Marketplace Plants and books

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

Tuberous begonias are known for their big, blousy, colourful blooms, and these lovely new trailing varieties in the Sun Dancer range are smothered in double flowers from spring into autumn.

‘White Pink Picotee’ (far left) has pure white blooms with hot pink edging, and ‘Yellow Red Picotee’ (left) has golden petals trimmed in shades of orange to red. Both grow 20–30cm high and 30–40cm wide. For the greatest impact, plant in pots or hanging baskets.

tesselaar.net.au

Compact varieties of fruit and vegies are tailor-made for small gardens and pots, and you can get started with these three high-yield varieties from the Cut & Cook range. Eggplant Patio Baby produces small, deep purple fruit in 6–8 weeks on a bush that grows up to 50cm high; Cucumber Pickling Gherkin is a trailing vine producing non-bitter cucumbers that grow 8–13cm long, which can be picked in 5–7 weeks and used for snacks, salads or pickles; and Tomato Little Napoli is a Roma variety with full-sized fruit on a disease-resistant bush to 50cm high. oasishorticulture.com.au

These Australian-bred Lavandula pedunculata

hybrids have large-winged bracts above long-lasting flowers on a compact bush, that repeat after the main flush in spring. ‘The Snow Princess’ (left) has white flowers above fragrant grey-green foliage, and

‘The Silver Princess’ (right) has dusky pink flowers above silver-grey foliage. Both tolerate dry conditions, needing only a soak during extended dry periods. Growing to 40cm high and 60cm wide, they make a great low, informal hedge or container plant.

pma.com.au