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20 Apr 2020

Four pot plants to make your courtyard look gorgeous

Nothing brightens up a courtyard and your time at home like some colourful greenery. But where to start? Centennial Parklands’ expert horticulturalists have put together this easy guide to four plants that love a courtyard environment.

If you’re reading this while Australians have been asked to stay home it’s a great time to get gardening whatever the size of your courtyard, balcony, or garden - but of course please follow all Public Health Orders.

Backhousia citriodora 'Lemon Myrtle'

Native to Australia with lemon scented foliage, Lemon Myrtle has long been used in Indigenous culture as food and medicine and has recently become popular in modern Australian cuisine. Cream coloured flowers appear in summer and are incredibly attractive to both bees and birds.

Native to rainforest on the east coast of the country, make sure this plant is kept well watered and pruned, otherwise it may revert to its small tree habit.

Make sure to use a native potting mix and a native fertiliser when potting up this plant. This plant is suitable for courtyards with full sun or partial shade.

Lemon Myrtle is a much-loved native. Image by Chris.

Erysimum 'Wallflowers'

Erysimum suit courtyards and balconies with full sun nicely and provide beautiful scented flowers. Wallflowers are great for pots as they come in annual, perennial and small shrub like varieties.

Best kept in full sun in well drained soil, this plant will give a long-lasting flowering season if deadheaded regularly. This is a short lived perennial that is usually grown as an annual in some parts.

The new varieties are not as well scented as the older varieties but come in attractive colours like purple, apricot, yellow and bi-coloured cultivars.

Wallflowers provide colour and scent

Argyranthemum 'Margarite daisies'

Margarite daisies are a highly popular plant that are easy to find in nurseries. This plant species comes in many cultivars.

Domed shaped in habit, they are a great addition to a full sun courtyard as they provide almost all year round flowering in temperate climate.

They can be easily pruned after flowering with shears. This method will remove most of the new emerging buds but will re-flower within a few weeks. When small give a light prune to thicken up.

Mulch and a slow release fertiliser should be added when potting and a liquid feed applied during the growing season.

Margarite daisies love full sun

Echeveria

Echeveria is a large genus of succulent plants - perfect for hot courtyards as they love the sun and require very little watering. Thick rosetted leaves and colour variety means that they can be mixed and matched to create an abundance of planting designs.

When potting up make sure to use a succulent and cacti mix as these plants require free drainage to avoid rotting out. Always allow the soil to dry out before watering again.

A rock or pebble based mulch works best for Echeveria, not just for aesthetic purposes but also to stop rotting issues as organic based mulches will add more moisture and organic product to your pot.

Echeveria add low maintenance colour and style


Get started in your courtyard or balcony with these four easy pot plants - with a little planning and ongoing care you'll be enjoying the rewards in no time. 

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