Tender Plants

Commonly known as the Cat's Tail Aloe, Aloe castanea is one of the larger ‘shrub’ aloes available to the home gardener. The rosette gives rise to multiple, fuzzy, orange racemes which are held upright and curve like a cat’s tail.

The Cape Aloe is a distinctly handsome plant, with broad, lance-shaped, fleshy leaves and a large candelabra-like flower-head. There are usually between five and eight branches, each carrying a spike-like head of many flowers.

One of the most attractive and floriferous of Aloes of South Africa, Aloe microstigma, forms solitary or small clumps of beautiful rosettes of blue green leaves. The leaves are adorned with conspicuous white spots, which contrast nicely with the reddish teeth along the margins.

Aloe striata, commonly known as the Coral Aloe is one of the prettiest of all succulents. The smooth, blue-green leaves are edged with a pink or red margin and it blooms with coral coloured flowers. Grown with Agave, cacti or other succulents, they make stunning indoor displays.

Elegant cascades of vivid, elongated flowers with large, arrow-shaped, neatly serrated, green leaves. Begonia boliviensis ‘F1 Sun Cities Mixed’ feature the three ‘Sun Cities’ of the USA: ‘San Francisco’ has slmon-pink blooms, ‘Santa Barbara’ features white blooms and ‘Santa Cruz’, fiery red blooms

Be prepared to get your funk on. The Funky Begonia has entered the dance floor, and she's ready to boogie all summer long. Huge, voluptuous flowers with superior heat tolerance and semi-trailing yet dense, sturdy growth habit, in six fantastic colours – Light Pink, Bright Pink, Orange, Red, Scarlet and White.

Growing cacti is an addictive hobby and be much easier than commonly perceived. This premium cactus seed mix of a variety of species includes the famous and magnificent Saguaro Cactus. They germinate easily, grow slowly, but compared to many plants need relatively little care.

Over the past few years, the new breeding of Coleus has exploded them into hundreds of wild and crazy types of colours and forms. Overwhelmingly the favourite is the Kong series for its sheer presence, each leaf is easily as big as your palm, and probably twice as large as the next biggest Coleus you can buy.

Grown for its outstanding foliage colours, the Kong series of coleus boasts extremely large leaves with irregular edges, each leaf is easily as big as your palm, and probably twice as large as the next biggest Coleus you can buy. 'Kong Red' displays a broad vein of brilliant red down the centre of each leaf.

Featuring huge leaves that are coral in the centre and edged in bright green, Coleus 'Kong Salmon-Pink' is a 'Premium Shade' variety, that are great for large containers and mass plantings, performing best and showing the most intense colour in full shade, they also work well for indoor plant programs. It's hard to go wrong with this plant.

The 'Wizard' Series is an excellent example of the new developments of coleus, it is the best seed raised strain for bedding and containers. From the brilliant apricot-bronze Sunset, to red-veined maroon Velvet Red, each is a distinctive work of art. The heart-shaped leaves show their colour early and keeps its hues right through the worst summer heat and humidity. Available in single colours or as a mix.

This wonderful Victorian type coleus ‘Black Dragon’ forms a riot of rumpled leaves in velvety purplish black leaves, each bordered by frilly edges. The ruby red centres are sometimes flecked with violet or pink. Easy to grow from seed, they will show their first colours in as little as two weeks.

Coleus 'Coral Candy' features a new plant form - narrow, serrated leaves that gracefully drape down the mounded plants. The first seed raised coleus to ever win the coveted AAS Winner designation - AAS Judges noted that this beautiful variety holds its colour well, even when grown in full sun and holds up nicely in the autumn.

Coleus have been perfected, the new varieties have colours that intensify in sun, but can also thrive in shade. “Coral Sunrise” is an excellent example of the new developments, The beautiful coral pink heart-shaped leaves have neatly serrated edges, with shades of olive and intense bright green margins.

Ten years back coleus were gaudy relics from Grandmother's generation, but now coleus are back and teetering on the cutting edge. “Wizard Sunset” is one of the softer colours from the Wizard series, with heart-shaped leaves in beautiful shades of bronze - apricot. Excellent in full sun.

Cyperus alternifolius is a very popular both as a house plant and pond plant. The bracts are symmetrically arranged in an umbrella formation and held atop elegant stems that sway with the breeze, giving a tropical touch to the garden. They are also excellent when used in fresh or dried floral arrangements.

Eschscholzia are of the easiest and most colourful annuals to grow, with masses of beautiful silky flowers in shades of gold. They bloom profusely over a very long season, succeed in all soils and garden positions and are heat and drought-resistant. They give a garden performance second to none!

Throughout the summer, large, pure white flowers of Ipomoea alba open quickly at night, releasing sweet perfume into the evening air. Position near to your patio where you can enjoy the fragrant scent in the evening. A wonderful plant for a moth, night, or fragrance garden, the large white blooms appear to illuminate the garden

Ipomoea pennata is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful of all annual vines. The feathery foliage with thin, thread-like leaves give the plant a light, airy texture. In summer the plants burst into flower and are covered with hundreds of scarlet red, star shaped flowers.