Colourful flowers to brighten your garden

Federation daisies
For lovers of cottage-style gardens or simply a container or two of welcoming colour in the cooler months, Federation daisies – which are marguerite daisies (Argyranthemum frutescens) bred by an Australian company specifically for Australian conditions – are a no-brainer. The new Federation Fancy ‘Pink Posy’ (above) produces masses of repeat-flowering hot-pink blooms with striking white centres from autumn through to spring. Growing to a compact 60cm high and 45cm wide, ‘Pink Posy’ will thrive in full sun with very little fuss and miserly watering. ramm.com.au

Amber’s gifts

What could be more delightful than planting something that will bring you joy, and enrich the lives of other people too. ­The Australian-bred rose Amber’s Gift was released this year and named for Amber, the first Hearing Assistance Dog trained by the Australian Lions Hearing Dogs (ALHD) association in 1982. This award-winning Floribunda’s flowers start as almost-black buds, which unfurl to reveal frilled petals of deep pink-red that fade to mauve. It grows to 2m high, with clusters of up to eight gently scented blooms per head. Proceeds from bare-rooted plants are donated to ALHD to help continue its life-enhancing work. wagnersrosenursery.com.au

Cymbidium Templestowe’s Charm ‘Julie’ and ‘Nicole’
If you love ‘look-at-me’ cymbidium orchids, these two are worth adding to your wishlist. Cymbidium Templestowe’s Charm ‘Julie’ and ‘Nicole’, both bred by Victorian-based David Wain, produce multiple stems of vivid flowers but with quite different characteristics. ‘Julie’ features a white-tinged labellum (or ‘lip’) freckled with deep burgundy markings that stand out spectacularly against maroon petals edged with pale pink. ‘Nicole’ has more subtle markings, its paler pink petals fading to white at the edge, with a white-centred labellum. They thrive best in dappled sunlight or semi-shade in a quality free-draining orchid potting mix, and tolerate cramped root conditions for a while. Blooms appear in late winter through spring, and last for six weeks. theorchidplace.com.au

Brindabella ‘Delicious’
Bred in Queensland, the new Hybrid Tea rose Brindabella ‘Delicious’ has a deep and truly ‘rosy’ scent. The power of its perfume is matched by its large, deep pink double flowers streaked with white and café-au-lait, held on long stems that beg to be cut for a vase. Growing to 1.3m tall and 1m wide, this vigorous bushy variety boasts dark green foliage against which the blooms make a fabulous display – and expect plenty of them, as this rose will repeat-flower in flushes every seven weeks or so. That striking colour holds fast in the heat, too. brindabella-gardens.com.au

Crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis) and snake’s head fritillary (F. meleagris)
Crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis) and snake’s head fritillary (F. meleagris) are both spectacular bulbs for pots or mass plantings. Crown imperial thrives in well-drained soil and dry conditions. Growing to 1m tall on a single stem, well above their skirts of lilium-like leaves, each red-orange bell-shaped flower is graced with a crown of small, spiky green leaves. Snake’s head fritillary is happiest in light shade. It has a purple snakeskin-like flower atop each slender stem, and strappy leaves. It grows to a diminutive 30cm high. tonkinsbulbs.com.au

Text by Sally Feldman