Colour your outdoor space
Just as garden designs have evolved over the years, so too has the palette that fills these greenspaces.
South Australian gardeners – both seasoned green thumbs and new plant lovers – are constantly looking for ways to make their outdoor spaces stylish and sustainable.
Shrinking garden size, the cost of living crisis, and climate change have all affected which plants are in vogue.
The Nursery & Garden Industry of South Australia (NGISA) is this state’s peak organisation whose production and retail members have a constant finger on the pulse of plant trends.
If there’s one thing NGISA members agree on, it’s the triumphant success of vibrant colour. From cottage-style beds to sleek city courtyards, South Australians are craving gardens that pop with personality.
As Jason Scroop, owner of Poplar Grove Wholesale Nursery observes, “Colour is king,” Jason says.
“It’s clear that the shift towards smaller yards hasn’t changed our desire for vivid, blooming plants.
“In fact, compact gardens are now driving trends in breeding plants that offer repeat flowering and minimal maintenance.”
Jason highlights the value of perennials like daisies, osteospermum, pelargonium and agastache, which provide long-lasting bursts of colour.
You might like
Co-owner of Barrow & Bench at Malvern, Amanda Stewart promotes the value for money and high impact of annual plants, such as petunias, pansies, and lobelia.
“There’s still a place for potted colour,” Amanda says.
“Annual flowers are so easy to grow in-ground or in a pot and when in full bloom, they just make people smile.
“They’re visually pretty and something that contributes positively to people’s wellbeing.”
Garden space continues to be a deciding factor in plant selection. The urban trajectory towards smaller yards and balconies has predicably seen a distinct move by consumers towards more compact specimens.
Dwarf fruit trees, including citrus, are perfectly sized, super productive, easy to pick, and an increasing favourite.
Chris Physentzou, managing director of Adelaide Plant Growers agrees that smaller plants pack a punch.
“Chrysocephalum such as ‘Desert Flame’ Yellow Buttons, a low spreading ground cover with stunning grey foliage and tight golden flower heads are bulletproof and incredibly popular, we can barely keep up supply,” Chris says.
“The same goes for our ‘Bambino’ Bougainvillea-people love the more compact size with the same ‘Boug’ showstopping spring and summer colour spectacular.”
Dovetailing on the manageable-sized plant trend is the surge in popularity of containerised and patio plants, thanks to expanding outdoor entertaining areas, often with limited direct sunlight.
“Customers are choosing plants like dracaenas, happy plants, various palms, and the iconic bird of paradise to liven up alfresco kitchens and living spaces,” explains Steve Neale, Garden Grove Supplies’ nursery manager, while highlighting the importance of pot selection.
“Forget the heavy concrete, there are a lot of lightweight alternatives in contemporary finishes and colours to create a stylish look that are infinitely easier to manoeuvre.”
Subscribe for updates
Indoor plants are still on trend. Fiddle leaf fig and tractor seat plant, plus philodendron, calathea, hoyas and a host more offer plenty of options and interest.
Edible gardening is another area showing robust growth. No matter if you have a pot or plot, there is always something you can plant and harvest.
Likely influenced by cost-of-living pressures, grow-your-own is back to basics with seeds, seed-raising mix and mini greenhouses, an increasingly popular alternative to punnet seedlings.
Given the diverse selection of herb and vegetable types available on the garden centre seed rack, it’s easy to see why sowing, germinating and planting out seed is all the rage.
Our long, dry spring, summer, and autumn have affected the ability of many plants to successfully cope with these trying conditions, leading home gardeners to look for alternatives, be it Australian natives or hardy exotics.
Correa, eremophila, kangaroo paw, grevillea and callistemon, as well as perennial biden, gaillardia, kalanchoe and salvia are just some of the well-suited plant choices for a climate changing garden.
Carl Heyne, general manager at Heyne’s Wholesale Nursery, says there’s a strong preference for resilience, adaptability, and contemporary aesthetics.
Looking ahead, Carl predicts the palette of natives will continue to evolve, supported by breeding programs focused on traits such as compact size, ornamental foliage, and hedge-ability.
He also sees a trend towards using natives in formal, contemporary designs, citing the precise clipping of westringia spheres as an example of natives being used in new, innovative ways.
While one of the most exciting parts of gardening is discovering new plant varieties that offer something unique, there are many tried, true and timeless performers which continue to be garden staples.
Roses are still blooming favourites in a city that adores the queen of flowers. Whether in home gardens, streetscape or parks, little else matches their flowering capacity, fragrance and resilience to cope with Adelaide’s summer heat.
From traditional hybrid teas like Best Friend and Mother’s Love, to compact bordering beauties such as Zepeti and the Drift range, there’s a huge selection of easy-care sizes, styles and hues to choose.
Box hedges continue to frame entrances, define spaces, or add elegance to patios and terraces. Amongst the many buxus types, Japanese box remains the firm favourite in both home gardens and commercial landscapes.
This hardy and attractive plant’s dense form and glossy green foliage can be clipped high or low, making it adaptable to any garden design.
Even classic varieties found in granny’s garden are enjoying a renaissance. Thanks to the ‘Big’ and ‘Elite’ series of pelargoniums, boasting bright, bountiful and large coloured blooms atop compact foliage, what was old is new again.
Amanda Stewart is enthusiastic. “You get such bang for your buck, flowering around 10 months of the year, they’re very hardy and awesome plants for our climate,” Amanda says.
Jason Scroop sums up what gardening is about: “Just go out and have some fun,” he says.
“Be prepared to pull out some plants to add new colour or structure to the yard, simply pick the right plants for your conditions then mix, match and change around as you like.”
This story was first published in the October 2025 edition of SALIFE Magazine.
