japonicum 'Aureomaculatum' (leopard plant) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

What do you plant yours with?I'm adding a few of these spotty farfugium to my own garden, popping them in my shady, under the ๐ŸŒณ๐ŸŒด๐ŸŒณtrees garden, next to my tractor seat ligularia (Ligularia reniforis 'Giganteum' where they'll have companion plants of grassy acorus (Acorus gramineus โ€˜Aureaโ€™ )๐ŸŒพ๐ŸŒพ๐ŸŒพand golden toned 'creeping Jenny' Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'.I was told recently that this spotted farfugium is more susceptible to slug and snail attack than the larger 'tractor sea...

February 25, 2024

Chamadorea costericana (Bamboo Palm / Costa Rica Palm) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

๐Ÿ‘€perfect to block out your neighbours, or an ugly view, โ€˜bamboo palmโ€™ makes a fantastic screening plant and will give your garden a lush, tropical look โ›ฑ on quite a small footprint. *THIS IS NOT A BAMBOO* It is a clustering PALM ๐ŸŒด๐ŸŒด๐ŸŒด.Chamadorea costericana forms multiple slender canes (rather than one tall trunk) in much the same way as bamboo - hence its common name of bamboo palm.With shelter from medium to high wind, this easy-to-grow palm will happily grow outdoors in t...

February 25, 2024

Philodendron 'Xanadu' ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

๐Ÿ‘€This plant turns up in a lot of inspirational garden photos on social media, so I thought I'd share some insights, in case you need an excellent plant ๐ŸŒฑto grab during an impromptu garden centre trip๐Ÿ›’๐Ÿ˜€.๐Ÿซถ One of the smaller philodendrons, โ€˜Xanaduโ€™ rarely exceeds 1m x 1m in size. ๐ŸƒThe leaves are the standout feature of this evergreen plant, and they become more heavily lobed as the plant matures. It makes an excellent potted specimen as it is very drought tolerant๐Ÿชดand will...

February 25, 2024

Asplenium bulbiferum (hen & chicken fern / pikopiko) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

Hen & Chicken' fern is a versatile plant that can be used in so many garden situations. It's EASY TO GROW and it's a NZ native. It will look just as home whether you use it in a subtropical, woodland, classic or NZ native-themed garden setting. I find it a particularly good companion plant for larger leaf plants such as hydrangea and ligularia for three main reasons...๐ŸŒฑ1. It enjoys the same growing conditions.๐Ÿ‘€ 2. It tucks nicely into the base of large hydrangea shrubs and gives v...

February 25, 2024

Acacia cognata 'Fettuccini' (river wattle) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

๐Ÿ™ƒ๐—œ ๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜„๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ธ ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐˜๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ถ๐˜. ๐—œ๐˜โ€™๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—บ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฏ๐—น๐—ฒ!Irresistibly shaggy, Acacia cognata 'Fettuccini' (common name - river wattle) is a tactile Aussie native plant that is easy to grow and care for (if a little pricey ๐Ÿ˜…).๐ŸŒž Sun-loving (and also happy in semi-shaded situatio...

February 25, 2024

Cordyline 'Show Off' (slender palm lily) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

๐Ÿ™ƒSuch a showoff!This is one of the best foliage plants you'll find for skinny spaces and slender eye-level screening. A perfect candidate for the side yard or narrow boundary strip. It'll grow to a modest 2.5m high maximum while remaining less than 600mm wide. It forms multiple stems from the base of the main plant over time which may increase the width, but these are easily removed if needed.The long green leaves have purple-tinged tips and overall the plant has a very bold and sculptural fo...

February 25, 2024

Carex oshimensis ‘Feather Falls’ (variegated Japanese sedge) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

โค๏ธI'm a great fan of this lovely grass-like sedge.Carex oshimensis โ€˜Feather Fallsโ€™ (commonly called โ€˜variegated Japanese sedgeโ€™ ) is a well-behaved, mid-sized sedge, ideal for your low-maintenance garden. Did I mention itโ€™s gorgeous๐Ÿ˜I'm getting one (at least one) this year! The arching foliage gives 'Feather Falls' a cascading look, so it's an excellent choice to grow in pots and containers where it can spill over for stunning impact. You can also tumble it over ugly ...

February 25, 2024

Astelia banksii (Coastal Astelia / Wharawhara) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

The first garden plant I ever owned and boy, was it tough ๐Ÿ’ช!Also commonly called 'silver flax' his NZ native plant is perfect for dry spots and unirrigated pots and planters. In fact, the one thing most likely to kill it - too much water!Astelia banksii has many of the characteristics associated with a plant suitable for hot, dry, sunny garden spots such as ๐Ÿ‘‰ silver foliage covered in a fine furry coating, which is also a good visual clue that a plant is suitable for a coastal location,&nb...

February 25, 2024

Hylotelephium spectabile 'Stardust' (stonecrop) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

๐ŸŒžSay hello to another easy-to-grow plant that is happy in a hot, dry, sunny garden bed.This stunner is Hylotelephium spectabile 'Stardust' ๐Ÿ’ซIt used to be, and in my mind, will always be, called Sedum spectabile 'Stardust'. And that's a lot easier to pronounce, too ๐Ÿ˜… But, most people just call it 'stonecrop'.It's an easy-to-grow clump-forming perennial plant, with fleshy, moisture-filled green leaves.The flowers are small, white, and star-shaped, and because they appear in large flat-top...

February 25, 2024

Verbena bonariensis - purpletop vervain ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

This soft & airy mix worked so well on the free-draining sloping gardens to either side of the client's new steps and gave height without blocking the wonderful views out ๐Ÿ‘€.๐—ฉ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฎ ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜€ (๐—ฝ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฝ ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป) - A tall and airy perennial with long thin stems topped with clusters of tiny purple flowers. Likes full sun and well-drained soil.If garden plants have you confused or you just ...

February 25, 2024

Nepeta mussinii "Blue Wonder" - Cat Mint ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

๐Ÿ’กHow to use it? Iโ€™ve given you 3 ways to use catmint at the end of the caption, but first ...Easily confused with catnip if youโ€™re new to gardening, as they do look quite similar - they both belong to the same plant โ€˜familyโ€™ -the mint family - so watch the botanical and common names when youโ€™re buying ๐Ÿ˜ŠCatnip : Nepeta catariaCatmint : Nepeta mussinii.๐Ÿ˜ปYour cat will love both if you plant them in your garden, but catmint is the one that has the most ornamental value.๐ŸŒž Itโ€™s...

February 25, 2024

Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

๐ŸŒฟIs THIS the new Auckland go-to now that we can't buy,  propagate or plant our old faithful self-clinging climbing Ficus pumila?Parthenocissus quinquefolia is another one of those super useful, self-clinging, climbing plants. I.e. it climbs by clinging, so no wires or trellis needed ๐ŸŽ‰and it is just as perfect for covering walls and fences on just a tiny footprint. Yes, itโ€™s deciduous, but the colour of those leaves as they turn in the autumn is fabulous ๐Ÿ˜, and once all ...

February 25, 2024

Cercis 'Forest Pansy' - Redbud ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

Where's the best place to put this beautiful feature tree in your garden?Where it is backlit by the evening sun . Magic โœจ The leaves glow and become almost translucent.But TBH, it looks incredible wherever it is planted. Easy to spot by its lovely heart-shaped, deep-red leaves.โค๏ธCercis 'Forest Pansy'If garden plants have you confused or you just want to learn, FOLLOW ME for regular insights, tips and tricks on plants, planting design & garden design in general....

February 25, 2024

Coprosma repens - 'Poor Knights' ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

๐Ÿ˜‡Talk about an overachiever! Coprosma repens 'Poor Knights' is one of those useful plants that just goes with just about everything.Perfect for windswept and coastal sites, sun or part shade. It's not fussy ๐Ÿ™‚.It mounds and sprawls and looks fantastic ๐Ÿ‘Œ as a large massed plantingThe gorgeous, super glossy foliage, which earns it the common name of 'mirror plant', shimmers in the ๐ŸŒž .TIP: Not enough space for this big sprawly fella, look for little cousins 'Mini Mac' and 'Lighthouse' in...

February 25, 2024

Thuja Occidentalis "Smaragh" (American Arborvitae) ๐Ÿก DIY Designs

If you're looking for a no-fuss hedge option, then 'Thuja' is the plant for you! Thuja Occidentalis "Smaragh" (American Arborvitae).A very upright shrub / small tree with a naturally fastigiate form, 'Thujaโ€™ makes an easy-care hedge row when planted closely together in a neat little row.It has a very stately appearance, making it ideal for the formal, classic garden look and is ideal for enhancing an Italian or Mediterranean garden theme.It can be used as a focal point plant, in pairs to ...

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