Sabrina Hahn: Why grevilleas and eremophilas are the best flowers to replace roses to avoid chilli thrips

For the past five years, chilli thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis) have plagued people’s gardens, particularly roses, and many gardeners are now looking for alternatives to replace their roses with more resilient and less susceptible plants. The main challenge is to find plants that flower nearly all year round, have a fragrance, make outstanding cut flowers and are as beautiful and romantic as the rose. While it is easy to identify plants that can survive our climate, none evoke the same feeling as a rose in bloom. One option is to stick to a couple of roses and grow them in a pot where they will be more manageable. The other option is to replace the rose garden with plants that are resistant to chilli thrips, adaptable to our climate, and flower on and off for most of the year. Grevilleas and eremophilas are a great alternative. They flower most of the year, come in a variety of colours and are pretty tough. There are many smaller and hybridised plants to choose from these days and an abundance of grevilleas. Eremophilas are the all-time toughies and there are quite a few that flower nearly all year round. Eremophilas prefer full sun and can be pruned back twice a year by 30 per cent to keep them compact and dense. Here are some varieties to consider. Eremophilas Eremophila Silver Flame is a low-growing variety that sports gorgeous red flowers amongst silver foliage for most of the year, which acts as a magnet to beneficial birds and insects. Grows to 80cm high and 150cm wide. Eremophila mackinlayi has hairy silver foliage and long purple tubular flowers from July through to the end of October, but flowers on and off all year. Grows to 1.2m high and 1m wide. Eremophila Pink Pantha has silver/grey soft leaves and striking pink flowers all spring and summer. It can grow up to 2m high and 2m wide but responds to pruning to stay smaller. Grevilleas Grevilleas prefer full sun and rarely get attacked by pests but prefer a free-draining soil type. Try these varieties: Grevillea Pink Profusion, bred by Kings Park and Botanic Garden, is an outstanding performer, baring masses of soft pink flowers which attract native birds. Grows to 1.5m high and wide. Grevillea Liliane has dainty, pink spider-like flowers and dense leaves with weeping branches. It flowers throughout spring and summer, growing to a height of 1m with a spread of 1.5m wide. Grevillea Showtime is another fantastic performer created by Kings Park. Flowering in spring and winter months, it bears cylindrical reddish/pink flowers and grows to 1.5m high and wide. Grevillea Tangerine Dream bears bright orange flowers with yellow tips all year round. The flowers form at the tips of the plant and are held upright so it will be a constant feature. It only grows to 1m high and wide, making it ideal for smaller gardens. Tip of the week There is an outstanding number of grevilleas available for the home gardener now that stay compact and around 1.2m high. Kings Park and Botanic Garden has bred wonderful hybrids that flower most of the year. Three jobs to do now 1. Spray soursob leaves with Slasher to reduce their spread. 2. Place small pot feet underneath pots to allow for drainage in wet weather. 3. Deadhead pansies, violas and lobelia to encourage another burst of flowers.