Better_HomesandGardensAustralia-February_2017

▲ Photography Carna Feldtmann, GAP Photos, Getty Images A herald of the season, the showy blooms and handsome foliage of cannas ...

Picking tip When cutting to make an arrangement, snip off long stems. Above a full set of healthy leaves, strip most of the leav ...

▲▲ From fresh whites to eye-popping pinks and blues, hydrangeas provide an explosion of colour! flowerideas Photography Carna Fe ...

Picking tip When placing in a vase with water, remove all lower leaves that may float below the water line. As with all cut stem ...

▲ Hibiscus flowers are prolific and hardy, available in a dazzling array of colours flowerideas Hibiscus make vigorous container ...

Picking tip As with all cut flowers, choose a good-quality pair of secateurs that has been sharpened. Cut long, single stems for ...

Floribunda rose Add sweet displays of eternally elegant roses, so eye-catching against their rich glossy foliage flowerideas Pho ...

▲ L ooking for a plant that’s big on flowers and low on care? Put salvias on your radar. Perfectly at home in flowery cottage ga ...

salvias hot for With endless displays and bold new colours, these flowers turn up the summer lovin’ Salvia flowers mass around ...

About salvias With hundreds of different species in the group (as many as 900), salvias are scattered in nature all around the w ...

▲ The name Salvia comes from the Latin word salvere, which means ‘to feel well and healthy’. The plant is known in many cultures ...

How to grow them n Position Plant in garden beds where they’ll get sun for most of the day, as they won’t flower well (if at all ...

Photography Leigh Clapp Salvia Wish Collection Long-flowering, fast-growing and dry-tolerant, this salvia collection is aligned ...

gardenwalkaround R oses and perennials tumble over each other and perfume fills the air – and that’s just as you walk to the fro ...

at home with Graham Only two years old, this front garden bed overflows with roses and perennials – check out the sweet peas on ...

The vegie garden produces crops throughout the year – note the espaliered citrus (at left) and the bamboo and wire arbours for ...

▲ Graham’s top tips n Soil improvement is the key to success in the garden. Start by adding plenty of cow manure and compost so ...

Photography Chris Jones Frangipani ‘Willow Sunset’ (bred by Graham’s daughter Linda) mixes in with yellow- blooming ligularia, ...

gardenwalkaround Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ This splashy tropical foliage display in the back garden features a striking Tropicanna can ...

W ith their fabulous forms and colours, succulents are tailor-made for container displays! Follow these tips to propagate and he ...