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GROWING FRIENDS
Five plants for the autumn garden
Add a splash of colour and texture to your garden with these show-stopping plants that will flourish throughout the season and beyond. Whether you’re looking for vibrant flowers, lush foliage or hardy natives, these autumn picks from the Growing Friends team are sure to make an impact.
1. Banksia spinulosa (Hairpin Banksia)
It is such a joy to see the onset of the spectacular yellow, red, orange and gold flower spikes catching the light in gardens and native forests in autumn. The display can continue throughout winter into early summer. The Hairpin Banksia varies in height, from 1-3m, growing naturally along the east coast. There are many cultivars now available making it a popular choice for landscaping. The nectar-rich flowers attract birds and bees, while the foliage offers a habitat for various wildlife species. It can be grown in full sun or part shade and will tolerate harsh climatic conditions including frontline salt, pollution and light frost. Grows best in a well-drained clay loam soil.
2. Stenocarpus sinuatus (Queensland Firewheel Tree)
Autumn is when this outstanding Australian rainforest tree with its unusual dark green, shiny leathery leaves, produces a display of orange to scarlet wheel-shaped flowers. The flowers attract birds and pollinators as well as creating visual impact in the landscape. Reaching up to 15m in cultivation, Stenocarpus has been used as a street tree, in rainforest gardens and heritage landscapes. It grows in a deep, moist, well-drained soil, but will also tolerate short periods of drought. For best flowers, grow in full sun but they will tolerate some shade.
3. Camellia sasanqua
This is a hardy vigorous shrub or small tree that will thrive in full sun or part shade. From autumn through to winter Camellia sasanqua produces an abundance of attractive, delicate flowers in shades of white, pink, yellow and red. Its glossy leaves make it an ideal plant for formal hedges, informal borders and as a specimen tree. Some cultivars can reach up to 4m but will respond well to pruning to a desired height. Best grown in moist, humus-rich soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6 degrees.
4. Dichorisandra thyrsiflora (Blue Ginger)
There is an excellent mass planting of this striking perennial next to the Growing Friends Terrace in the Royal Botanic Garden. Best grown in warm, humid environments with dappled light, Dichorisandra thyrsiflora provides a splash of colour in autumn, with its spikes of vibrant blue flowers and glossy lush foliage. Originating from the forests of Brazil, it thrives in moist, humus-rich soil in frost-free areas.
5. Correa alba (White Correa)
Correa alba produces clusters of white flowers, complemented by dark greygreen foliage from autumn to spring. This Australian native shrub grows to 1.5m in full sun to part shade in coastal, dry environments. Ideal for low-maintenance, water-wise landscaping, Correa attract birds and provide habitat. Correa alba and its many cultivars can be used for hedging, groundcovers, and with regular pruning have become popular in landscaping, often seen clipped into balls and interesting shapes for eyecatching effect.
BELINDA MOON, GROWING FRIENDS SYDNEY
