Shirley Stuart

It's that time of year again; time to pull out the tinsel and hang the holly.

The majesty of New Zealand conifers cannot be overstated. Even when young they are beautiful trees, either as specimens or nestled in their natural forest habitat. But not all conifers are forest giants.

Sometimes when planning a garden in Dunedin it is nice to include something with a tropical feel. If you're looking for a native plant for the job then give Entelea arborescens a try.

Have you ever picked up leaf skeletons in the bush?

The flora of New Zealand is amazing. It constantly fascinates me.

It's often a misconception that Dunedin is too cold to successfully grow some of New Zealand's North Island flora and indeed it can be a challenge for some species.

The genus Gunnera contains over 40 species of herbaceous plants found mainly in the southern hemisphere.

While I was working in the Dunedin Botanic Garden hebe border, a lovely flowering shrub, Hebe diosmifolia, caught my eye.

The daisies of New Zealand are an interesting group of plants offering a great diversity within the one family, Asteraceae.

Ornamental grasses, tussocks, rushes and sedges have a wide diversity of size, colour and form and their popularity as garden plants is growing.

Have you learned something new today? If you've been for a walk in Dunedin Botanic Garden's New Zealand native plant collection you can surely answer yes.