Plumbago capensis 'Royal Cape'

Plumbago capensis 'Royal Cape'

As a blue flowering shrub this is one of the best for purity of colour but it is a nightmare to grow if you are not prepared to keep it under control. Given a tough dry spot in poor soil seems to be the way to treat it while giving it a bare amount of fertilizer to stop the leaves from going yellow. Under ideal conditions to will reach 5 metres up trees or sucker and grow through concrete. It is often grown as a hedge plant but as it flowers for such a long part of summer and well into autumn, it means cutting off most of the flowers to keep it in shape so why bother using it as a hedge . It sometimes gets the common name of Leadwort as the underside of the leaves have a grey bloom similar to lead. It is also a bit of a sticky shrub so be prepared to be covered in spent flower heads if you go anywhere near it.

Green Catbird

Green Catbird 
Ailuroedus crassirostris

Getting a visit from this bird is a bit of a rarity as it usually stays fairly close to the local rainforest habitat. Perhaps it was on a foraging expedition to some nearby fruit trees. What alerted me to its presence was the extraordinary loud harsh noise it was making while having a bit of an altercation with a wattlebird which did not like having it in its territory. It gets its name from the typical yowling cat sound it makes but the sound from this bird was much more guttural and plaintive.
2017 update: Recently came visiting after berries from the night scented jasmine Cestrum nocturnum. What a racket it made early in the morning.

Agave stricta var nana

Agave stricta var. nana

This is a favourite Agave because it forms such a neat round shape of symmetrical leaves. It eventually grows to form a small colony of spherical rosettes in a garden situation because unlike other Agaves ,it does not die after flowering but sends out new offsets from the parent plant. It is native to Mexico where it grows in dry limestone country.It makes a good pot plant or garden specimen if grown in a dry spot or on a raised mound to provide adequate drainage.
2017 update: I have a couple of plants of it available but because of the angle of the spines it is difficult to work with and therefore not on the top of my grow list.

Encephalartos ferox, Zulu Cycad

Encephalartos ferox
 Zulu Cycad

Any plant with the species name ferox (meaning fierce) is bound to be full of spines or of stiff appearance and such is the case with this Cycad.It is from the coastal region of Mosambique and northern Natal in South Africa and makes a striking feature plant in any garden given plenty of space and a well drained soil. It will grow across a range of climates and will even tolerate a light frost. Though they can be slow growing ,Cycads will produce brightly coloured cones from when quite a small plant. Many Cycads are endangered plants in the wild through destruction of habitat and over harvesting of seed.
2017 update: This is not a plant I grow.

Hedychium coronarium, White Ginger

Hedychium coronarium
 White flowering Ginger

If you go to Hawaii you may be given a leis made up from the sweetly scented flowers of this ornamental Ginger, though these plants have become a bit of an invasive weed plant there.This one is native to India and south western China and grows to about 2 metres .The flowering stems can become a bit top heavy and lurch sideways so it is best given plenty of space to grow. Flowering continues well into April and old flowering stems are best cut off to keep the plant tidy and productive. It does best in a semi shaded position with a rich moist soil but will tolerate less fertile sites by growing less tall but still flowering.
2017 update: I no longer grow it because of its susceptibility to stem borer.

Strobilanthus dyerianus, Persian Shield

Strobilanthus dyerianus, Persian Shield

This shimmering purple and silver foliaged shrub from tropical Burma is much hardier than you would expect. It grows to about 1.5 metres and likes a spot in the shade where its iridescent leaves can be shown off to best advantage. When combined with the blue flowering Ginger as above it makes a stunning display.As growth is fairly rapid it needs to be cut back regularly to stop it getting too "leggy" .In cooler climates it can be treated as an annual foliage plant or brought indoors or placed in a conservatory over winter.Flowers are insignificant and these can be cut off as they appear in much the same way you would do with Coleus.
2017 update: see my comment below

Colletia paradoxa, Anchor Plant

Colletia paradoxa
 Anchor plant

This shrub from southern Brazil and Uruguay is really for plant collectors or those with a warped sense of humour. Growing to about 2 metres, the whole plant is just one tangled mass of spines shaped like a boat anchor and zig-zaging all over the place. It is actually in flower now with tiny white flowers appearing at the base of each spine. Something so cruel looking is of course adapted to growing under harsh conditions so it is not particular as to soil or watering.