olde worlde young things
Our gardens are filled with glorious exotics, but our climate is idiosyncratic and our soil old, so effort is needed to help them thrive. The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney has isolated 40 plants best suited to our land. Of these, 16 are ideal for anywhere from Darwin to Hobart, Sydney to Perth, and all points in between.
SPIDER FLOWER (CLEOME ‘SENORITA ROSALITA’)
A shock of lavender-pink on lush, dark-green leaves from summer until the first frosts, this annual attracts birds, butterflies and bees. The flowers explode all over the plant and the amazingly long stamens make it look like clusters of beautiful, coloured spiders. It’s heat and drought
