November is when the garden really starts to come alive with colour, and there is plenty happening at Harmony as we head towards summer and the festive season. From some spectacular new feature plants to the first arrivals of our summer flowering annuals, it's a great time to start thinking about adding a little more colour to your garden.
Waratah Wild Brumby
One of the real standouts at the moment is the Telopea Wild Brumby. These spectacular Australian native waratahs make a real statement, with their bold, eye-catching flowers and strong architectural foliage. The range brings together some beautiful colours, from rich reds and vibrant pinks through to softer salmon tones. They are a wonderful choice if you are looking for something a little different, and their striking flowers are also a great attraction for native birds.
Hydrangea Trail Blazer
Another exciting arrival is the Trail Blazer Hydrangea series, which has just landed at Harmony and is already flowering. This is a breakthrough evergreen hydrangea variety, offering a much longer flowering season than we traditionally expect from hydrangeas. With attractive foliage and repeat flowering from spring through into the cooler months, Trail Blazer brings something new to the garden. Its compact growth habit also makes it a great option for garden beds or growing in pots. If you love hydrangeas but would like to enjoy their flowers for longer, this is certainly one to have a look at.
Itoh Peony
If you love peonies, you will want to keep an eye out for Itoh Peonies. These beautiful plants are a special cross between traditional herbaceous peonies and tree peonies, combining some of the best qualities of both. They produce large, spectacular flowers in an amazing range of colours, often with beautiful markings and contrasting centres.
What makes Itoh Peonies particularly special is their strong, sturdy stems, which help support those impressive blooms without the need for staking. They also have attractive, deep green foliage that looks great in the garden well beyond flowering time. Unlike traditional tree peonies, their stems die back in winter, much like herbaceous peonies.
They are a wonderful feature plant for a sunny garden position with well-drained soil, and once established, they can reward you with years of beautiful spring colour. If you are looking for something a little different to add to your garden, Itoh Peonies are certainly worth discovering.
An exceptional peony with impressive flowers, strong growth and plenty of garden appeal.
As we move into the summer flowering season, we're also starting to see the first of our flowering fuchsias arrive. Their delicate, hanging flowers in shades of pink, purple and white are always a favourite. They look fantastic in pots and hanging baskets, particularly in sheltered spots, patios and partly shaded areas, where they bring a lovely softness and plenty of charm.
Our Harmony Grown flowering annual six-packs are another great way to add colour throughout the garden. Grown here at Harmony using natural growing practices, with a focus on healthy soils and strong plants, they offer excellent value and make it easy to fill garden beds, pots and containers with seasonal colour.
Preparing Hanging Baskets for Christmas
With Christmas not too far away, November is the perfect time to get your hanging baskets started. A little preparation now will give your plants time to establish and create the lush, colourful displays we all love to see over the festive season.
Choose a mix of trailing and flowering varieties. Calibrachoa and perennial petunias are excellent for creating that cascading effect, while fuchsias and Impatiens add colour and interest in more sheltered, partly shaded positions. You can have a lot of fun combining different colours and flower shapes to create something that really stands out.
One thing we always recommend is starting with the right growing mix. For hanging baskets, Coco Pro Professional Potting Mix is an excellent choice. Hanging baskets are exposed to more air and sun than many garden pots, which means they can dry out quickly as the weather warms up. Coco Pro contains coconut fibre and chip to help retain moisture while maintaining good airflow around the roots. It also includes a wetting agent, trace elements and slow-release fertiliser to help keep plants nourished as they establish and grow.
Water your baskets in well after planting and keep an eye on them as the weather warms up. Regular watering and feeding will help maintain healthy growth and plenty of flowers throughout the festive season. Even with a quality mix, hanging baskets can dry out quickly in warm or windy conditions, so a little attention goes a long way.
There is plenty of colour arriving at Harmony over the coming weeks, so pop in, have a look around and get some inspiration for your garden, pots and hanging baskets. Whether it's the striking flowers of a Telopea, the extended flowering of the new Trail Blazer Hydrangeas, the charm of a fuchsia or a basket full of summer annuals, November is a great time to bring a little more colour home.
Happy Gardening!