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LIVING RELIC This extraordinary plant is part of a recently discovered new population of the critically endangered King’s lomatia (L. tasmanica), uncovered in remote south-west Tasmania. For more about this prehistoric survivor, and other news, see over... Long live the King’s lomatia King’s lomatia (L. tasmanica) is a critically endangered shrub found only in Tasmania. Until recently, only one population of the plant was known to exist, but a second has been discovered in the state’s south-west. Unlike humans and most plants, which have two sets of chromosomes, this species has three. It can’t reproduce from seed and instead spreads clonally by sending up new shoots from an extensive underground root system. What appears to be a stand of individual plants is actually a single plant. While this ability to…

POTPOURRI: FOR ROSE LOVERS AND GARDENERS Trevor Nottle, Wakefield Press Garden writer and rose lover Trevor Nottle describes Potpourri as a compilation of ‘memories, recollections, realisations, facts and personalities’. Linking these miscellanea are roses – from the story of Dr Nathaniel Ward’s Wardian case, which allowed plants to be transported around the world, to tributes to Australian rosarians (growers, nursery owners and breeders), painter Hans Heysen’s favourite French Bourbon rose, rose mazes, and how roses are budded. Nottle calls Potpourri ‘a Saturday book’ and invites readers to dip in and out at their leisure. A potted history of Australian rose culture, the book also looks at how rose nurseries are adapting to the shift from large gardens to smaller spaces, including patio and balcony gardens. THE VANISHING WILD: AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE…

A love of Western Australia’s unique native flora flows through Kerry Beake’s veins. As a child, she was introduced to wildflowers and bush plants by her grandparents in the Perth Hills – an influence that continues to shape her life and the gardener she is today. “My Nan and Pop were in the Wildflower Society of Western Australia for over 50 years and also volunteered at the WA Herbarium,” Kerry says. “They went on seed-collecting trips where my Nan even identified a few new species. She knew all the botanical names and inspired me constantly. I spent so much time in the bush with them, and with my parents also, it really has passed through the generations.” Today Kerry tends a thriving garden on a suburban block in the coastal…

Every garden has hard-to-plant spots – a shaded patch where few things grow, a scorchingly hot corner or a wind-whipped area. Rather than trying to alter these conditions, it might be time to accept them, and to embrace the plants that thrive in them. By matching plant to place, you’ll reduce maintenance and create a healthier and more resilient garden. Local species are an obvious choice, but there’s a wealth of other plants to suit different gardens, lifestyles and aesthetics. On the following pages, we identify key characteristics of some of these tough situations and share reliable plants (both native and non-native) that are in their element in such locations. While the genera (groups of plants) listed in each category include varieties suited to that situation, not all types will be…

While winter gardens can be a bit bare, especially in cooler regions, there’s nothing a pot of winter flower colour can’t fix. At this time of year garden centres are brimming with colourful annuals all begging to be taken home and planted to add bright, uplifting notes to the garden, patio, verandah or front porch. Filling an empty garden space can be expensive, but planting a few feature pots or a hanging basket with instant colour won’t break the bank. If you’re willing to wait a few weeks for the plants to grow and flower, buying seedlings in punnets is a cheaper option than purchasing advanced plants. Save even more money next year by starting seeds at home in autumn, ready for planting out at the start of winter, so…

Hakeas are a diverse group of Australian native shrubs and small trees that deserve more appreciation. With 150-plus species, and found across every state, these striking feature plants are remarkably versatile, offering both screening and structure, in a wide range of climates. And their habitat value is exceptional: nectar-rich flowers attract insects and honeyeaters, while woody seed pods that stay on the plant offer a long-term food source for species such as cockatoos. Hakea foliage varies from feathery and fine to bold and spiky, often creating safe refuge for small birds and mammals. Compared to their close relatives, grevilleas, whose papery fruits are short-lived, hakeas offer lasting sustenance, making them an invaluable addition to wildlife-friendly gardens. Here are 10 of the best! 1 PINCUSHION HAKEA (H. laurina) Widely planted for…

Tall, dark green spires rise from the ground. Evenly divided into ribbed segments that run from the roots to the tip, some are covered in prickly golden spines, others are smooth. It’s a jungle of San Pedro cactus, Bolivian torch, Argentine saguaro and other succulents. You’d be forgiven for picturing a South American desert, but you are in Bridgewater, an outer northern suburb of Hobart in Lutruwita/Tasmania. This is landscaper Matt Gamble’s impressive cacti garden, thriving in cold, damp southern Tasmania. It began about 10 years ago, at Matt’s previous house. He was just starting out as a landscaper, and was looking for hardy, low-maintenance plants to grow in his home garden. “I started with succulents, which led me to cacti,” Matt says. “But I quickly realised that we’re quite…

Gardeners sometimes ask why they need to prune. Plants in nature aren’t pruned, they argue, so why can’t we just leave them to do their own thing? In many cases we can. Plenty of plants grow perfectly happily if never pruned. But there are often good reasons for pruning. It encourages new productive growth, removes damaged or diseased foliage, thins plants to allow in more light, and can restrict plant size – which is especially important for the easy harvesting of fruit. Pruning can also rejuvenate an old plant and direct its energies into young, vigorous growth. Not to mention the pruning that produces a desired shape, as with topiaries, hedges and espaliers. And, when it comes to many deciduous plants, winter is the important pruning season. PRUNE ROSES Roses…

Western Australia is home to more than 12,000 plant species – almost half of all those identified in Australia – making it an obvious destination for wildflower enthusiasts each spring. For native plant lovers, seeing familiar garden favourites growing in their natural habitat is both exciting and enlightening. And with so many Western Australian beauties – from everlasting daisies to grey cottonheads – grown around the country, it’s a dream to see these, together with lesser-known treasures, thriving where they naturally belong. Plan your adventure between June and November, when coastlines, hills and desert landscapes erupt in spectacular colour. One of the first decisions is whether to travel north or south of Perth. While WA’s south-west region often steals the wildflower spotlight, the landscapes north of Perth are home to…