If broad beans develop small red/brown spots on their leaves, stems or flowers they most probably have contracted Botrytis fabae known as chocolate leaf spot.
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To control this disease that only affects broad beans, spray with a foliar fungicide such as copper oxychloride when first noticed.
A follow-up spray three to four weeks later may be necessary.
Royally fragrant
If you are one of those gardeners that says they don't have any luck growing daphnes then Daphne 'Perfumed Princess' could be for you.
This minimal care, highly fragrant daphne has large, soft pink flowers and blooms over a much longer time than other varieties.
It's a great container specimen.
Another versatile plant is Daphne 'Spring Pink', a repeat flowerer that tolerates heat and dry conditions. It's an ideal hedging or spot specimen plant. Use potting mix suited to daphnes for best results.
Blooms for all seasons
Centradenia, sometimes known as Spanish shawl, is a desirable ground-covering or rockery plant with masses of pink or white flowers that forms a dense carpet. It is also suitable for containers and baskets.
Then, a dry, shady area of the garden is the perfect spot for Sarcoccocca 'Winter Gem', a reliable shrub that provides winter colour with its fragrant white blooms.
Colourful characters
Two absolutely stunning crepe myrtles are Lagerstoemia 'Sioux', a mildew-resistant variety with masses of vibrant carmine pink flowers in summer followed by red and orange foliage in autumn, and Lagerstoemia 'Diamonds in the Dark' with almost black new foliage in early spring followed by an abundance of soft pink flowers in summer then a superb autumn display of rich red and orange foliage.
Perfect peonies
Peonies are cool climate plants and this is especially true of the older varieties with some of the best examples I have seen growing in Tullah on Tasmania's west coast.
However, the new varieties will flower readily almost anywhere, and at a much younger age, as they tend not to 'sulk' for years before agreeing to flower.
Plant with the crown about 5cms below the soil surface and apply a mulch each year.
Himalayan beauty
An unusual but very decorative plant is Arisaema speciosum a tender, tuberous perennial with dramatic trifoliate leaves and chocolate/maroon spathes with white stripes arranged in a vertical fan pattern that resemble the skin of a snake, hence its common name of cobra lily.
Grow in a very sheltered spot in moist but well-drained soil.
In colder areas grow in pots then move indoors in autumn.