Vireya rhododendrons are for adventurous gardeners looking for something different and dazzling. They're colourful, flower freely several times a year. They hail from the tropics and will do well through much of coastal NZ. In cooler areas they are often grown in containers and moved into sheltered positions in winter.
An 'old-fashioned' climbing rose that's an excellent choice for decorating a wall, trellis, archway or pergola. It's a strong grower that flowers from mid-spring and long into summer. A trim mid-summer will encourage extra flower later in the season. Plant in a sunny position against a trellis or similar.
An impressive selection of ground cover rosemary; this time with lush green foliage and covered in very rich blue flowers. A good choice for among paving or driveway cobbles where the scent is immediate when crushed or walked upon. Equally effective for under-planting established shrubs or roses.
An extremely dense, dark-green ground hugging form of rosemary. It has very fine leaves, bright blue flowers and a wonderful pendulous habit making it ideal for use on banks and in walls. Try it in a mixed container with other culinary shrubs, or perhaps with Mediterranean-style flowering plants - marguerite daisies for example.
Spring brings masses of cool, deep-blue flowers on this upright form. Great for a rich splash of colour. En masse it's a striking display and regular trimming can produce an attractive, informal hedge. Can also be kept clipped into topiary shapes in containers which can then be placed on paved areas and by doorways.
An upright form with rich, green leaves and violet-blue flowers. Good choice for mid-border, or perhaps near a path where leaves can be rubbed for fragrance, or picked for indoor use, in pot pourri for example. Tuscan Blue can be clipped to size and shape, so try it as small hedge; particularly effective in a cottage garden or potager.
A wonderful improvement on the species. This one's got very dark green and luxuriant leaves, showy deep red flower buds that open to rich creamy white flowers over a long period during winter and spring. Then, to top it off, flowers are followed by very dark-blue, almost black, berries.
Selected form of hardy evergreen V.tinus. Attractive carmine red flower buds appear during Autumn, opening white tinged pink from early Winter.Having a dense compact habit it makes an ideal specimen shrub, great for hedging. Plant in well-drained soil. 1.2 x 1 metre.