Hardy annuals
For instant colour, plant hardy annuals. They grow quickly and flowering peaks within weeks. As with most flowering plants, removing spent blooms will prolong flowering.
Cornflower - Thrives in well-drained soil with morning sun. Fabulous when mass-planted in garden borders.
Sweet Pea - Plant behind lower growing annuals for eye-level colour. Choose a sunny spot and provide climbing support.
Poppy - Best grown from seed in a full sun position, protect delicate stalks from wind.
Pansies and violas - A winter favourite with a huge variety of colours to choose from. Can tolerate part shade.
Petunia - Large showy flowers in many colours. Position in full sun.
Perennials
Perennials provide colour year after year. Compost the soil deeply before planting to allow for their larger root systems.
Marguerite Daisy - These sun-loving plants provide abundant flowers for months. There are various forms available like the double flowered varieties or the unusual spider form with elongated leaves.
Hellebore (Winter rose) - Low growing and shade tolerant. The gorgeous flowers are perfect for adding colour under trees. Cut back once flowers have finished.
Lavender - Choose early flowering varieties for winter colour. Plant in full sun and tip-prune after flowering. Lavender makes a great low hedge plant.
Camellia - Masses of bright flowers make camellias a popular choice. Japonica varieties do best in dappled shade and prefer slightly acidic soil. Drought tolerant once established. Fertilise in spring and early autumn.
Raphiolepis (Indian hawthorn) - A compact evergreen shrub with fragranced white flowers in winter and spring. Remove seed heads and fertilise in summer.
Native plants
Native plants thrive in well drained sandy soil and love as much sun as they can get. Feed sparingly with fertiliser that’s specially formulated for native plants.
Lechenaultia - Great low-growing border or container plant. Try the red Lechenaultia formosa or the blue Lechenaultia biloba varieties.
Correa (Wild fuschia) - Hardy plants that can tolerate a variety of soil types. Flowers from autumn to spring. They are available in a variety of sizes, colours and forms, and all of them are easy to grow.
Grevillea - A bird-attracting plant with many varieties that range in size from from ground cover to tree. Flowers almost all year round. Prune at the end of winter.
Everlasting daisy - Stunning in mass displays. Deadhead regularly. Flowers picked at their peak can be preserved for dried flower displays. Hang them to dry upside down in a cool dark spot for 2-3 weeks.
Protea and leucadendron (Cone bush) - Thrive in the same conditions as Australian natives. Proteas and leucadendrons are admired for their colourful bracts that surround the flowers. Stunning and long-lasting in vase displays.
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