Create a Floral Paradise in Your Garden
Create a Floral Paradise in Your Garden With These Plants
We’ve heard from a little birdie that you’re in need of some more flowers in the garden and we just so happened to stumble upon a beautiful garden that is sure to inspire you. We even made a whole video about it!
You can watch that here, but read on to learn more about these flowers.
Grab a quick sneak peek, JUMP STRAIGHT TO the plants we’ll be discussing today:
1. Clematis ‘Madame Julia Correvon’
2. Salvia ‘Mexican Bush Sage’
3. Bartlettina ‘Purple Mist Flower’
4. ‘Princess Diana’ Peruvian Lily
5. Rose ‘Shady Lady
6. Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’
7. Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’
8. Tricyrtis ‘Blue Toad Lily’
9. Fuchsia Fuchsita® ‘Blush Violet’
10. Persicaria Fascination Red Bistort
+ 8 More
Maybe you’re creating a garden from scratch and feeling overwhelmed by all the plant choices you need to make. Maybe you already have a garden but it’s in need of some pops of colour. Maybe you just moved into a place that only has a balcony and you’re looking for some potted colour.
We got you. We’re going to be breaking down the 18 flowers from this wonderful garden, and telling you all about their individual strengths, applications and how to best take care of them.
Now a quick note before we get into it, not all of these will be blooming right now. If you are more interested in flowers you can have in autumn, then be sure to check out our article The 10 Best Plants For Autumn Flowering in Australia.
Clematis 'Madame Julia Correvon'
We’re starting strong with an award winning flower that has both incredible beauty and is easy to grow. You will see quickly why it earned the Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
The first thing you’ll notice is the intensity of colour and uniquely shaped petals on Madame Julia Correvon. We love how the petals come out flat but with some time they start to curve and twist in unusually beautiful ways. It’s like each petal has a life of their own, giving the whole flower a dynamic movement to it.
Madame Julia Correvon doesn’t skimp on flowers, with masses of those beautiful star shaped flowers creating an incredible show. It also blooms for a very long time, from early summer to early autumn, meaning you get to enjoy those gorgeous flowers for ages.
They also make for excellent cut flowers so you can bring a slice of that beauty indoors too.
This is a plant you choose when you want a flowering climber as they look best when trained to climb up a fence, trellis, wall or any surface. The vines are nice and strong, making it easy to grow up your preferred garden structure.
This particular variety of Clematis is more heat tolerant than others so can take more sun. They intermingle well with many plants, climbing up them in a wonderfully symbiotic way. You can even grow them along short hedges!
Please note that this plant is toxic to dogs, cats and horses so if you have one of these furry friends consider another plant on this list.
In terms of how to best take care of this wonderful plant, you want to make sure to do the following things:
- Keep it in moist, well-drained soil
- Keep it’s ‘head in the sun and feet in the shade’ meaning the roots should be in a cool and shaded area and the top part of the plant with the flowers in the sun.
- Prune it in late winter or early spring making sure to cut back hard to a pair of strong buds.
- Use a Rose Fertilizer every three months or so to make them absolutely thrive.
We unfortunately don’t stock this exact variety just yet, but are working hard to get it in.
In the meantime we can offer you another type of Clematis that is just as stunning. In fact, Clematis are just an incredible flower family that have a rich diversity of colours and tolerances.
The Clematis we recommend is Clematis montana ‘Rubens’ a light pink flower that is deliciously fragrant and is both drought and frost hardy. Learn more about it here.
For our next option we’re going with a classic, the Mexican Bush Sage, which has been a garden favourite for many years. This is the plant you choose when you have a sunny spot and want something that’s hardy and long flowering.
It’s also a great choice for those needing a good medium sized hedge that can be planted at the front as a feature or used as a layering plant towards the back of a gardening bed.
Mexican Bush Sage is an evergreen shrub that bears tall erect flowers of either purple or white. The flowering period stretches from late summer/early spring to late autumn, and in the right climate it can actually flower all year round.
It grows to a height of 0.8 – 1.2metres tall and wide with grey-green foliage that contrasts nicely with other greenery in the garden. The flowers gracefully arch and bend in interesting ways above the foliage, creating a dynamic and interesting display.
Now although this is a hardy plant that can handle dry conditions, what you don’t want to do is put it in a shady area. A little bit of shade is fine, but extended periods of shade will leave the flowers scraggly and desperately trying to stretch towards the sun.
Mexican Sage Salvia prefers a deep watering once a week when hot but be mindful that hot and moist/wet conditions are not suitable. If you live in a tropical area, it’s best to choose another plant. It works in most soil types.
Although mild frosts can be tolerated by established plants, it’s best to protect young plants for the first few years. If you live in a particularly cold area, then it’s a good idea to plant it in a pot and you can even bring that inside if the weather gets particularly bad.
Pruning isn’t necessary but if you find the flowers are starting to sag and break off then a light prune may be required. Also general pruning can help promote bushiness if you want a fuller looking shrub.
Unlike other Sages, Mexican Bush is actually very good as a cut flower because of the way the fuzzy purple calyces stay on the plant even after the petals have fallen.
When you’re looking for something whimsical and fragrant, you can’t go past the Purple Mist Flower. The aroma is described as an intoxicating mix of lilac and honey that attracts bees and butterflies.
The large, veined leaves make for a beautiful display that gets elevated in spring when large clusters of flowers emerge. The flowers have a very distinctive fluffy look that is both playful and striking – they look quite like fluffy pom-poms!
If you are after a large shrub/bush and have dappled shaded area than this is the perfect plant for you. Purple Mist Flower reaches a size of 3 metres tall and 2.5 metres wide.
Purple Mist Flower can be used in a number of different ways, either as a focal feature in the middle of a garden bed, a layered piece underneath trees or mixed in with other plants to add vibrancy.
In terms of care you want to plant it in a spot that doesn’t receive hot afternoon sun, Purple Mist Flower instead thrives in light, dappled shade. The ideal soil is moist yet well-drained, a good tip to retain moisture is by applying a good layer of mulch.
If you want compact growth, then it’s best to prune it by about a third after flowering. If you live in a frost prone area, then it’s best to choose another plant.
For a truly striking multi-coloured display consider the Princess Diana Peruvian Lily. They have the most delightful combination of orange, red, yellow and cream with brown markings that instantly draws the eye.
Princess Diana Peruvian Lily is an excellent choice for those needing a border plant that is long flowering and low maintenance. They produce flowers for almost 9 months! From mid spring to late autumn you can enjoy those stunning flowers. What’s amazing as well is how great they are as cut flowers – they last for over two weeks in a vase!
If you have a smaller sized garden, these are the perfect flowers for you as they only grow 20-30cm tall and 24-60cm wide. They also do very well in containers so you can have them out on your balcony or patio.
They are a reliable easy to grow plant that is drought tolerant, frost tolerant and generally disease free. Butterflies and bees love them, but they may get damaged by slugs.
To best care for your Princess Diana Peruvian Lily plant it in a full sun or light shade area with fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Make sure to avoid dry soils and choose a spot that is sheltered from the wind.
If you want to promote new blooms, then pull the stems from the base instead of cutting them. Just be careful with the flowers as they can cause skin irritants.
Rose ‘Shady Lady’
If you have a shady spot and you’re searching for something vibrantly coloured to brighten it up, here’s ‘Shady Lady’ Rose. It has gorgeous semi-double blooms of hot pink surrounded by glossy green foliage.
As you can see from this list there are quite a few flowers that can’t handle any shade, or only a little bit of shade. What makes Shady Lady so great is the fact that it can tolerate considerable shade.
Shady Lady flowers from early spring to early summer and has a mild fragrance. You can choose between the garden bed or a large pot, they look fantastic planted in a massed effect or a single specimen.
To take care of Shady Lady be sure to water it well in the hottest months of the year but avoid the foliage. The reason being that roses are prone to moisture loving fungus so don’t water from above.
Prune hard each winter to make way for new growth, cutting above an outward-pointing bud and cutting the stem on an angle.
Now we are currently working on trying to add this wonderful flower to our range but are unable to get it for the moment. What we can offer is the fantastic New Dawn, a blush pink semi-double rose that also tolerates shade well. Find out more about it here.
Mona Lavender is the plant to choose when you’re looking for a fast growing neat shrub that can be planted in a full sun to part shade location. Also funnily enough, Mona Lavender has also received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticulture Society in the UK!
Those gorgeous spikes of bright purple flowers emerge in late summer and bloom through autumn. The dark green leaves perfectly compliment these beautiful flowers.
Mona Lavender can of course be planted in the garden but also does great in a container on sheltered patios. It’s a great solution for low light spaces in the garden such as under decks or trees. They also make for a great border plant!
To best take care of your Mona Lavender plant it in moist but well-draining soil and fertilise it will a slow release fertiliser during early spring. If you want a neat shape and dense foliage then give it a light pruning after flowering. Mona Lavender doesn’t tolerate frosts so be sure to give it protection if your area is susceptible to frosts.
Here’s a truly unusual, yet striking, choice. It’s also the plant to go for when you need something that is tough as nails. The flowers are vastly different to any on this list, or most flowers in general. Ascot Rainbow also provides you with year round colour through its variegated foliage.
Those strange flowers are small and tubular with a red eye and grow in colourful bracts above the foliage. They appear from late winter through spring.
Ascot Rainbow is very hardy with an extreme tolerance for hot and dry conditions, as well as a tolerance to frost and coastal conditions. It’s compact habit makes it perfect for any sized garden, or even in a pot on the balcony or patio.
Plant it in almost any type of soil with good drainage as Euphorbias don’t like wet feet. To make Ascot Rainbow thrive give it a slow release fertiliser in spring. You don’t need to prune it but if you would like a bushier habit then you can cut back spent flower stems to their base. If you do cut it, avoid skin contact with the milky sap as it can be irritating to some people.
Here’s a beautiful rarity to add an exotic touch to your garden – the Blue Toad Lily. With orchid-like blooms that are speckled with soft blue and purple dots, Blue Toad Lily is truly a beautiful addition to any garden. We particularly love them in woodland gardens.
Those exquisite flowers appear from late summer into fall, adding colour at a time where most of your perennials are ending. Blue Toad Lily likes partial to full shade areas – even flowering in deep shade.
It reaches a height of about 45-60cm and don’t require much maintenance beyond regular watering to keep the soil moist.
For another intricately and multi-coloured flower consider the Blush Violet Fuchsia. The mix of coral pink and mauve make for a glamourous and striking show. You want to keep it out of the hot sun as it doesn’t do well in Aussie summers. Instead plant it in a half shade half sun area.
Blush Violet Fuchsia attracts butterflies and bees and flowers from early summer to autumn. It’s great for pots and baskets and grows to a max size of about 40cm in height and width. Keep the soil nice and moist, but don’t overwater it.
Persicaria Fascination Red Bistort
Fascination Red Bistort is a real tough plant that can grow in almost any location. It isn’t bothered by sun or shade, soil type, or exposed places. You just need to get it established and then you can pretty much just leave it be.
But for such little effort you get a gorgeous show of vibrant pink flowers surrounded by slender arrowhead leaves. Fascination Red Bistort starts flowering in summer through to the first frosts.
Plant it in sun or part shade and although it can grow in most soils, it will thrive the most in loamy rich moist soils. Fascination Red Bistort grows to a size of about 1.2 metres in height and 0.7 – 1 metre in width. Be sure to trim it for fresh new regrowth and an extended flowering season.
Unfortunately we currently don’t hold stock of this plant, which will hopefully change soon. In the meantime we recommend the wonderful Agastache ‘Orange’ – a perennial plant that is similar in appearance to Fascination Red Bistort. Learn more about it here.
The Eight Other Plants
Here are eight more plants we recommend listed below. We hope we’ve inspired you for all the wonderful flowering plants you can have in your garden!
Be sure to follow our socials and check out our other blog posts for more inspiration!
Feeling inspired to create your own garden, but want some expert advice? Try our one-on-one garden design service with Chris. Together you’ll come up with a selection of plants along with a layout plan that gives you the look you want, as well as being suitable for your local soil and conditions.
get your own tailored modern garden design:
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