AusBonsai

Hi,

I have been wanting to join the native competition NATURAL and looking for a Banksia but it seems no nursery near me has this species. May be not the right time to buy Bansias? Anyways since I was at a nursery I picked up the following which is a Callistemon but not sure which one exactly. So please help identify. Also, saw this plant which looked like it was going to die soon or not but anyways I got it for $8 and thought would be a good experiment. This is also probably a Callistemon but not sure which one exactly again. Please help.
I repotted it and cut down dead branches.

It must be an interesting nursery that does not know the names of the plants they sell

I'm pretty confident both are indeed callistemon. there are so many cultivars and hybrids that getting an accurate ID is quite difficult, especially without a flower to look at.
The first has relatively hard, narrow leaves so is probably C. subulatus or one of its cultivars. Should have smallish bright red flowers. I find them a little slower to grow and thicken but quite hardy.
The second one doesn't really give me enough to go on for ID. It has probably been in the pot for too long. Now is a good time to repot, root prune and give it some fresh potting mix. Then water and feed well until it recovers. God healthy foliage can give some clues but a flower would be far better if you want an informed guess as to species.