New plants coming soon to nurseries
In 2015 there will be a load of new plants coming to your nurseries, many of them Australian natives that are being bred to perform better in home gardens. There is also some cross-breeding of Australian plants with South African species, combining the best characteristics of both species.
A new Australian hybrid succulent plant has been released, and it's a great one for the summer heat with an appropriate name: xDisphyllum Sunburn.
A luxuriant green, relatively compact groundcover succulent which flowers readily and heavily throughout most of the year, xDisphyllum Sunburn has bright golden yellow/orange flowers. The seed parent is Disphyma crassifolium ssp. clavellatum, an Australian native, and the pollen parent is Glottiphyllum longum, a native of South Africa.
xDisphyllum Sunburn is ideal if you have salty or poor-quality bore water. It loves full sun and is sterile, so there's no weed potential to worry about.
For those who like the grassy look, check out the new dwarf and compact Gaura Passionate Rainbow Petite series. It has ornamental variegated foliage in shades of crimson and pink hues that intensify during the winter months. Heading towards late spring, the plant explodes into a proliferation of mid-pink flowers.
Gauras look great in a cottage-style garden or mixed in with roses or salvias. Prune back by up to half after flowering to encourage a dense bushy habit.
