More breeders are looking at plants native to Australia for their natural ability to bloom under harsh conditions. Suntory Flowers has a joint breeding venture with leading Australian nursery Oasis Horticulture called Bonza Botanicals. Together, they have introduced amazing plants, including:
Surdiva scaevolas– Commonly known as fan flower, scaevolas produce a multitude of fan-shaped flowers in shades of blue. The Surdiva series from Suntory offers exceptional heat tolerance and has been one of the top performing bedding plants in landscape trials at Dallas Arboretum, University of Georgia, and Penn State. Plants are easy to grow, self-cleaning, with a mounding/semi-trailing growth habit and a spread of 18 to 24 inches. Plants reach a height of six to 10 inches. Colors include Blue, Light Blue, and White. Click here to see a video of Dr. Allan Armitage praising Surdiva scaevolas:
‘Silver Leaf Yellow’ chrysocephalum – If you’re looking for drought and heat tolerance, you can’t beat ‘Silver Leaf Yellow’ in landscapes. Plants bloom from early spring into fall, producing bright yellow button flowers banked by mounded gray foliage. Chrysocephalum (also known as helichrysum) is impervious to heat, easy to grow and self-cleaning. Plant ‘Silver Leaf Yellow’ in landscapes, containers, hanging baskets, window boxes, and combinations. It works nicely in rock gardens. Click here to hear what Dr. Allan Armitage has to say about chrysocephalum/helichrysum:
Surdaisy brachyscomes – This delight from Down Under has been praised for its durability and floral display. Known as Outback Daisy or Swan River Daisy, brachyscomes produces hundreds of flowers for continuous color March through October. Surdaisy varieties withstand cold, rain, and sun and have excellent branching. Pink has the largest flowers and darkest foliage with a nice trailing habit for baskets and containers. White and Mauve make excellent groundcovers. Yellow has an airy, upright meadow look. Click here to discover why Surdaisy has been a big hit in the United Kingdom:
Few bulbs are easier to grow than amaryllis-and few bloom with greater exuberance and beauty. But many just toss them at the end of their initial show.
Importantly there are tricks to get them to bloom again. Click here for an informative article about extending the life of amaryllis.
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