May bush for May — Elegant, floriferous and wildlife proof. If you’re after a shrub that carries its weight in the garden, it’s hard to go past spireas. Elegant and easy-going, most spiraeas form neat, rounded shrubs ranging from around 60cm up to 1.5m, depending on the variety. Hardy and adaptable, they’ll tolerate a wide…
‘Pugster Pinker’— Small, hardy, and wildlife proof. If you’ve always wanted a butterfly bush but don’t have the space, Buddleja ‘Pugster Pinker’ is your answer. While it may be small, at only 60-90cm in height, it will bloom profusely from early summer to autumn, attracting a multitude of bees and butterflies. Best of all, however,…
Boronias — Fragrant for humans, less so for wildlife. Boronias are characteristically known as finicky plants with relatively short lifespans in the garden, but their well-known citrusy scent makes them a worthwhile investment, especially if you enjoy aromatherapy or experimenting with liqueurs. In fact, it’s the deep aroma released by boronias that deters most wildlife….
Turn your backyard into a thriving wildlife haven with Australian native plants that attract birds, bees, and other beautiful bush creatures. As gardeners, we spend a lot of time lamenting our beloved plants turning into expensive rabbit and wallaby food. While it can be disheartening to wake up and find your rose bush decimated by…
Leucadendrons — Tough and colourful garden additions A welcome addition to the winter garden or bouquet, leucadendrons and their protea family cousins (leucospermums, proteas, serrurias and aulax) are hardy as hardy. These tough plants thrive in challenging conditions, tolerating frost, drought, and sandy, low-nutrient soils with ease. Leucadendrons come in a wide variety of colours, shapes, textures, and sizes,…
Winter combines the earthy base notes of petrichor and muddy puddles with comforting top notes of gardenia, vanilla, honey, jasmine, and citrus. Everyone loves a pop of winter colour. While you can’t beat bright red poppies, popping pink primulas, and citrus yellow pansies as a winter pick-me-up, we think adding winter scents to your garden…
Peonies — Low maintenance yet highly rewarding Peonies can tempt our local wildlife all they want, but the wallabies will not partake of them, perhaps because parts of the plant (particularly the roots) contain paeonol, which is known to be toxic to horses, cats and dogs. It’s delightful news for many gardeners who cannot resist…
Hardy, unpalatable to wildlife & pollinator friendly. Throw anything at this fast-growing evergreen perennial, wallabies included, and it won’t blink an eye. Phygelius flowers in summer through to autumn. Plant in full sun to part shade in well-drained soil. Phygelius will tolerate moderate frosts. If you don’t get frosts, prune hard after flowering in late…