Cold climate favourites

Favourite flowers for cool and temperate gardens

For those in subtropical and tropical locations look away now.

These beauties are cool climate lovers. For those in warm temperate zones that are elevated in mountainous zones, you may have success or if you know you can create a cool microclimate in your area then why not have a go? 

Peony:

Herbaceous perennial peonies are bought in winter as packaged bare-root plants and planted for a spring display. In spring you will find plants already growing available for sale in pots.

• Height 50cm to 2.5m. The taller varieties are bought as established shrubs.
• Plant in a sunny to semi-shaded location with protection from winds.
• Peonies may require staking depending on the variety grown as their large blooms can be quite heavy. These make the most wonderful cut flowers.

Hellebores: 
These low-growing flowering herbaceous perennials have the most mind-blowing range of flower colours. From green to almost black, purple, apricot, crimson, pink, cream, white and more.

• Height of 40-60cm.
•  Provide an organic humus-rich soil, try Rocky Point Organic Health Garden Soil for a long-term soil solution.
• Water well during times of drought and mulch thickly with Rocky Point Sugar Cane Mulch around the roots before the onslaught of summer heat.
• Grow under trees and in a semi-shaded garden location for the best floral displays throughout winter and early spring.

Daphne:

Daphne is renowned for its heavenly-scented star-shaped cluster of flowers that come in white, cream, yellow or pale pink depending on the variety. The perfume is mind-blowing.

• 1-1.5m tall and will happily grow in pots as well as in the garden.
• Choose a semi-shaded position in that garden where they preferably receive early morning sun.
• Require free draining but moist soil, like Rocky Point Organic Health Garden Soil or for a more budget-friendly soil try Rocky Point Garden Soil.
• Mulch thickly and fertilise with a slow-release fertiliser like Rocky Point ActivGrow Fertiliser Pellets in spring.
• Avoid root disturbance at planting and avoid transplanting as they have fragile roots.

Clematis: 
This flowering genus of climbing plants has a vast and truly diverse number of species, groups, and cultivars available to the home gardener.

• Flowering will occur anywhere from winter, all the way through to autumn depending on the variety.
• Being a climbing plant, it will need some form of structure to grow over and upon, grows up to 2-3m.
• Flowers are flamboyantly coloured blooms and colour ranges from white to all shades of pink, mauve, and purple. There are single, semi-double and double flowering forms too.
• Grow in a sunny to semi-shaded location with good levels of organic matter and good drainage, try Rocky Point Garden Soil or Rocky Point Organic Health Garden Soil.
• Mulch thickly with Rocky Point Sugar Cane Mulch or one of the Rocky Point Decorative Mulches like Tea Tree, Cypress, or Pine Bark to keep the roots cool.