Agapanthus
Vibrant, colourful flowers with shiny green leaves, Agapanthus can really brighten up your garden.
Camellias (Camellia spp.) are one of the most versatile perennial plants that you can have in the garden. They can be used as a hedge, a feature tree, grown for their outstanding blooms, to make and create tea (C. sinensis) or just to add some colour to the garden on those dreary cooler days. The most common species of camellias are sasanquas and japonicas. Sasanquas are usually the first to flower, starting in autumn, followed by japonicas in late autumn to early spring.
Camellia's come in a range of single to double blooms and a variety of colours ranging from deep pinks and reds through to pretty light pink, cream and white. Camellias with exposed stamens are adored by bees and camellia flowers can also attract birds.
Camellias are remarkably drought tolerant but the plants will perform at their best if water stress is kept to a minimum.
Watch out for sunburn. Even the sun-hardiest camellia can burn on an extra-hot day, which can lead to leaf fungal problems. You can provide your plant with some additional protection during this period by applying Yates Droughtshield to the leaves.
Camellias make their major spurt of growth after flowering, so it’s best to feed when the last flowers are coming to an end.
Camellias have shallow root systems that can dry out readily during summer so, after fertilising, spread a layer of mulch around the base to retain moisture.
Camellias, as well as azaleas and rhododendrons, prefer a slightly acidic soil (soil with a pH of less than 7). If your soil is alkaline, apply some Yates Soil Acidifier Liquid Sulfur to reduce the pH of the soil.
If you’ve had problems with camellia bud balling in the past, where buds form but go brown and don’t open, an application of liquid magnesium might help. Yates Leaf Greener Magnesium Chelate is a concentrated source of fast acting magnesium that can help correct magnesium deficiency in camellias.
There are three types of Camellias that are grown and available in Australia:
Japonica Camellia (C. japonica)
Japonicas have stunning single or double flowers borne above attractive glossy green foliage. Bring their beautiful blooms inside and float them a shallow bowl of water.
Sasanqua Camellia (C. sasanqua)
While often used as a hedging plant, sasanquas can also be left to grow into small feature trees. Where space is an issue, consider dwarf forms or espaliering against a wall.
Tea Plant (C.sinesis)
Grown for the leaf tips rather than the flowers, the new leaves and buds can be harvested and dried for tea (white, green and black). Tea plants can be grown into an attractive hedge or used as a screening plant.
Reticulata (C. reticulata)
These plants are a real show stopper! Reticulatas are mainly grown for their large voluptuous flowers that appear from late winter to mid spring. Due to their open growth habit, they’re best grown as feature trees in the garden.
Vibrant, colourful flowers with shiny green leaves, Agapanthus can really brighten up your garden.
Ageratum flowers are tough plants that can even handle a bit of shade. They are the truest blue annuals you can find for your garden.
Looking for options for groundcover, try growing ajuga. Ajuga has a wide variety of foliage colors usually in the rich deep burgundy realm.
How to grow yellow Allamanda! A tropical evergreen shrub features large golden-yellow flowers. Please note in QLD it's an invasive plant.
Create organic nutrient rich soil with Yates Dynamic Lifter for better root growth, stronger plants and more flowers and fruit.
A special combination of organic ingredients boosted with fast-acting fertilisers, so you can enjoy bigger and more prolific beautiful blooms.
These crystals absorb up to 400 times their own weight in water. This water is then released back to the plants over time as they require it.
A high quality all purpose organic-based potting mix suitable for most indoor and outdoor potted plants.
Liquid plant food that provides your flowering plants with the balanced nutrients they require for healthy growth and flower production.
Protects plants from heat, water loss, drying winds, sunburn, droughts, frost and transplant shock.
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