Brush against this mint, and you’ll be transported by its sweet, fruity scent. Pineapple Mint, a variegated form of Apple Mint, is a vigorous, spreading perennial that forms a lush, bushy clump of softly hairy, oval to rounded leaves. Each leaf is a lovely pale green dramatically splashed with irregular, creamy-white margins and markings, with a puckered, crinkled texture. In late summer, dense spikes of tiny, tubular flowers in soft mauve, white, or pale pink appear, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

If you’re after something a little different, Foxtail Fern is a delightful choice. Also known as Cat’s Tail Asparagus or Katstert, this compact evergreen perennial has graceful, upright-to-slightly-arching stems densely clothed in soft, bright green, needle-like leaves. Those stems form cylindrical, foxtail-like plumes that emerge from a central point, creating a neat, bushy clump with wonderful architectural interest. In summer, small, fragrant, white star-shaped flowers appear among the foliage, followed by showy, bright red berries that persist into winter and attract birds.

For cheerful, reliable colour that lasts for months, the Common Geranium is a tried-and-true favourite. Also known as Zonal Geranium, this sturdy, succulent-stemmed evergreen perennial forms a neat, bushy mound of rounded to kidney-shaped, velvety-soft leaves in rich medium green, often adorned with a distinctive dark, horseshoe-shaped zonal band. From spring through autumn, it produces generous clusters of five-petalled flowers held proudly above the foliage on upright stems, in a dazzling array of colours—vibrant reds, soft pinks, pure whites, salmons, and oranges.

For formal structure and timeless elegance, few plants rival Common Boxwood. Also known simply as Box, this slow-growing, densely branched evergreen shrub is treasured for its small, glossy leaves and its remarkable response to pruning. It features a profusion of oval to elliptical, leathery leaves in rich dark green above and lighter yellow-green beneath, clothing the plant in a fine, dense texture. In late winter to early spring (August to September), small, inconspicuous greenish-cream flowers appear—not showy, but rich in nectar and attractive to bees. Really, though, you’re growing this for the magnificent, manicured foliage.

Stand beneath this fast-growing beauty, and you’ll feel its bold, seaside presence. Tree Mallow, also known as Tree Mallow, is a robust, shrubby plant that forms a striking, upright specimen with a single stout stem that becomes woody at the base, reaching up to 3 metres tall. Large, rounded, palmately lobed leaves up to 20 cm across are densely covered in soft hairs, giving them a distinctive velvety, felted texture and grey-green appearance. From late spring through summer (and often into autumn), it produces an abundance of showy, funnel-shaped flowers in deep pink to purple-pink, each with prominent darker purple-red veins radiating from the centre—a striking pinwheel effect.

Even without its cheerful blue blooms, this shrub’s creamy-white variegated foliage would still steal the show. The Variegated Blue Felicia Bush, also known as Variegated Blue Marguerite or Variegated Blue Daisy, is a compact, evergreen sub-shrub that forms a neat, rounded mound of small, oval leaves—rich green with beautiful splashes and margins of creamy-white. From spring through summer and well into autumn, it produces an abundance of solitary, daisy-like flower heads in striking sky-blue to deep violet-blue, each with a cheerful, bright golden-yellow centre, held on slender stems above the foliage.

For a plant that feels as soft as velvet and glows in the afternoon light, Liquorice Plant is a true delight. Also known as Kooigoed or Imphepho, this hardy, fast-growing evergreen shrub forms a dense, sprawling mound of vigorous, loosely branched stems clothed in rounded, heart-shaped leaves of the most beautiful silvery-grey, each covered in soft, woolly hairs. When brushed, the leaves release a subtle, sweet fragrance faintly reminiscent of liquorice or honey. In summer (December to January), small, honey-scented, creamy-white to yellow flower heads appear, attracting pollinators.

Step onto a pathway planted with this living carpet, and you’ll feel like you’re walking through a field of tiny white trumpets. White Carpet, also known as African Morning Glory, Creeping Falkia, or Oortjies (“little ears”), is a fast-growing, mat-forming perennial that forms a flat, tight mat of small, rounded to broadly ovate leaves—slightly succulent, shiny, and a cheerful green to yellowish-green, each leaf resembling a tiny ear. From late September to December, it produces an abundance of solitary, trumpet-shaped flowers in pure white, sometimes blushed with soft pink, creating a stunning, carpet-like display.