| Description | Prunus lusitanica
If you're looking for a really classy, deep green foliage hedge then buy Portuguese Laurels.
• Perfect for dense or pleached hedging and large standard topiary
• Long, elegant white flowers bloom in the warmer months
• Tolerates most soil conditions, full sun to part shade | Leptospermum obovatum
Starry Night is a versatile, fast growing shrub with deep purple leaves forming a graceful, weeping habit. In late spring and summer, bronze buds open to a profusion of long-lasting snowy white flowers. This variety attracts bee and butterflies. This is a great Australian native adaptable to a variety of soil types and conditions and can be used as a screen, hedge or specimen plant. | Washingtonia robusta
Common names: Mexican Cotton Fan Palm, Mexican Fan Palm, Mexican washingtonia, Washingtonia palm.
The Mexican Cotton Fan Palm is a medium-tall sized palm originating from Mexico. It can reach a mature height of 7m in Victoria's climate. It has large fan like fronds with remnant threads of foliage that appear like ‘cotton’ hanging from between frond segments. It is tough, drought and frost tolerant when established! It is a perfect addition for features and tropical gardens.
100 litre pot. | Ficus benjamina variegata
Ficus weeping fig is an evergreen cultivar in the Moraceae family. The leaves are ovate with slim points, around 12cm long and variegated with glossy shades of green and white. This cultivar is tender, so usually grown as a houseplant, but can be put outside in the summer months, it doesn't like the cold and will often drop leaves as a result. Non-showy flowers lead onto red-orange fruits which become black upon ripening. This species is not typically grown for its fruits, rather it is a popular foliage houseplant due to its elegant growth habit attractive variegated foliage.
4''/10cm pot | Allium tuberosum
Garlic chives are not mentioned in many of the old western herbals, but have been used in Asian cuisine for centuries. Like normal Chives, the are a hardy herbaceous perennial. The only differences being they have a mild garlic and onion flavour, and small white starry like flowers. They are great in pots or in the ground, preferring full sun to part shade. They can grow up to 50cm tall, and splitting the plant every few years will help ensure the plants survival. When harvesting, cut the leaves near to the ground, as it's better for the plant. Garlic chives are great used in salads, stirfrys, rice, and as a garnish for curries, soups, and potatoes. They will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Alternatively you can preserve them in butters, oils and vinaigrettes.
4"/10cm pot size. |
| Content | For a hardy classic hedge or topiary you can't go past the Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusticana). Portugal Laurel or Portuguese Laurel is a large evergreen bushy shrub that makes a very effective hedge or screen when kept clipped from 1-4 metres. With an inoffensive root system, frost hardy foliage and the ability to withstand harsh dry conditions, it the perfect plant for any troublesome garden.
One of the best reasons to buy Portuguese Laurels to create a medium to large hedge is that almost nothing eats it! No hideous bites will be taken out of the leaves from nasty little garden pests as the leaves have a rather sour taste, so many insects and animals are reluctant to have a nibble.
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Ideal for: Hedge, Screen or Pleached hedge
Growth Rate: Moderate- 30-60cm per year
Maintain at a Height of: 1-5m tall
Maximum Height: 4-8m depending on conditions
Soil Requirements: Quite tolerant of most soils, but if you want to pamper it, it enjoys slightly acidic, moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soils.
Maintenance: Low. Twice yearly trimming to keep it neat. Can produce berries that may need cleaning up.
Planting Distance: 60-90cm
Portuguese Laurels adds class and character to the formal or Hampton style garden. Also a popular choice in rural areas due to its hardiness. They like good drainage (find out more about drainage if you're unsure whether you should buy Portuguese Laurels here), otherwise they are very hardy, versatile and easy to shape and maintain.
When buying Portuguese Laurels for hedging and screening, you'll need about three for every two metres of hedge you want to create.
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| Additional information | | |
| botanical name |
Washingtonia robusta
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| height x width |
6-10m tall, slow growing
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| features |
The shiny bright green fronds are almost circular
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| conditions |
Full sun in well drained soil, protected from heavy frosts
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| landscape use |
Specimen, avenue
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| botanical name |
Allium tuberosum, or Chinese chives
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