Plant library
Growing guides checked by local gardeners, with planting times worked out from 30 years of climate data.
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Basil
HerbA fragrant summer herb that loves Adelaide's heat and pairs with tomatoes in the garden and the kitchen. Sow or plant once nights stay warm, as cold snaps blacken it. Pinch out the flower spikes and tips often to keep plants bushy and leafy.Borage
Companion flowerA bee magnet with starry blue flowers. Plant it near tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkin and strawberries to bring in pollinators for a bigger crop. Grows fast and easily from seed, and self-seeds for next year.Calendula
Companion flowerA tough, sunny cool-season flower with edible petals. It attracts hoverflies and ladybirds that eat aphids, and keeps flowering through autumn, winter and spring when little else does. A great partner for brassicas and salad greens.Chives
HerbA tough perennial clump with mild onion-flavoured leaves and edible purple flowers that bees love. It grows in garden beds or pots and comes back each spring. Cut leaves near the base often, and divide clumps every few years to keep them vigorous.Dill
HerbA feathery annual herb used for leaves and seeds, and one of the best plants for attracting hoverflies and small predatory wasps. Sow directly in spring or autumn; it doesn't like transplanting. Keep it away from carrots and fennel as they can cross and compete.French marigold
Companion flowerThe classic companion flower for the veggie patch. Bright, compact and easy, it flowers all summer and draws in hoverflies, whose larvae eat aphids. Tuck it beside tomatoes, capsicum and zucchini, and along bed edges.Garlic chives
HerbA tough perennial with flat, garlic-flavoured leaves and white starry flowers in late summer. It handles Adelaide's heat better than common chives and dies back a little in winter. Toxic to dogs and cats, so keep pets away from it.German chamomile
HerbGerman chamomile is a feathery annual grown for its apple-scented daisy flowers, used fresh or dried for tea. Sow in autumn or early spring; seed needs light, so press it on the surface without covering. Pick flowers as they fully open, every few days.Globe artichoke
VegetableA big, silver-leaved perennial that crops for about four years and suits Adelaide's Mediterranean climate well. Plant suckers or named plants in late autumn to winter, and pick the buds in spring. Its spiny wild relative is a declared weed in SA, so cut buds before they flower and go to seed.Lemon balm
HerbA hardy, lemon-scented herb in the mint family, used fresh or dried for tea. In Adelaide it grows best with afternoon shade and regular water, and can scorch in full summer sun. It self-seeds and spreads, so a pot keeps it tidy.Lychee
Fruit treeA handsome evergreen tree for the subtropics and the cooler tropics. It needs a week or more of cool nights below 20 °C to flower, then warm, humid summers. It is frost-tender when young and does poorly in cold or dry inland areas. Expect a small crop after 4 or 5 years.Macadamia
BushfoodAustralia's best-known bushfood nut, native to the subtropical east coast. It grows in Adelaide in a sheltered, frost-free spot with deep, well-drained soil and regular summer water, and starts cropping after 4 or 5 years. Grafted dwarf cultivars suit backyards and large pots.Mango
Fruit treeA big evergreen tree that crops best in the tropics and subtropics, with a dry spell before flowering. It can grow in sheltered, frost-free temperate spots but rarely fruits well there. In cool climates grow a dwarf grafted tree in a large pot and move it under cover in winter.Nasturtium
Companion flowerA cheerful, edible trailing flower that works as a trap crop: aphids and cabbage white caterpillars often go for it first, sparing your veggies. Peppery leaves and flowers are lovely in salads. Easy from seed, even in poor soil.Oregano
HerbA tough Mediterranean perennial herb that thrives in Adelaide's hot dry summers and poor soils. Its flowers draw bees and beneficial insects. Give it full sun and free drainage; rich soil and too much water make it lanky and less flavoursome.Rosemary
HerbA tough evergreen Mediterranean herb that thrives on little water in Adelaide's hot dry summers. It needs full sun and excellent drainage; wet feet kill it faster than drought. Its winter flowers feed bees when little else is flowering.Sage
HerbA hardy Mediterranean herb with soft grey leaves, well suited to Adelaide's dry summers. Plant in full sun with sharp drainage and water sparingly once established. Trim after flowering to keep it bushy, and replace plants every 4 to 5 years when they go woody.Snake bean
VegetableA fast climbing bean with very long, thin pods. It loves heat and humidity, so it thrives in the tropics and subtropics and through hot summers in the south. Sow once the soil is properly warm and give it a tall trellis. Pick pods young and often.Sweet alyssum
Companion flowerA low carpet of tiny honey-scented flowers that feeds hoverflies and tiny parasitic wasps, two of the best aphid and caterpillar hunters. Edge your beds with it, or tuck it between lettuces and brassicas. Flowers most of the year in Adelaide.Thai basil
HerbA basil with purple stems and an aniseed flavour for Thai and Vietnamese cooking. It handles heat and humidity better than sweet basil and is slower to bolt. Grow it year round in the tropics and through the warm months in the subtropics and the south. Frost kills it.Thyme
HerbA small, tough Mediterranean herb that thrives in Adelaide's hot, dry conditions and suits pots, edges and rockeries. Full sun and free drainage are essential. Trim regularly to keep plants compact; the flowers are excellent for bees.