Want a plant that spills over the edges of pots like a waterfall of golden-green coins? Creeping Jenny is exactly what you’re looking for. Also known as Moneywort or Twopenny Grass, this vigorous, prostrate evergreen perennial has slender, creeping stems that root readily at the nodes, forming a dense, soft mat of rounded to slightly heart-shaped leaves about 2–3cm across. In early to mid-summer, small, cup-shaped, bright yellow flowers nestle amongst the leaves, adding charm and attracting bees.

For instant formal elegance, few plants rival the Indian Laurel Standard Tree. This iconic ‘lollipop’ tree features a strong, straight, pale grey stem topped with a dense, rounded head of medium-sized, leathery, glossy, rich green leaves. The artfully sculpted shape creates a neat, clean-cut silhouette that adds vertical interest and a sense of order and design to any space.

Watch these brilliant daisies close their petals at dusk, then burst open again with the morning sun—it’s like watching the garden wake up. The Treasure Flower, also known as Trailing Gazania or Strandgazania, is a spreading, evergreen perennial that forms a low, mat-forming carpet of attractive, narrow, lance-shaped leaves—glossy, deep green above and soft, silvery-grey to white beneath. From spring through summer and into autumn, it produces an abundance of solitary, daisy-like flower heads in brilliant yellow, fiery orange, rich bronze, pure white, and soft pink, often with striking dark spots or rings at the base of the petals.

For a plant that spills over the edges of pots like a waterfall of colour, Ivy Geranium is hard to beat. Also known as Cascading Geranium or Klimopmalva, this scrambling evergreen perennial has smooth, somewhat succulent trailing stems that can grow up to 2 metres long, clothed in distinctive, fleshy, ivy-shaped leaves that are glossy, bright green, and often have five-pointed lobes. From spring through autumn (and often year-round in milder coastal gardens), it produces an abundance of beautiful, five-petalled flowers in shades of pale pink to mauve, often with darker streaks in the centre.

If you want a tree that gives back to both you and the birds, Forest Myrtle is a wonderful choice. Also known as Bosmirt, this shapely evergreen shrub or small tree has a dense crown of glossy, dark green, oblong-elliptic leaves that are leathery and dotted with tiny aromatic glands. New foliage often emerges with a soft, brownish-pink flush. From spring through summer (October to April), it produces an abundance of sweetly scented, white flowers with a conspicuous mass of protruding stamens. Then come the fruits: small, rounded berries that ripen to a beautiful reddish-purple, resembling miniature guavas and beloved by birds. They’re also edible for humans, with a sweet, tangy taste perfect for fresh eating or jams.

Stand beneath its enormous, lobed leaves, and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a prehistoric jungle. Philodendron Selloum, also known as Tree Philodendron or Lacy Tree Philodendron, is a striking evergreen shrub that develops a thick, trunk-like stem over time, sending down strong aerial roots. Its crowning glory is the magnificent canopy of gigantic, glossy, dark green leaves, which can grow up to 1.5 metres long, with deeply cut, ruffled lobes that create a bold, textural, exotic silhouette. In its native habitat, it may produce a showy, funnel-shaped inflorescence with a red-purple spathe, but indoors or in non-tropical climates, flowering is extremely rare.

If you want a shrub that brings both delicate beauty and a buzz of pollinator activity, Honeybell Bush is a fantastic choice. Also known as Blue Honey-bells or Waterberg Bell-bush, this slender, upright evergreen shrub has slender, loosely spreading branches clothed in small, delicate, bright green leaves with lightly serrated margins. From late winter through spring (and often with sporadic blooms year-round), it produces an abundance of dainty, tubular flowers in shades of light mauve to bright blue. A white form is also available. Those charming blooms are a magnet for bees and butterflies.

Few plants can claim to be a carbon-capturing superhero, a versatile landscape staple, and a tasty snack all at once. Spekboom, also known as Porkbush or Elephant Bush, is a hardy evergreen succulent shrub or small tree with a dense, rounded canopy of small, fleshy, bright green leaves on distinctive reddish-brown to ruby-red stems. From late spring to summer (October to January), it produces an abundance of small, star-shaped, nectar-rich flowers in clear pink to rosy mauve, a magnet for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.