This super frost hardy aloe relative from Southern Africa makes a shrub some 150cm tall by as much wide shrub. The striated stems are well clothed with narrow dark green succulent leaves. Read more about Aloiampelos striatula
Rarely offered featuring exquisitely formed flowers, chocolate brown and green, dangle elegantly on 45cm tall stems over basal clumps of quite lovely glaucous foliage. Best grown in sun or light shade in a watered part of the garden. Read more about Aquilegia viridiflora
An heirloom variety of columbine with fully double burgundy coloured flowers in spring. Happy in any sunny or lightly shaded position as long as the soil isn’t allowed to parch. Cutting back after flowering will promote the growth of a mound of lovely blue-green leaves. Read more about Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Ruby Port’
Arbutus canariensis Canary Islands Madrone This special tree has attractive evergreen foliage and produces large panicles of white bell-like flowers throughout the year and is a native of the Canary Islands. Read more about Arbutus canariensis
This Manzanita can be kept clipped to a metre tall, or allowed to become a 2m shrub. Producing pure white lily-of-the-valley flowers during late winter spring. Rarely offered in Australia. Drought tolerant when established and will grow happily in sun or light shade. Read more about Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard McMinn’
From the dry western areas of the USA beautiful in all its parts from the burnished copper-bronze twisted trunks to its wonderful large grey-green leaves and exquisite lily-of-the-valley flowers. Thoroughly drought tolerant when once established. Read more about Arctostaphylos manzanita ‘St Helena’
A relatively dwarf New Zealand Rock Lily with handsome arching sword shaped leaves and produces masses of shooting star, lily-like flowers during spring and summer. Read more about Arthropodium cirrhatum ‘Te Puna’
Much asked about when in flower in our Dry Garden, this is a southern European plant which grows in pine woods, olive groves and heavily grazed land from south west Spain to Greece. Sometimes evergreen it is generally dormant during the two hottest months. Read more about Asphodelus aestivus
This new variety of the traditional Easter Daisy is a little more compact than older types and is self supporting. Deep mauve-blue flowers are carried on 40cmtall stems well clothed with dark green lance shaped foliage. Best in full sun. 40cm tall by 30cm across. Read more about Aster novi-belgii ‘Deep Blue Starletta’
During autumn this new variety of Easter Daisy is smothered in beautiful double deep mauve blue daises. The flowers, which are lovely for picking for a posy, are carried on a neat rounded bushy plant some 40cm tall by as much across. Read more about Aster novi-belgii ‘Henry Blue’
During autumn this new variety of Easter Daisy is smothered in beautiful double pink daises. The flowers, which are lovely for picking for a posy, are carried on a neat rounded bushy plant some 40cm tall by as much across. Read more about Aster novi-belgii ‘Henry Pink’
During autumn this new variety of Easter Daisy is smothered in beautiful double deep purple daises. The flowers, which are lovely for picking for a posy, are carried on a neat rounded bushy plant some 40cm tall by as much across. Read more about Aster novi-belgii ‘Henry Purple’
This new variety of the traditional Easter Daisy is a little more compact than older types and is self supporting. Carmine red flowers are carried on 40cmtall stems well clothed with dark green lance shaped foliage. Best grown in full sun. 40cm tall by 30cm across. Read more about Aster novi-belgii ‘Starletta Red’
This new variety of the traditional Easter Daisy is a little more compact than older types and is self supporting. White flowers are carried on 40cmtall stems well clothed with dark green lance shaped foliage. Best in full sun. 40cm tall by 30cm across. Read more about Aster novi-belgii ‘White Starletta’
‘Diamond Drops’ freely produces showy cup shaped flowers with bright glistening stamens giving, if you have a vivid imagination, the impression of sparkling diamonds. Leathery green leaves will turn burgundy bronze in cold winter areas. Read more about Bergenia ‘Diamond Drops’
A new selection of Bergenia which makes mounds of dark green leathery leaves each with a pencil line red edge which is more pronounced during winter. Early spring brings clusters of purple pink bells carried on strong 35cm tall flower stems. Height 35cm. Spread 50cm. Read more about Bergenia ‘Eden's Dark Margin’
This noble plant has been cultivated in western gardens for at least 200 years and was a feature of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello garden. It will produce strong stems some 150cm tall carrying 10cm across lemon yellow flower heads. Read more about Centaurea macrocephala
The dense carpet of silver grey leaves is smothered by pure white flowers during the warmer months. Happy in any sunny well drained spot and is drought hardy once established. 10cm tall by 60cm across. Read more about Cerastium tomentosum var. columnae ‘Snow Carpet’
Cistus are amongst the toughest of all evergreen shrubs. I’ve seen ‘Alan Fradd’ thriving in a planting alongside a freeway leading into Melbourne where the only water it gets falls from the sky. Read more about Cistus x purpureus ‘Alan Fradd’
A new US import bred for its stunning early flowers that appear in October here, many weeks ahead of most cultivars of the type. There can hardly be a better carpeting plant for Australian gardens than Convolvulus sabatius. Read more about Convolvulus sabatius ‘Early Blue’
Corydalis ‘Courie Blue’ is a hybrid between C. flexuosa and C. elata and is more vigorous than either of its parents. It flowers here at Lambley in light shade from October until March. Read more about Corydalis ‘Blue Line’
This late winter flowering gem carries fragrant soft yellow catkins on gracefully arching bare stems. Its soft green leaves turn to butter yellow in autumn. Best in a well watered shady spot in hot districts although happy in full sun in mild hills gardens. Read more about Corylopsis sinensis
Plants which thrive in dry shade are few and far between. Cotyledon ‘Silver Shadow’ with its intensely silver white succulent leaves lightens an otherwise gloomy corner between and under two cypresses in the dry garden. 50cm x 60cm. Read more about Cotyledon orbiculata ‘Silver Shadow’
D. carthusianorum has reddish magenta flowers on stems to 50cm or more with a charming bobbing habit. Native to Central and Southern Europe it is drought-tolerant when once established. Clumps to 40cm. Read more about Dianthus carthusianorum
