FFF770 - BLUE HIBISCUS

Alyogyne huegelii, commonly known as the Lilac Hibiscus or Blue Hibiscus, is an evergreen shrub native to the southwest botanical province of Western Australia.

The plant is fast-growing, reaching up to 2.5 meters tall and wide, and produces large, showy, mauve to deep purple flowers. The flowers resemble those of a hibiscus and typically bloom from winter to summer, with individual flowers often lasting only a single day.

It is a hardy, drought-tolerant plant once established, preferring well-drained soil and a sunny position. This specific hybrid cultivar with deep purple flowers is known as 'Blue Heeler'.

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FFF769 - AUSTRALIAN BINDWEED

Convolvulus is a genus of about 200 to 250 species of flowering plants in the bindweed family Convolvulaceae, with a cosmopolitan distribution. Common names include bindweed and morning glory; both names shared with other closely related genera. They are annual or perennial herbaceous vines, bines and (a few species of) woody shrubs, growing to 0.3–3 m tall.

The leaves are spirally arranged, and the flowers trumpet-shaped, mostly white or pink, but blue, violet, purple or yellow in some species. Many of the species are invasive species weeds; but others are cultivated for their attractive flowers, while some are globally threatened.

This is Convolvulus erubescens, commonly known as blushing bindweed, pinkflower bindweed or (in Britain and Ireland) Australian bindweed, is a perennial herb in the Convolvulaceae family that is native to Australia. It has trailing and twining stems and variable leaves, ovate to triangular or arrow-shaped, 25–55 mm long and 2–40 mm wide. It has rosy-pink or mauve, funnel-shaped flowers, 7–15 mm long, 8–20 mm in diameter, with a pale, greenish throat. It is found in coastal and subcoastal areas where it inhabits eucalypt forests, the margins of rainforests, grassy woodlands and grasslands.

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FFF768 - HYACINTH TIME

Hyacinthus is a genus of bulbous herbs and spring-blooming perennials. They are fragrant flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae and are commonly called hyacinths. Many hybrids have been developed and the colour range is broad, with single and double flowered variants existing.

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FFF767 - GIANT HONEY FLOWER

Melianthus major, the giant honey flower or kruidjie-roer-my-nie (Afrikaans for 'herb-touch-me-not'), is a species of flowering plant in the family Francoaceae. It is an evergreen suckering shrub, endemic to South Africa and naturalised in India, Australia and New Zealand.

It grows to 2–3 m tall by 1–3 m wide, with pinnate blue-green leaves 30–50 cm long, which have a distinctive musky odour. Dark red, nectar-laden flower spikes, 30–80 cm in length, appear in spring, followed by green pods. All parts of the plants are poisonous.

The Latin binomial Melianthus major literally means "large honey flower". The plant is also sometimes called honeybush (along with many other plants). In cultivation this plant requires a sheltered location and may also need a protective winter mulch in temperate regions. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

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FFF766 - WATTLE

This is a silver wattle (Acacia dealbata), a native Australian tree or large shrub famous for its bright yellow, fluffy pom-pom flowers and feathery, blue-green leaves.

This is a common plant in both the Australian bush, a street tree in towns and cities, and also a decorative shrub in gardens. Its finely divided, fern-like (bipinnate) leaves with a soft grey-green or silvery tone are highly decorative. Spherical, sweet-scented clusters of bright yellow blossoms bloom during winter and spring.

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FFF765 - SERRURIA

Serruria 'Pretty n Pink' (a hybrid of Serruria florida x rosea), a compact evergreen shrub from the Proteaceae family endemic in South Africa. It is known by the common names of blushing bride or pride of Franschhoek.

This species grows to between 0.8 and 1.5 metres in height and 0.5 metres in width. The leaves are fine and dissected and the flowers are white to pink and appear from July to October in its native range.

It occurs in the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve in the Cape Province. A well-drained position in full sun is preferred by this species, which tolerates dryness. Propagation is from cuttings or seed, although the latter can prove difficult. The species is cultivated for the cut flower trade and it is also grown as an ornamental plant.

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FFF764 - CAMELLIA 'MARGARET DAVIS'

This is a Camellia japonica 'Margaret Davis' flower, featuring large, ruffled, creamy-white petals edged in vibrant raspberry-red or rose-pink. It is an upright, evergreen shrub with glossy, dark green foliage, blooming in late winter through to spring.

It thrives in dappled light, partial shade, or morning sun and needs to be protected from harsh afternoon sun. It prefers acidic, moist, and well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Excellent as a feature plant, in flowering hedges, or grown in large pots and containers.

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FFF763 - LUCULIA

Luculia gratissima is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is an ornamental plant that is found from the central Himalayas to northern Indo-China. The Latin specific epithet gratissima means "most pleasing" or "most agreeable".

It is a large shrub or even a small tree growing to 4 m tall by 1.5 m broad, with pointed ribbed leaves, and clustered fragrant pale pink flowers in autumn and winter. As it does not tolerate temperatures below 5 °C, it requires cultivation under glass in temperate zones. However, it may be placed outside in a sheltered, sunny spot during the summer months. It is a recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

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FFF762 - GREVILLEA - 'NED KELLY'

With almost 400 distinct species as well as countless cultivars and hybrids, grevilleas have become widely popular in gardens both in Australia and overseas. Despite this, relatively few species are in general cultivation – there are many others that should be more widely grown.  Grafting of some of the more touchy species onto hardy root stocks is going some way to achieving this.

This Grevillea is the 'Ned Kelly' hybrid, which features distinctive red-orange toothbrush-shaped flowers. It is a medium-sized bushy shrub with heavily divided, fern-like foliage. The flowers are bird-attracting, specifically loved by honeyeaters, and typically bloom for most of the year. It is a hardy, evergreen plant suitable for screening or as a garden feature.

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FFF761 - CAMELLIA

Camellia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number. The genus was named by Linnaeus after the Jesuit botanist Georg Joseph Kamel, who worked in the Philippines, though he never described a camellia.

This genus is famous throughout East Asia; camellias are known as cháhuā (茶花) in Chinese, "tea flower", an apt designation, as tsubaki (椿) in Japanese, as dongbaek-kkot (동백꽃) in Korean and as hoa trà or hoa chè in Vietnamese.

Of economic importance in the Indian subcontinent and Asia, leaves of C. sinensis are processed to create the popular beverage, tea. The ornamental Camellia japonica, Camellia oleifera and Camellia sasanqua and their hybrids are represented in cultivation by a large number of cultivars.

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