top of page

SEASONAL CARE

Climbers

Vitis coignetiae

Crimson glory

Maintenance: 

Formative pruning

Perform major pruning in late winter. Summer pruning can control size and shape.

Grasses

Festuca glauca

Blue Fescue

Maintenance: 

Occasional pruning

Rake as needed, in early spring, cut the entire clump back to 2 cm - 4 cm from the ground to remove old, tired foliage and stimulate new growth.

Grasses

Poa labillardierei

Tussock Grass

Maintenance: 

Occasional pruning

Cut back mid to late Autumn or early spring to mounds 40cm high.

Ground covers

Tradescantia pallida

Purple Heart

Maintenance: 

Dead-heading

Trim any leggy or overgrown stems to encourage new growth.

Perennials - evergreen

Arthropodium cirratum

Renga Renga Lily

Maintenance: 

Dead-heading

Deadhead

Perennials - evergreen

Cota tinctoria

E.C. Buxton

Maintenance: 

Winter cutback

Cut back by half in winter to fresh lime-coloured leaves in winter.

Perennials - herbaceous

Salvia azure

Blue Sage

Maintenance: 

Formative pruning, Dead-heading

Dead heading. Cut back stems hard in late winter or early spring to promote new growth.

Perennials - herbaceous

Stachys byzantina

Lamb's Ear

Maintenance: 

Dead-heading, Winter cutback

Cut back to the ground in winter.

Perennials - herbaceous

Anemone japonica

Japanese Anemone

Maintenance: 

Dead-heading

Dead head

Shrubs

Myoporum floribundum

Weeping/Slender Myoporum

Maintenance: 

Formative pruning

Formative pruning

Shrubs

Plectranthus argentatus

Silver Spurflower

Maintenance: 

Formative pruning, Dead-heading

Responds well to pruning; tip pruning encourages bushier growth and prevents legginess.

Shrubs

Casuarina cunninghamiana

River She-oak

Maintenance: 

Occasional pruning

The tree can be pruned or coppiced every few years to maintain a dense, smaller form. For younger plants, light, regular pruning in late winter helps maintain a compact shape.

Strappies

Lomandra longifolia

Tanika Lomandra

Maintenance: 

Occasional pruning

Cut back every 3-7 years

Climbers

Trachelospermum jasminoides

Star Jasmine

Maintenance: 

Occasional pruning

Pruning after flowering helps maintain shape and control size.

Grasses

Deschampsia cespitosa

Tufted Hairgrass

Maintenance: 

Dead-heading

Deadhead and cut back to 20 cm in autumn.

Ground covers

Chrysocephalum apiculatum

Yellow Buttons

Maintenance: 

Dead-heading

Deadheading and hard cut back late Winter.

Perennials - evergreen

Tulbaghia violacea

Society Garlic

Maintenance: 

Dead-heading

Cut to the ground in winter or remove spent flowers and foliage.

Perennials - evergreen

Liriope muscari

Lilyturf

Maintenance: 

Dead-heading

Requires minimal care; shear back old foliage in late winter/early spring for fresh new growth.

Perennials - evergreen

Verbena rigida

Polaris

Maintenance: 

Winter cutback

Cut to ground in winter

Perennials - herbaceous

Salvia yangii

Russian Sage

Maintenance: 

Dead-heading

Deadheading and hard cut back early spring

Perennials - herbaceous

Salvia leucantha

Mexican Bush Sage

Maintenance: 

Winter cutback

Cut the plant back hard to about 20–30 cm above the ground in winter.

Perennials - herbaceous

Heuchera

Palace Purple

Maintenance: 

Dead-heading

Deadhead and remove any dead foliage.

Shrubs

Continus 'Grace'

Smoke Bush

Maintenance: 

Formative pruning

Formative pruning into desired shape

Shrubs

Westringia fruticosa

Coastal Rosemary

Maintenance: 

Clipping and cloud pruning

Clip into topiary forms in late spring and deep winter

Shrubs

Agonis flexuosa

Burgundy Willow Myrtle

Maintenance: 

Occasional pruning

The best time for significant pruning is in late winter or early spring before new growth begins

Succulents

Beschorneria yuccoides

Mexican Lily

Maintenance: 

Dead-heading

Minimal; remove spent flower stalks and any dead/yellowing leaves.

Grasses

Pennisetum thunbergii

Red Buttons

Maintenance: 

Winter cutback

Cut to ground in winter.

Grasses

Calamagrostis brachytricha

Feather Grass

Maintenance: 

Winter cutback

Cut back the entire plant to roughly 12 cm from the ground in late winter or early spring (Feb) before new growth appears

Ground covers

Dichondra argentea

Silver falls

Maintenance: 

Formative pruning

Low-maintenance; prune lightly in spring to maintain shape and encourage fullness.

Perennials - evergreen

Dietes grandiflora

Wild Iris

Maintenance: 

Dead-heading

Very low maintenance; doesn't require much pruning, but dead flowers can be removed.

Perennials - evergreen

Pycnosorus globosus

Billy Buttons

Maintenance: 

Formative pruning

Rake foliage and deadhead over winter. Keep spent flowers for the vase.

Perennials - evergreen

Gaura lindheimeri

Whirling Butterflies

Maintenance: 

Winter cutback

In winter, cut back by about half or to new growth.

Perennials - herbaceous

Hylotelephium

Autumn Joy

Maintenance: 

Winter cutback

Cut back to ground in winter

Perennials - herbaceous

Agastache

Sweet Lili

Maintenance: 

Winter cutback

Cut to ground in winter.

Shrubs

Veronica perfoliata

Digger's Speedwell

Maintenance: 

Dead-heading

Formative pruning, coppicing

Shrubs

Eucalyptus pulverulenta

Baby Blue

Maintenance: 

Formative pruning

Prune to desired height and spread.

Shrubs

Backhousia citriodora

Lemon Myrtle

Maintenance: 

Formative pruning

Prune after flowering to maintain shape, encourage bushiness, or for a tree form.

Shrubs

Leptospermum petersonii

Lemon Scented Tea Tree

Maintenance: 

Occasional pruning

Prune lightly after flowering to shape and encourage dense growth; also remove dead wood.

Some photographs by Martina Gemmola

© 2026 Bent Street Gardens

bottom of page