What is Gordon Stuart Landscaping's top ten plant recommendation?

What is Gordon Stuart Landscaping’s top ten plant recommendations?

Clearly this depends on the site and what you want to achieve, but here goes (in no particular order):

INDIGENOUS TREES :
• Celtis Africana            White stinkwood             10x9m
• Ptaeroxlon obliquum    Sneeze wood                 10x6m
• Ilex mitus                     African Holly                   9x8m
• Heteropyxis natalensis  Lavender Tree                6x5m
• Dombeya rotundifolia   Wild Pear                       6x4m
• Halleria lucida              Tree Fuchsia                   6x5m
• Vepris lanceolata         White Ironwood              7x6m
• Erythrina lysistemon     Coral tree                        8x8m
• Calodendron capense  Cape Chestnut                 8x8m
• Podocarpus falcatus    Outeniqua Yellowwood    15x12m (eventually)

INDIGENOUS SHRUBS :
• Freylinia tropica          White Honey Bell Bush      1.7x1.5m
• Plumbago auriculata     Leadwort                         2x2m
• Barleria obtuse            Bush Violet                      1x1m
• Dyschoriste thunbergiflora Purple Bells                 1.7x1.7m
• Mackaya bella            Forest Bell Bush               3x2m
• Tinnae barbata            Purple Tinnea                   3x2m
• Buddleia salvifolia       Christmas Bride’s Bush     3x2m
• Rothmania globosa      Bell Gardenia                   4x3m
• Rhamnus prinoides      Dogwood                         4x4m

INDIGENOUS GROUND COVERS / PERENNIALS :
• Aloe van balenii           Van Balen’s Aloe            30x50cm
• Crassula multicava       Fairy Crassula                 20x30cm
• Agapanthus                 All species and cultivars   Varies in size
• Arctotheca calendula   Cape Weed                    10x40cm
• Clivia miniata               Bush Lily                        45x60cm
• Chlorophytum bowkerii Giant Chlorophytum      60x60cm
• Anthericum Saundersiae Weeping Anthericum    50x25cm
• Dietes grandiflora        White Wild Iris                75x50cm
• Tulbaghia violacea       Wild Garlic                      30x25cm (esp. Silver Lace)
• Albuca nelsonii            Giant Albuca                   40x30cm

EXOTIC TREES :
• Prunus serrulata           Flowering Cherry              5x5m
• Cornus Florida            Dogwood                          5x5m
• Liquidambar styraciflua Liquidambar                     8x6m
• Acer palmatum            Maple                               6x6m
• Magnolia                     All species and cultivars     Varies
• Platanus acerifolius       London Plane                   12x10m
• Leriodendron tulipifera Tulip Tree                         10x9m
• Cedrus deodar            Deodar                             12x9m
• Taxodium distichium    Swamp Cyprus                 10x8m
• Quercus palustris         Pin Oak                            12x8m

EXOTIC SHRUBS :
• Murraya exotica          Glossy Murraya                 2x2m
• Raphiolepis dalacourii  Indian Hawthorn                2x2m
• Abelia grandiflora & Abelia “Francis Maison”       2x1.75m
• Azalea indica               Azalea                               3x3m
• Berberis thunbergii “Atropurpurea”                       3x3m
• Camellia                     All species and cultivars     Varies
• Cistus purpureus         Cistus                                1.2x1m
• Gardenia florida          Gardenia                           2x2m
• Hydrangea macrocephala & H.quercifolia            2x2m
• Nandina domestica “Pygmia"                               1x1m

PERENNIALS :
• Ajuga reptans Catlin’s Giant                                15x30cm
• Bergenia cordifolia      Bergenia                           15x30cm
• Hermerocallis cvs       Day Lily                            65x40cm
• Erigeron karvinskianus Flea Bane                        30x60cm
• Gaura lindheimeri       Gaura                               65x40cm
• Carex cvs e.g.            Frosted Curls                   40x40cm
• Iris                            All species and cultivars     Varies
• Anemone japonica     Japanese anemone           100x30cm
• Acanthus mollis          Bear’s Breeches              120x75cm
• Ophiopogon japonicas Dwarf Mondo                 15x15cm
• Penstemon digitalis     Penstemon “Mystica”        65x30cm

CLIMBERS (INDIGENOUS & EXOTIC) :
• Trachelospernum jasminoides Jasmine                  3x3m
• Clematis Montana      Clematis                             3x2m
• Parthenocissus tricuspidata Boston Ivy                 5x5m
• Bougainvillea “Natalia”                                         5x3m
• Gelsemium sempervirens Carolina Jasmine            5x3m
• Mandevilla splendens  Dipladenia                         2x2m
• Petrea volubilis            Petrea                               4x4m
• Wisteria spp.              Wisteria                             5x4m
• Hedera helix                Ivy                                    5x4m
• Ficus pumula              Tickey creeper                   5x5m

TIP : In drawing up a plant palette it is important to not only select plants that will survive and thrive in your conditions, but to also match the effect that the plants will give to the architecture of the house and to blend the plants together so that the overall effect is one of harmony, while ensuring that the garden looks good throughout the year and that there is something of interest for every season. It’s a tall order to get this right, but it is what we are trained to do and we love doing it!