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making an entranceBY SUSAN POTTHURST, ELEGANT OUTDOORS GARDEN CENTRE, TURRAMURRAmany colours available to brighten up those somewhat darker doorways and the Heucheras add even more interest and delight when they flower. TIP: remove the Heuchera’s old leaves and spent flowers to keep your display healthy and looking pristine.For a formal look plant pretty annuals or trailing flowering perennials around the base of topiaries or standards. Mass plant violas for a fabulous carpet underneath a standard Lilly Pilly or Ficus through winter and spring or for a more permanent look, choose Bacopa and trim ita few times a year to promote thick new growth and even more flowers. TIP: give your hero plant a haircut at least twice a year, early in spring and autumn, to keep it from having a bad hair day!If your entrance gets full sun, why not take advantage ofthe massive array of flowering perennials that just love to catch the rays. For a sophisticated impact, choose just one plant variety that produces flowers year round, like Geraniums and Dipladenias. But hey, why not throw out the rule book and fill your pots with a kaleidoscope of colours, whatever takes your fancy! Either way, I’ll guarantee you won’t be able to stop yourself from smiling every day.It’s true! Plants make you happy! So wouldn’t it be nice if they were the last thing you see when you close the front door in the morning and the first thing you see when you return in the evening. Whether your door facesnorth, south, or somewherein between, there’s a plant combination suitable for every entrance. Play with the shapes and sizes of the plants to suit your area, but always use colour as a link by picking up the tones in your walls, door and window trims and to compliment the other plants in your garden.In semi-shade, one of my absolute favourite plant combos is the New Zealand Flax orthe clump-forming varietiesof Cordyline partnered with Heuchera, which has ridiculously handsome foliage. There arewww.livinglocalguide.com.au“Dream, Inspire, Grow”LIVING LOCAL SPRING 2016 55