Plant Super Stars – Try These When You’re Not Sure What to Plant

When you’re not sure what to plant.

Try these plants, if you have no idea where to begin.

Plant selection is subjective of course, do what you like – but sometimes when you’ve got a blank canvas,  the choice can be overwhelming. We love these plants for many reasons – they’re timeless, they match in well to lots of house styles and won’t date. Relatively low maintenance, these plants blend in well together. They can be used in formal garden styles or here and there in a not so formal way.   They stand up well on their own and can form a basic garden structure if you’re starting your garden from scratch or are thinking about doing some renovating.

Cycad revoluta

They’re big and beautiful. Actually, even when they’re small and growing, they look great. Such a classic plant that goes well in formal, tropical and even native Aussie gardens. These guys get more handsome every year. They’re quite low maintenance too. Just clip the bottom fronds off as they grow to expose their slow growing trunk. Plant in pots as a feature, or blend them into the landscape in an informal way with taller palms or shrubs. They give the garden good form and depth with their deep green colour and structured shape. Grow them in full sun or even in shade. Provide Cycads with a nice rich, well drained soil and they’ll reward you with flushes of new growth a few times a year in the warmer months.

Port Wine Magnolia

This shrub sells itself. It can act as a low key, but quite attractive shrub with it’s small, glossy foliage. It’s real beauty is in the unassuming little bud like flowers. In Spring, when the weather warms up, these little buds produce a gorgeous scent and has been described as bubble gum, or juicy fruit gum, banana and even rockmelon. Just one shrub will produce lots of flowers that you’ll smell on warm evenings drifting through the air. Port Wine Magnolias respond really well to tip pruning, as it encourages a dense growth habit. The little flowers do grow on older wood, so these can be used as a hedging plant – you can clip away without pruning off all of the flowers. It’s a moderate growing plant, great if you’re wanting a hedge that doesn’t need clipping so often. Likes full sun and also doesn’t mind some shade.

Nandina

This little shrub is such a beauty. We love this plant for its gorgeous texture and colour. In Winter, it tends to redden up, as well as retaining its beautiful multi-coloured foliage. Very low maintenance. It doesn’t grow very big at all. Plant and leave it. You’ll  never have to clip it as it retains it shape really well. Plant these near your Cycads and Port Wine magnolias. You can make a little hedge row out of them undeneath a more formal style hedge. Try a hedge of Port Wine Magnolia and plant these out in front. Would work for small front yards as well as along a fence line in the backyard.

Crepe Myrtle

From here, if you’re looking for a taller element to add to your garden, try Crepe Myrtles. They come in shades of red to pink to white and grow on average 3-4m tall. They’re a multi-trunked large shrub or small tree and are really suited to our climate here in the Southwest. They’re in flower in Summer time at the hottest time of the year and are just stunning. They are a deciduous tree, so will lose their leaves in winter time. They do have attractive bark that makes up for this. Great to use here or there in the garden and are a small tree, ideal for small backyards or even the front.

Liriope

If there’s one grass that we’re always recommending, it’s Liriope. Ideal for both full sun and deep shade, it’s such a pretty grass, that is quick growing and does a nice job as a groundcover. Little purple spike flowers add to its charm. Liriope don’t get overgrown like other native style grasses. While Dianella and Lomandras  have their merits, Liriope blends in a more subtle way and is lusher and greener and not as messy after flowering.

 

We have these plants in stock growing happily year round here in the Nursery. Contact us below if you’ve got any stock queries , or to check out stock levels.

No Fields Found.