February 23, 2020
Liriope muscari comes in a choice of varieties, but are all small (average height 30cm) hardy clumping plants from East Asia. Their specialty for me is […]
December 13, 2019
Not only do Gardenias have highly perfumed and beautiful waxy white flowers, they are also a very useful size & shaped shrub to use in a […]
September 11, 2017
Kowhai = yellow in te reo Maori. It is our unofficial national flower (I don’t think we have an official one), and a tree we see […]
January 25, 2016
aka sweet Basil, Bay Laurel or Laurus nobilis Not to be confused with Californian, Indian, Indonesian, West Indian or Mexican bay leaves, which are all different […]
November 29, 2015
If you’re planning to go away over Xmas camping, on a boat, to a bach …. take your own lettuce for lovely fresh salads while you’re […]
November 29, 2015
This groundcover makes a spectacular display at this time of year with its blue/purple flowers which go on until autumn. Not to be confused with its […]
November 28, 2015
aka Leptospermum scoparium or tea tree because the scurvy suffering Endeavour crew drunk a brew made from its leaves – probably suggested by the tangata whenua […]
October 28, 2015
Oranges originated as a sour fruit from China. Navel oranges were “discovered” in 1820 from a group of mutant trees with seedless sweet fruit growing in a garden in Brazil. Because they were […]
October 5, 2015
aka Chinese fringe flower, this plant is becoming more popular in landscaped gardens for good reason. The burgundy leaved version with its bright pink flowers is […]
September 3, 2015
Originally from eastern Asia, Camellias are popular all over our planet. The two most popular types you see in gardens here are Camellia sasanqua with smaller […]
September 3, 2015
In between the stormy rain & winds, we are getting a hint of spring. The urge to plant is growing. This is a still a good […]
August 2, 2015
Magnolias are blooming this month and how could you miss them. They come in all shapes and sizes, most deciduous but the largest is evergreen – […]