WINTER COLOUR IN YOUR GARDEN
There are plenty of plants to provide winter colour to our gardens. This year the Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) has provided wonderful orange and red foliage and its wonderful shiny branches and trunk.
TREES:
• Irish Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo) has white flowers that look like bunches of little bells tinged with pink.
• Claret Ash (Fraxinus oxycarpa “Raywoodii”) has rich red leaves.
• The Bell Cherry (Prunus campanulata) has pink flowers.
• The Queensland Silver Wattleb(Acacia podalyriifolia ) is fast growing and has golden flowers.
• Cootamundra wattle (Acacia baileyana) is a fast growing evergreen with reddish -purple new growth.
STRUCTURAL PLANTS:
• Bird of Paradise (Strelitizia regina) with striking orange and blue flowers on long stems.
• Strappy Leaf Plants- Dianella blue green leaves with purple berries.
• Protea- (Protea cynaroides) King Protea with pink bowl shaped flowers.
PERRENIALS:
• Delphinium, foxgloves, calendula, geraniums, viola, hellebores, alyssum, zinnias,snapdragons.
• Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia sp) has lovely orange and yellow flowers.
• French marigold (Tagetes patula) has yellow flowers that repel whiteflies.
NATIVE SHRUBS:
• Grevillea “Golden Lyre” has beautiful cascading branches and long yellow flower heads.
• Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos spp.) has bright yellow flowers.
• Correa alba, has silvery green foliage with tubular light pink flowers early winter.
• Hairpin Banksia “Bush Candles” (Banksia spinulosa) features flowers with golden spikes and contrasting brown stamens.
EXOTIC SHRUBS:
• Magnola ‘Little Gem” Glossy green foliage with a rusty red and white flowers
• Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua glossy leaves and pink, white and red flowers. Camellias flower from late winter to early spring ,they make great hedges or as a feature plant • Duranta “Geisha Girl” deep purple blue flowers with a white centres.
• Daphne odora (Fragrant Daphne) glossy green leaf with pink and white fragrant flowers.
BEES:
• Winter flowering plants to help bees.
• Strawberry tree, Evergreen Clematis ,Winter flowering honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima).
• Primrose, Daffodils, Cornflowers.
The majority of these plant are available at local nurseries. Local Nurseries: Swanes Dural. Flower Power Glenhaven
The Secret Garden and Nursery Richmond is a non profit organization run by North West Disability in the grounds of Western Sydney University phone 0414 784460 to check opening hours.