Plant Life

One reason for the existence of a botanic garden is conservation, not only of our own native plants, but to keep stock of other endangered plants from around the world.

This summer has been a good one for the roses. We had fantastic growth in early spring and enjoyed a great display over the summer months.

Brugmansia ''Charles Grimaldi'' has been flowering almost non-stop over summer, producing large bold flowers up to 30cm long.

Viburnum is a well-known plant genus, containing some of the best woody shrubs in cultivation.

It can be hard to predict whether you'll need a sun or a rain umbrella at Christmas time in Dunedin.

Bursting with vibrant pockets of colour, the rock garden at Dunedin Botanic Garden boasts a bounty of treasures tucked into every available space.

Some plants have a wow factor and others not so much.

The rose season starts this weekend with the Otago Rose Society's annual show at Forbury Park Raceway.

Now the swathes of main season rhododendron colour have largely fallen away, a small, much more modest species has a chance to attract some attention. 

If only we had a fried bread plant, then along with Eutaxia myrtifolia, the ''egg and bacon'' plant, we could have a full breakfast.

Spring is an ideal time for planting, with plenty of warm weather and soil moisture to help your plants settle into their new homes.

My grandmother, on church flower duty, once displayed the most beautiful vase of gorse in full bloom, much to the horror of her very staid mother.

Most perennials are grown for their flowers.

For me, as a gardener from far away, the otherness of the New Zealand native flora is thrilling.

The earliest of the graceful herbaceous peonies have emerged from the ground with a vigour which is truly amazing.

Fresh new growth and colour are appearing from every corner at the moment. At ground level, the feathery leaves of woodland anemone are appearing across large swaths of ground.

When you move to a new property, as a gardener, one thing that is often on your mind is, ''What is the soil like?''.

When you visit your local nursery to choose plants for your garden, you will notice that many of the plants on offer have interesting names with speech marks, such as Astelia nervosa 'Silver Spider', Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Little Squirt', and Metrosideros diffusa 'Crystal Showers'.

Splashes of pink and white are littering the rock garden beds as late frosts continue to glisten.

The simple pansy is at the top of my list for winter-flowering annuals. It is easy care and even better, is always flowering.