Celebrate winter in the garden

Spring may be thought of as the traditional period for floral displays in the garden but the winter months also bring plenty of beautiful blooms.

Lorna Barnett, from Haughty Culture Garden Design and Landscaping, likes succulents for winter gardens.

"The sturdy, structural form of succulents provides great architectural highlights in the garden and the pretty winter flowers appearing on long stems above the plant are visually appealing," she said.

Succulents had strong, fleshy leaves and were extremely drought-tolerant, so they would continue to work in the garden all year round.

There were also hundreds of different species to choose from.

"My favourites include Kalanchoe thyrsiflora (flapjacks) and Echeveria elegans (hen and chicks)," Ms Barnett said.

Succulents could be planted just about anywhere, as long as there was good drainage.

"They are hardy plants that will survive in most conditions," she said.

Judy Horton, from Yates, recommended the pyrostegia (orange trumpet creeper) for its bright blooms.

"The orange trumpet creeper is a large climbing plant that is great for draping, meaning they grow well over old fences or pergolas," she said.

Ms Horton said they liked a warm and sunny spot with excellent drainage, regular moisture and some shelter from cold winds or frost.

Carole Fudge, from wholesaler Benara Nurseries, suggested the Australian native Geraldton wax, which she said grew well in Perth's sandy soils.

"They offer long-lasting flowers from June through to October, and make magnificent cut flowers that come in a range of colours and sizes from white and soft pinks through to deep purples, and small to medium shrubs from 1-2m high through to bushes up to 3m," she said.

"Popular varieties include Purple Price, Moulin Rouge, Eclipse and My Sweet Sixteen."

Ms Fudge recommended using a native plant soil improver and some slow-release fertiliser designed for native plants.

Why not break from your comfort zone and try the less commonly seen WA native Pimelea physodes (Qualup bell), suggested Grady Brand, senior curator at Kings Park and Botanic Garden.

"The Qualup bell has spectacular, large, bell-like flowers, and flowers profusely," Mr Brand said. "It's an upright, perennial small shrub that grows to just under a metre and is native to the southern region of WA."

The Qualup bell came in only the one variety, though he added that there was variation in the intensity of the red in the flowers.

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