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New avocado variety Secondo is a cross between the popular Hass and Sharwill avocados. It’s self-fertile, so you don’t need to grow a second tree for pollination. This delicious variety, originally grown in Australia by an Italian man named Secondo (twin brother of Primo!), produces green, pear-shaped fruit with creamy flesh. Avocado trees grow to 8m high and wide, but can be kept much smaller with regular pruning. They need perfect drainage and will not tolerate wet feet or heavy clay soils. daleysfruit.com.au
Bush Glow, a new release in the Bush Gems range of kangaroo paws, produces a profusion of golden-orange flowers on strong stems. Position it in containers or clustered together in the garden in full sun, which beautifully highlights the flowers’ orange tones.
The plants grow 50cm high by 50cm wide and have excellent disease tolerance.
Bush Zest is another new addition to the Bush Gems range. This kangaroo paw has bright yellow flowers that contrast well with its mid-green foliage. It’s extremely compact, growing to 40cm high by 45cm wide, making it useful for patio pots or low borders. Also new in the range are Bush Surprise with orange-red flowers, and Bush Princess with deep pink flowers. ramm.com.au
Petunias have a long flowering season from spring through to autumn. New to the range of spreading petunias, Petunia x hybrida ‘Midnight Gold’ has a unique colourway, its large, double, deep crimson to black flowers edged by a lemon-hued border. As this variety is very compact and floriferous, it makes a statement in hanging baskets and containers. Growth is 20–25cm high with a spread of 50–65cm. ballaustralia.com
English lavender produces beautiful, highly fragrant flowers, and new Lavandula angustifolia ‘Little Poppet’ is a super-compact variety with deep purple blooms in the warmer months. Growing to just 25cm high by 30cm wide, it is well suited to the smallest balcony, terrace or courtyard. It has low water requirements once established, so you can grow it in the driest part of your garden. pma.com.au
Bottlebrushes are low-maintenance plants able to withstand tough conditions. Unlike most other varieties, Callistemon ‘Red Rover’ bears no flowers, but provides year-round interest with large, rounded leaves that flush red. Growing to only 30–40cm high by 1.5m wide, this is a true groundcover. It requires little or no pruning and is tolerant of light frost. ozbreed.com.au
Enhance urban living with the pleasant sounds of running water and visiting birdlife with a Murano Column Solar On Demand Bubbling Fountain, which doubles as a birdbath and gentle fountain. Using a pump run by solar power, coupled with a back-up battery, it trickles water even on cloudy days and into the evening. There’s also an option for night-time use only. Made from glass-fibre-reinforced concrete (GFRC) and featuring a mosaic tile design, the column stands 62cm tall, and the bowl holds 10L of water. smartlivinghg.com.au