What can I plant in pots? This is a question we get asked weekly, so I thought I would share some ideas with you. No space, no worries! If you live in a small apartment with no backyard and only a balcony, or your current backyard is chock a block already, container planting is a great space saving way to grow.  Whether you are growing flowers or some veggies and herbs, here are some tips below to get started: Take care with keeping water up to the pots as they can dry out more quickly than in the ground, especially hanging baskets. The larger the pot the better, more room to grow ..read more

Echinacea, also known as coneflower is well known for its medicinal properties, said to be natures antibiotic, the roots, flower and leaves can all be used to make tintures and teas to help with cold and flu symptoms and boost the immune system. Some wonderful varieties in all sorts of colours including the new ombre yellows, oranges and reds. The fluffy super duper and the striking white swan. The perennial echinacea plants are drought and frost tolerant once established. The flowers are an absolute magnet for bees and other beneficial pollinators.  Some echinacea may not bl ..read more

Stock flowers Matthiola incana would have to be on the top of my list the most beautifully scented flower, its vanilla and cinnamon scent is just delicous!  Stock flowers are an excellent annual cool weather crop and withstands super cold temperatures.  We are one of Australia's very few suppliers of the stock stoX varieties which have beautiful new unique colours, very uniformed flowers and it is also breed to be able to select for easier select for double flowering plants at the seedling stage (i'll talk more about this below). For most modern stock flowers if not sele ..read more

An old fashion favourite, statice Limonium sinuatum, also known as sea lavender. This easy to grow annual flower is most commonly used in dried floral arrangements as it holds it colour so well, particularly the darker colours. Statice flowers are incredibly low maintenance once establish and for those who are running low on space in the garden, they grow very well in pots. Below is a couple of tip to get you started when growing statice from seed. Germination Tips It is recommend to raise seedling over direct sowing of statice seeds.  The seeds can be sown  ..read more

Sweet Phlox, phlox drummondii, such a lovely flower to have in the garden. Taller varieties make a lovely cut flower, where as shorter varieties make a great bedding flower and grow well in pots. A hardy annual that doesn't need a lot of care once established. Loads of flowers on branched stems with the blooms change colour as opening. My favourite would have to be Phlox cherry caramel, coffee tones with a vintage cherry eye.   Germination Tips I would recommend raising seedlings.  Sow seeds 4-6 weeks prior to the last frost, directly into their final containers or s ..read more

Rudbeckia hirta, also known as 'Blackeyed Susan' can be a somewhat over looked variety to grow as a cut flower, but I can tell you it's a must! This brilliant daisy like flower is an absolute work horse, long vase life and flowers over a long period of time, lasting through late summer to early autumn. A hardy annual that can tolerate poor soil and once established doesn't require a huge amount of water. Rudbeckia come in a range of beautiful colours autumn colours and singles and doubles.  Germination Tips Rudbeckia seeds can be sown early spring to early summer, once the risk ..read more

This is a question we get asked often, which support to use for which type of flower.  There is nothing more devastating than a big wind coming through the patch and  those precious stems snapping and loosing the flower.  I've listed 3 simple methods of support below. Netting Netting is a good option for tall flowers such as zinnia and cosmos, good netting will prevent stems from breaking and help create nice straight stems for cutting. You will need a roll of plastic flower netting, plastic netting works better than jute as it's very strong and you can use it year on year ..read more

Sunny sunflower Helianthus annuus, nothing brightens your day like seeing a big bright sunflower over the neighbours fence or driving by a row in someones front yard.   Sunflowers come in all colours and sizes, from the dwarf fuzzy teddy bear to the very tall rich velvety ruby passion. Some varieties will be branching that produce multiple flowers and others single stemmed, one flower per stem. Some varieties will either have pollen or be pollenless. When choosing which variety to grow its good to be aware that even though the pollenless flowers will not produce pollen they w ..read more

Lovely Lisianthus Lisianthus Eustoma grandiflorum is a much loved and often requested flower. Those beautiful rosettes remind us of a delicate rose. So many gorgeous tones they bloom in, from soft cherry sorbet and champagne to rich browns and black pearls. This tender perennial but mostly grown as an annual. Lisianthus do not like frosts. Lisianthus are grouped into 4 groups, each grouped variety differs in the way they respond to heat and light and day length, this then determines their flowering time.  Groupings Group 1: Winter flowering ..read more

There is no rest for us flower growers. A constant cycle of sowing seeds, planting out seedlings, harvesting those beautiful blooms and then starting again, clearing out and prepping beds and repeating. An absolute labour of love, some say "Gardening is therapy". Although the temperatures are dropping, there is still so much that can be sown. Cool season flowers sown now will establish strong root systems over winter, this allows them to absorb all the nutrients and moisture from the soil thus giving them all they need to burst into life in early spring! Here is a list of some cool seas ..read more