White and green, simple and elegant
n Camellia Early Pearly – Medium white double flower which appears from early autumn through winter against dark green foliage.
Early Pearly can be used as a stand-alone ornamental or is excellent as a hedge as it can be kept trimmed anywhere from 80cm to 2m in height.
As a stand-alone ornamental, its form is tight and upright, so is easy to keep trimmed as columns in a formal garden.
n Westringia Grey Box – Provides great color contrast against the green foliage of other plants as it has a fine silvery foliage.
It is excellent to add sculptural forms in your garden as it trims well into balls, it is also a great substitute for buxus. It is also drought tolerant.
n White Carpet Roses – I love carpet roses as they flower all year round and you don’t have to be fussy when pruning them.
You can just go over them with the hedge trimmer to give them a round shape, and then every few years remove the dead wood.
n Ophiopogon – Mondo grass has dark green foliage and is a plant and forget type of plant. It is great as an edging plant as it helps keep mulch or drift through your garden.
Beautiful contrasting native
n Pseudopanax Ferox or Crassifolius – A spectacular slow-growing specimen with narrow, saw-like brown juvenile leaves. Gives an architectural look to even the smallest of spaces. Becomes a bushy-topped tree with a clean, slender trunk. Attractive to pollinators and hardier than P. Crassifolius.
n Phormium Emerald Green – Dwarf variety which has narrow, sword like leaves that are a striking emerald, green colour. Through summer it produces yellow flowers on tall stems that attract all manner of birds. This variety typically grows to 60cm tall and 70cm wide with a tidy and compact habit.
Very versatile plant that makes a fantastic addition to mix any plantings, great for harsh exposed sites. It is also well suited for mass planting on a bank and in these situations, provides an impressive display.
n Muehlenbeckia Astonii – Fine tiny heart-shaped leaves on brown-red tangled twiggy stems, great for trimming into balls or letting grow into its natural form. Great contrast against thicker foliage plants such as the phormiums.
n Coprosma Hawera – This is my go-to native ground cover as it is fairly fast growing and is a great ground cover for weed suppression. It can handle light foot traffic and is a super tough plant that will grow where other plants might struggle.
