Camellia

It is disappointing when a plant promises lots of blooms, but then its buds turn brown and fail to open. This problem is commonly called 'bud ball', 'bud balling' or 'flower balling'. If the buds disappear rather than turn brown, then chances are it’s a possum that’s the cause of the vanishing flowers! If the flowers open but then turn...

Growing a hedge for privacy is a project that pays back many times over. As well as forming a green screen in several years, hedges add to the greenery in gardens to keep areas cool and add to the garden’s biodiversity. Evergreen hedges provide habitat for birds to nest, insects to feed and their flowers attract pollinating insects such as...

Evergreen plants are the backbone of any garden. Whatever the season, they can be guaranteed to provide lush, leafy colour. As a bonus, many of them also offer flowers at different times of the year. There are evergreen trees, shrubs and perennials to enjoy for shelter, hedging or simply to fill garden beds with year-round interest. Keep evergreen plants in...

At Flower Power, we believe any garden can be as colourful as you want it to be - even in the dead of winter. Include some of our favourite winter-flowering shrubs and you can have a cold-weather garden that's blooming with colour and fragrance. Grow a mix of evergreen, winter-flowering shrubs, climbers and perennials to bring colour to your garden...

Just like humans, all plants are a little different, and where some fail to thrive, others will blossom. The clearest example of this is watering. Some plants will wilt and make it very obvious that they need regular deep watering to thrive. Others however, are perfectly pleased with just an occasional rain shower. Something that might be less obvious to...

Balcony gardens may be bijou, but make no mistake - they can also be a challenge. Getting plant choices correct on a balcony is much like furnishing a small space to make it seem larger than it is. Everything needs to be selected carefully. In the case of a balcony garden, the chosen plants not only need to look good...

Do you want a beautiful garden, but find yourself short on time to give it the attention it deserves? Perhaps you've tried gardening in the past and, through being busy or distracted, you've lost your plants. Or maybe you have a holiday house that is only inhabited periodically. With clever plant selection, even the most forgetful, absent, neglectful gardener can...

There’s nothing like a vase of freshly-cut flowers and there’s nothing like growing the flowers yourself. Discover 12 flowers that make the cut.   1. Kangaroo paws Anigozanthos Colourful and distinctive, kangaroo paw is one of the most recognised and rewarding natives you can grow and it makes an excellent cut flower. Varieties like Bush Pearl and Bush Blitz flower almost...

Summer can be a tough time in gardens but it’s a lot more comfortable if your garden offers a shady oasis from the heat. With a bit of leafy shade the garden becomes somewhere to spend time playing, relaxing and eating. Planting trees around a home does more than provide shade. Trees lower the temperature indoors and out. Summer is...

Paradise Diana is a great choice if you need a quick growing hedge or screen. Paradise Diana is a taller growing sasanqua camellia variety reaching approximately 3 metres high and spreading 2-3 metres wide.  As a bonus, Paradise Diana produces lots of single, pale pink flowers to beautify your garden from early April and throughout the winter. Sasanqua camellias thrive in slightly acidic soil with...