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aka Lambs Ear

Stachys lanata is better known as Lamb's Ear, this silver, woolly leaved plant makes great ground cover. Furry spikes carrying small purple flowers are produced in the middle of summer. Well drained soil reduces rotting of hairy leaves, and loves full sun or some shade.

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aka Giant White Bird

Strelitzia nicolai, commonly known as the Giant White Bird of Paradise or Wild Banana are banana-like plants with erect woody stems reaching a height of 6 m and the clumps formed can spread as far as 3.5 m

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aka Bird of Paradise

Elegant and exotic, clump forming perennial with the most unusual, tall spikes of orange and blue blooms that resemble a bird's head. Large, wide swords of blue-grey foliage. Quite easy to grow in a sunny, well drained position with protection from frost. Evergreen.

Strelitzia are quite frost tender when young but do become a little more hardy as the clump matures. They take a few years to flower but it you like a sense of drama in the garden it will be well worth the wait.

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aka Goldfussia

Evergreen shrub with glossy purple-black foliage, lanceolate leaves and purplish stems. Flowers are tubular, in a light purple tones on clusters along the stem. Flowering from spring through to autumn. Prefers full sun to part shade in free draining soil. Frost tender.
Suitable for warmer areas including Auckland/Northland

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A fast growing, clumping perennial with fine grass like green foliage. This long flowering plant will bloom masses of pink star shaped flowers from spring to late summer. This is an extremely low maintenance and hardy plant and can be used as a border or in the garden. Evergreen.

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A fast growing, clumping perennial with fine grass like green foliage. This long flowering plant will bloom masses of pale pink star shaped flowers from spring to late summer. This is an extremely low maintenance and hardy plant and can be used as a border or in the garden. Evergreen.

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aka Society Garlic

Smart South African clump forming, semi-evergreen, perennial with narrow variegated cream and green foliage topped with fragrant lilac flowers from mid summer. Ideal for drift planting in the garden or trouble free mass landscape plants.

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aka Society Garlic

Smart South African clump forming, semi evergreen, perennial with narrow green foliage topped with fragrant lilac flowers from mid summer. Ideal for drift planting in the garden or trouble free mass landscape plants.

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aka Speedwell

This is a wonderful little ground-cover mainly because of the colour it provides in late winter. The shiny green foliage with bronze tones forms a tight mat and starting from about August smothers itself in bright blue flowers and carries on doing so for months. Easy care, trim after flowering.

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aka Periwinkle

Commonly known as Periwinkle this little ground-cover has nice glossy green foliage and a quick creeping habit. In spring and summer pretty starry flowers of warm mauve appear en masse. Likes a semi-shaded position and protection from harsh frost. Evergreen. RHS AGM.

I grow my Periwinkle in a tall narrow container where is drapes attractively over the sides. While this plant is quite easy to grow it will do better in soil that does not completely dry out in summer.