Thursday, October 9, 2025

Plants

Living plant collectionsPlants

Living plant collections: A digital renaissance

By Richard Ackland and Rhonda Sorensen

Over the past 18 months, the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden (NCRBG) in Coffs Harbour, northern NSW, has revolutionised the way it manages records of its living plant collection. As a sanctuary of biodiversity, the botanic garden has long been a guardian of rare and significant plant species, yet its record-keeping systems had become outdated and fragmented.Continue reading

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PlantsTurf

Turf breeding for the future

A turfgrass program’s expanding role in zoysia grass innovation

By Brian Schwartz and Sameer Khanal

The warm season turfgrass breeding program at the University of Georgia’s Tifton Campus continues to foster its long-standing and impactful public private partnerships to address key challenges in the turfgrass industry through cultivar development.Continue reading

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Plant PalettePlants

One fine Phyllanthus

By Caleb Roberts

Botanical name: Phyllanthus embilica

Common name(s): Amla, Indian gooseberry

Family: Phyllanthaceae

Origin or native range: There is a saying about some medicines, that a strong taste means they must be doing something right! That certainly rings true for amla, otherwise known as the Indian gooseberry.… Continue reading

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Plant PalettePlants

Sage insights: The expanding world of salvias

By Clive Larkman

The genus Salvia is one of the largest plant genera with over 1,000 species. It is a member of the Lamiaceae, the mint family, which includes most of our aromatic and many of our medicinal herbs. Salvia is the largest genus in the Lamiaceae and consists of annuals, perennials and evergreen shrubs that grow in full desert sun to moist woodland environments.Continue reading

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Advanced TreesPlants

Is bigger better?

By Patrick Regnault

Advanced trees have an undeniable use in the landscapes of public and private gardens. They help create a focal point, anchor the new landscape and sometimes they are simply the most practical option. But are they overused? Are they horticulturally appropriate for the site or the species?Continue reading

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Plant PalettePlants

Most popular small shrubs and groundcovers of 2024-25

By Daniel Fuller

Understanding industry trends can inform nursery purchasing decisions. Ozbreed’s data for the 2024-25 reflects plants that have been selling extremely well, and we foresee that sales are likely to stay strong in the coming financial year. Here are our strongest Australian small shrub and groundcover sellers by quantity of units starting with the most popular.Continue reading

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PlantsTrees

Victoria offers grants for farm trees

By John Fitzsimmons

The Victorian Government has announced the availability of grants to support the planting of trees on farms, promoting the potential benefits for farmers, the greenlife industry and the environment. This new grant program is broadly separated into two parts: one where the farmer or landowner implements the program, and a second where specialist planting and/or plantation management services are engaged by the farmer or landowner.Continue reading

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Plants

Yacon takes root in Australia

By Clive Larkman

The Columbian Exchange continues to make its impact felt on the world, with the arrival of the yacon on the Australian market. Will this edible tuber make its mark on our nation, or will it prove to be a culinary fad? Continue reading

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PlantsTurf

Reviving the riverbank

Turf’s role in erosion control

Supplied by Lawn Solutions Australia

Nestled on the banks of the Hawkesbury River, just outside Windsor, New South Wales, is a newly completed turf project that demonstrates the power of natural erosion control using turf. A collaborative effort led by Green Life Turf has transformed a flood devastated riverbank into a resilient green embankment.Continue reading

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Melbourne International Flower and Garden ShowPlants

A photographic tour of MIFGS

By Gabrielle Stannus

Continuing from the article I wrote in May, which covered the Gold medal winning ‘‘ǝ’skāp’ display garden at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS), I have put together some of my other plant highlights from that event just for you!Continue reading

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