Photography Austplant Native Nursery, Brent Wilson, GAP Photos/Thomas Alamy, GAP Photos/Dave Bevan, Getty Images, AlamyGO NATIVE
For more hints on growing
natives, or to buy these
spectacular plants, visit your
local nursery. BHG filmed at
Austplant Nursery and Gardens
■ Where: 249 Purves Road,
Arthurs Seat, Victoria
■ Opening times: Open all year,
except Christmas and Boxing
Day. Mon–Sat 8:30am–5pm,
Sunday and public holidays
10am–5pm
■ More info: Call (03) 5989
6120 or visit austplant.com.au98
- A generous bloomer, Common
heath (Epacris impressa) produces
flowers throughout the year – handy
for adding a splash of colour! Flower
colour varies from white through
pink to a deep crimson. It can grow
up to 1m tall and wide, but commonly
remains a 50cm shrub in gardens.
How do you grow it? Plant in
well-drained sandy soil in full sun
or-part shade. Prune after flowering
to maintain shape.
Gastrolobium
praemorsum- Enjoy double the colour
with Gastrolobium praemorsum
‘Brown Butterfly’. The coppery
bronze foliage produces red pea-
like flowers mid-year, and looks
striking in rockeries and borders
or cascading over retaining walls.
How do you grow it? Well-
drained soil in full sun. Feed with a
native plant fertiliser during spring.
Hardenbergia
- Hardenbergia’s pea-like
blooms come in purple, white
and pink. Cultivars include ‘Happy
Wanderer’ (purple) and ‘Free and
Easy’ (white), while ‘Happy Duo’
combines both colours, growing
about 1m high and wide. Let it
scramble over retaining walls or
trail over fences.
How do you grow it? Full sun
in well-drained soil. Prune lightly
to maintain shape and feed
with a controlled fertiliser in
spring or late summer.
Banksia
- Loved for their gold, red and
orange flower spikes, banksias
range from medium shrubs to
spreading groundcovers. For
lower-growing options, see dwarf
varieties such as ‘Birthday Candles’
or ‘Cherry Candles’ (pictured). Both
have a spreading habit from 1.5m
to 2m – ideal for pots or in ground.
How do you grow it? Full sun in
well-draining soil or native potting
mix. Feed with a native-specific
controlled release fertiliser.
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