Marketplace Plants and books

This month’s pick of the bunch for garden lovers nationwide

Gawler sweet peas are a little-known variety from South Australia with large, frilly flowers and a strong scent. They grow to an impressive 3m high and have long stems. When planted in April, they are among the earliest sweet peas to bloom, but they can also be sown in early spring to produce flowers by December. For flowers in the warmer colours of the spectrum, try (above, left to right) ‘Shell’, which has pale pink and peach blooms, vibrant ‘Cerise’, and soft pink and cream ‘Christine Martin’. sweetpeaspecialistsaustralia.com

New to the Plectranthus Velvet Collection, Velvet Lady, Velvet Diva and Velvet Idol have deep green leaves with a purple reverse, and abundant spires that flower from summer through autumn. They are suitable for containers or garden borders, whether in full sun or semi-shade, and tolerate root competition under trees. In cold climates they are deciduous, but are evergreen elsewhere. Velvet Lady (above left) and Velvet Diva (above right) grow 40–50cm high by 40–50cm wide, while Velvet Idol (left) reaches 30–40cm high by 30–40cm wide. tesselaar.net.au

Now is the time to buy bare-rooted roses that will add some romance to your garden. The new-release Grandiflora rose ‘Beautiful Girl’ has blooms similar to a Hybrid Tea, but in clusters, with gorgeous silver and pink petals. It grows to 1.5m high, and the flowers have a mild fragrance and long stems that make them ideal for the vase. treloarroses.com.au