Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Jun 22, 2014 9:01 am Hi all I am looking for a list of everyone's favourite flowering cottage style plants that I can use in our front garden. I am looking for hardy and easy to grow plants. What would you suggest for a loam soil in an area that has hot summers (Northern VIC)? I love this look - Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Jem's Custom build - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=58630 Re: Give me your lists..... 2Jun 22, 2014 9:30 am Bulbs of various types are always good. Daffodils, jonquils, etc. I like them clumped together. Just don't let anyone pick them to early. Re: Give me your lists..... 3Jun 30, 2014 1:30 pm That looks really good jemsaf but just be aware that English cottage gardens take a lot of work to keep looking good. Friends of mine bought a place from a retired couple up in the Blue Mountains a while ago but they were spending most weekends maintaining the gardens. After a year they cut back the garden dramatically and planted natives and shrubs instead. Stewie Re: Give me your lists..... 4Jun 30, 2014 6:19 pm I 2nd what Saint Mike said. Roses are hardy. My best advice is to create the beautiful cottage garden however use Australian natives. This Web link is good. http://www.australianplants.org/fsmthirt.htm Re: Give me your lists..... 5Jul 21, 2014 4:37 pm Not sure about your area but lavender grows like wildfire here in Brisbane, smells nice and attracts a lot of bees. Camelias have been much hardier than roses for us. I am now focusing on buying only roses that are most tolerant of heat and disease resistant. Re: Give me your lists..... 7Jul 27, 2014 8:18 pm Cottage gardens like the one you depicted don't have to be a lot of work actually. That pick is actually a herbaceous border which are easy to grow and keep looking sweet. The plant in the foreground is lambs ears, a plant that's incredibly easy to grow from seed, spreads like the dickens (but easy to pull out if it grows where you don't want it) and has a beautiful soft silvery velvet texture. It's suitable for a hot, dry climate. Growing next to it under the white and purple flowers are what looks like Thyme and Oregano. Two very hardy herbs that you just give a good haircut with a pair of scissors every month. Lavenders are ever beautiful and since you're in drier type climate you will find it very easy to grow the French and Spanish kind. One plant that's ubiquitous here in Adelaide (another dry climate) is Rosemary. It grows on every street corner here and flowers prolifically. I've not seen rosemary look quite so pretty as it does here. Masses of blue flowers on thick and lush bushes that can be clipped like a hedge. Sage is another plant that loves your climate and gives both silver foliage and deep purple flower spikes like the ones in that pic. Shasta daisies a low mounded shrub that rewards neglect with a carpet of flowers in the summer. Hollyhock, although they are short-lived (2yrs) they are hardy and readily self seed. I like the old single varieties which grow taller and the flowers are large and beautiful. Grow easily from seed, I grew the pink and black ones, both stunning. Just start them off as seedlings and once they get going they will thrive just about anywhere and need little care. They are supposed to grow one year then flower the next, well mine flowered in the first year. One lot was planted in autumn, the other in spring. Spectacular plant to dump into an awkward corner. Geraniums love the hot and dry. They get scraggly easily so you have to prune them back hard after they flower, and by hard, I mean hack them back like nobody's business. They will look a bit forlorn for a while but spring back easily into nice little mounds. There is just nothing quite as amazing as the classic red geranium in a large terracotta pot. For the wildflower meadow look you can also try the Flanders Poppy, Californian Poppy and Cornflower. These are all annuals though and they are best planted enmasse. Re: Give me your lists..... 8Oct 13, 2014 8:36 am Thank you all soo much for your replies. (apologies for the delay inresponse, I'd forgotten to check this post again). Some very helpful advise given, especially Strawlizzy - thanks for taking the time to identify and describe all the plants for me!!! Looks like I am off plant shopping. Jem's Custom build - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=58630 Thanks mate. Yeah good points! Leaning towards Option 3 to get a bit extra space in the cabinets but not going too crazy high (and expensive). Would require a mini… 13 39703 Broker here - legislation says that every true broker must put the clients best interests before theirs so in theory they must offer you the best options for you on their… 2 46013 The worst thing you can do is sign a building contract without a pre contract review. Over the years many people have come to me with disputes where they just signed… 0 8339 |