Proteas
Not just any old blossom, protea flowers are blooms with attitude. If you can give them full sun and reasonable drainage, proteas will love you.
Yates Account
Join now
Create a Yates account today!
Sign up to join the Yates Garden Club for monthly e-mails packed with seasonal inspiration, tips for success & exclusive promotions.
Plus if you’re a Garden Club member you can take part in the Yates Growing Community - a blog to share successes, get advice & win prizes in fun challenges along the way!
Forgot password
Enter the email address associated with your account, and we'll email you a new password.
Ajuga (Ajuga reptans) or Carpet Bugle Weed is often used in the shady gardens as a low ground cover. Often grown for their rosettes of bronze or dark green leaves and their blue flowers that make an appearance in spring or early summer. Great as a lawn alternative and for added colour to the shaded areas of the garden.
How to grow ajuga in a garden
- Choose a part shaded spot in the garden that receives filtered or morning sun and is sheltered from the afternoon sun that has well-drained soil. Enrich the soil with Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food.
- Dig the planting hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the root-ball. Remove the shrub from the container, gently tease the roots and cut away any circled or tangled roots.
- Position in hole and backfill, gently firming down. Form a raised ring around the plant, creating a well so that water will go where it’s needed most. Water in well.
- Mulch around the base with organic mulch like bark chips or pea straw, keeping it away from the trunk.
- Feed regularly with Yates Thrive Rose & Flower Granular Plant Food.
How to grow ajuga in a pot
- Choose a pot at least 200mm wide and deep. Position in part shade or a spot that receives filtered or morning sun and is sheltered from the afternoon sun.
- Fill the chosen pots with quality potting mix, such as Yates Premium Potting Mix.
- Remove the shrub from the container, gently tease the roots.
- Position in hole and backfill, gently firming down. Water in well.
- Feed every 1 to 2 weeks with Yates Thrive Natural Fish & Seaweed+ Plant Food Concentrate.
Growing tips
- Remove spent flowers to encourage further growth.
- Can become weedy in certain areas. Best used in retained beds in the cooler climates. Check with your local council for any restrictions.
- Regularly trim back edges and remove any dead plants to retain control and keep beds clean.
- Great for colder areas as they can tolerate frosts to -15°C.
- Can be used as a grass substitute in the shady areas in the garden.
Azalea
Azaleas vary from small, delicate shrubs that are happy in pots, up to hardy 1.5m shrubs ideal for border planting. Here's how to grow azaleas in your garden.
Lavender
Lavender are hardy perennial plants with silvery-grey, aromatic foliage & dense spike of flowers in shades of purple, blue, pink and white.
Echinacea
Echinacea is a hardy herbaceous perennial with large fragrant pink daisy-like flowers. Used for therapeutic purposes and as a delicious tea.
Recommended products
Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food
Releases nutrients slowly, improves the structure and moisture retention of the soil and encourages earthworms and beneficial soil micro-organisms.
Yates Thrive Rose & Flower Granular Plant Food
Specially formulated to grow all types of flowers. With high potassium for large & abundant flowers, added calcium & iron for stronger flowers.
Yates Premium Potting Mix
A premium potting mix, ideal for all potted plants and shrubs, including ornamentals, fruit trees, vegies and herbs.
Yates Thrive Natural Fish & Seaweed+ Plant Food Concentrate
A complete plant food enriched with natural fish, seaweed, humates, molasses and more - boosted with NPK to improve plant and soil vitality.
Share
Share this article on social media