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Kangaroo paws are great for adding colour to the garden and work really well in pots as well as planted in garden beds.  The key to success is loads of sun and excellent drainage. The more sun you give them, the more flowers you will get.  Remember flowering uses up a lot of energy, so use some Neutrog Bush Tucker twice a year on them when there flowering shoots appear, and also when new growth appears.  In between times they love diluted worm wee from your Hungry Bin.

Kangaroo paws are terrific for attracting birds and native bees, as they are rich in nectar. If you place one outside your windows, you’ll be able to bird watch from inside!  They also make great cut flowers, so you can enjoy them inside in a vase for weeks.

It’s cold outside, and you probably have the heater on and a few layers of clothing, but have you thought about what it’s like to be an indoor plant?   What they really want is a consistently warm, bright position with humid air and regular water, but what they normally get is dark, cold and dry, with the occasional burst of burning hot air when the heater is turned on!  Even things out for them by following these simple tips:

• Give them as much light as possible
• Mist them with water whenever you have a moment, but at least twice a day is optimal
• Increase the humidity in your room by placing a bowl of water near the heater, leaving the door open to your bathroom when you shower or having some vases of fresh flowers around
• Move plants away from cold drafts or hot air from heaters
• Take a break from feeding
• Ease back on watering and only use tepid water

Have you met the ZZ plant? Zamioculcaszamifolia is too much of a mouthful for most of us to manage, so no wonder it is called simply ZZ, or by its cultivar name, which is Zanzibar Gem.  The tricky name is the only difficult thing about this plant.  Otherwise it is one of the easiest indoors to grow, with dark waxy fern-like leaves that are quite tolerant of low light conditions and even a forgetful watering regime.  In fact, the only way you can kill this guy is with kindness. Too much water will result in calamity, with yellowing leaves that start to drop off the first sign you’re probably overdoing it, or the drainage is failing; once every three weeks is normally plenty.

So now you’ve met, find yourself a pot and plant one at your place.  It will be great company and become your new best friend.

Kentia palms have dark green, elegant foliage and graceful, arching fronds perfect for interiors.  Best of all, they live happily in pots for many, many years, and cope with low light positions.

To keep them thriving, follow these tips:

• Keep the palm fronds clean and wipe down any dust.
• Allow them to dry out slightly over winter, then up the water and fertilise regularly as the temperatures increase.
• Spell them outside in the shade every few months for a week if you can and give them a hose down.
• Fertiliser with liquid fertiliser during spring and summer
• Sometimes mealy bugs, scale and red spider (two spotted mites) can cause problems indoors. A non-toxic Eco oil spray used occasionally can help.
• Repot palm every few years Eden Garden’s Premium Mix.

Grevilleas make a huge part of the Australian flora,spread right across the continent. Theyare fast growing and like well-drained soil, and live happily in pots.  Our range includes ‘Pink Surprise’, ‘Moonlight’ the rosy pink flowers of ‘Coastal Prestige’ all last well as cut flowers. 

Grevilleasbloom nearly all year round, with extra flourishes in spring and autumn.They are great for picking and bringing indoors, and last up to a week in a vase if picked when they are just opening. Grevilleas are bird attracting, with both the nectar and the seeds eaten.  Pruning grevilleas is essential as it makes the shrubs thicker and bushier, which in turn promotes more flowers.

Fertiliser with Bush Tucker Native Fertiliser in spring and mulch well with pine bark fines or tea tree mulch.  If growing in pots use Martins Native Potting Mix.