The delicate, waxy, bell-shaped flowers appear between broad leaves, and attractive foliage persists throughout summer.

It likes a rich soil full of humus in a part-shaded spot facing away from the sun.

Thus, it is useful in places where many other flowers are not happy.

Once established, it should not be disturbed for several years, until the clump becomes overcrowded.

Often the flowers are followed by scarlet berries, which have their uses in medicine, but they are poisonous, dangerously so as they are sweet enough to tempt children to eat them.

No part of the lily-of-the-valley should be eaten, The rhizomes, or pips as they are commonly known, should be planted in autumn.

Given the right conditions in the home garden, lily-of-the-valley spreads freely and in a confined space can become overcrowded, when it will benefit from lifting and thinning.

Tasmania’s cool climate is ideal for this plant  and the divine scent of its flowers will enhance any garden.

Lily-of-the-valley is a good companion for many other plants: snowdrops and snowflakes, celandines, windflowers and small variations of narcissus. It also grows happily with solomon’s seal.

After flowering, the rhizomes are best left alone for the summer, to replenish their strength.

Hibiscus might be a tropical plant but don’t let anyone tell you that it can’t be grown in Tasmania.

Certainly it needs a warm, sheltered spot or a glasshouse. It will grow well indoors too.

Grow one or more of these in a jardiniere or similar container on your sunny porch or patio, and you’ll have a dazzling display in summer and autumn with an almost endless variety of colours.

One great advantage of the hibiscus is that its flowers don’t wilt after they are picked. They will stay fresh and crisp.

Many hibiscus can be grown from seed. Others are perennials and can also be propagated by division.

The main requirements of hibiscus are freedom from frost, a warm, sunny position in good soil, and plenty of soil moisture and humidity during summer.

There are some common misconceptions about growing ferns.

One is that sprinkling sugar on the crown and placing bananas or their skins behind the elkhorn ferns will make them grow better.

Not so. All this will do is attract ants, possums, wasps and other unwanted visitors.

The main food requirement of all ferns is nitrogen. This can be supplied by old cow manure when they are growing in the ground.

Leaves from deciduous trees or eucalypts are also a safe source of trace elements.

Ferns should be fed at the base. Putting food in the crown can either kill the fern or distort new growth.

Total shade will not produce good ferns. Morning sun and/or filtered afternoon sun is ideal for promoting strong new growth.

There are one or two exceptions that will grow successfully in heavy shade.

One is jungle brake (pteris umbrosa).

Some ferns, including a few haresfoot species are deciduous. These die right down in winter.

Treat them the same as others and don’t let them dry out while defoliated.

Tree ferns which are watered on the crown can die through rotting, particularly if a hose is left trickling on it for any length of time.

The fronds and trunk can be watered, particularly during the hotter months, but the main requirement is for the root system to be kept moist.

It is not unusual for ferns to produce red-pink new growth. As fronds mature, this changes to green.