Plan it

Australian native plants are well adapted to our varied and sometimes challenging climate, so it makes sense to use them in our gardens, right? They’re reliable, tough and relatively easygoing, but sadly, they’re frequently undervalued. “Native plants are often underestimated for their variety of foliage, flowers, landscaping appeal and drought tolerance,” says garden designer and horticulturist Narelle Happ of A Garden for Life (agardenforlife.com.au). They’re also surprisingly well suited to different garden styles.

Native plants can provide an explosion of colours, even in small areas A mature native grass tree (Xanthorrhoea) placed front and centre makes a hardy feature for your garden

Design with flair Your garden will have more structure and impact if you are careful with your plant choices and their placement. “When planting natives, they look best when spread throughout the garden – not in a formal way, but to lead the eye around the garden,” says Narelle.

“This can be achieved by focusing on a particular plant aspect, such as flowers or foliage, and repeating it throughout the garden.” Try planting strappy-leaf lomandra around a native grass tree (Xanthorrhoea glauca) to help highlight and soften its sculptural form, along gravel pathways or to add height and drama to rockeries and garden beds. Layering plants also helps add visual intrigue. “Seek out and choose plants that flower at different times of the year; this ensures we are providing food year-round for our fauna”

Narelle Happ horticulturist

“Garden beds should be at least 1.2m deep to ensure this is possible – curved beds work well and make your garden look bigger too,” says Narelle.

When grouping plants, consider their colour, texture, habit and size, and use them to either complement or contrast. Try drifts of lowgrowing blue fescue grass (Festuca glauca) to provide contrast in a sea of tussock grasses and creeping groundcovers, or clip westringia into topiary balls and dot them around a flowering gum.

Colour chameleon There is a huge assortment of native flowers, all with diverse forms, colours and scents that attract birds, insects and other local wildlife. Everlasting daisies, callistemons, grevilleas, banksias and correas flower for months on end and generally come in warm shades of red, pink, yellow and orange. For cool tones, try scaevolas, native daisies, 

Add organic matter to soil so your natives are better able to cope with weather extremes

dianellas and wahlenbergias. Foliage can provide fresh interest, too. “The palette of native grey foliage is extremely diverse and it contrasts so beautifully with green foliage,” says Narelle Happ. Highlight your planting scheme with the silvery notes of conostylis, westringia, woolly bush or the silver-leaved mountain gum. Planting tips Regardless of your soil type, it will always benefit from added organic matter, like compost and pelletised organic fertiliser. “Healthy soil enables plants to better cope with weather extremes, especially dry periods,” says Narelle Peart of Evergreen Garden Care. At planting time, dig organic matter in well and,

Narelle Happ horticulturalist

Strike while it’s hot Propagating plants by taking cuttings is a thrifty way to fill every nook and cranny of your garden with plants. Some cuttings will strike (root) easily, while others won’t at all! If you’re a keen propagator, Narelle Happ suggests trying grevillea, leptospermum, myoporum, philotheca and melaleucas. “Use a good-quality propagating mix and a cutting gel – this aids with root development,” she explains. 1 Take cuttings between 15-20cm long and remove 4Dip the end into a rooting gel or powder and plant soft new growth from the tip. up in a pot or trays filled with

2Cut below the node (where a propagating mix. the leaf attaches to the stem) and remove bottom 5Position in a warm spot, out of direct sunlight. Cover with leaves, ensuring there are at a plastic lid or bag to maintain least 2-3 leaves on the cutting. humidity and mist regularly to

3Gently scrape 1-2cm of bark keep the soil moist. It can take from the base of the cutting between 6-8 weeks to root. Pot to expose the green cambium. up once the roots are 5cm long.

Spearwood (Kunzea ericifolia) is a large rambling native shrub, with small cream flowers in spring

once the plants are in, spread an organic mulch such as pine bark around the base. Water regularly, especially during hot dry periods. Once established, plants will be able to tolerate extended dry periods, but they will perform better if you are able to water them.

Australian plants have adapted to soil that is naturally phosphorus deficient, explains Narelle Peart. “Use fertiliser that is specifically designed for natives, as it’s low in phosphorus,” she says. Contrary to popular belief, natives aren’t zero-maintenance plants and do benefit from your time and attention. “To keep plants happy, healthy and flowering well, regularly trim after flowering and apply Scotts Osmocote for natives twice a year,” adds Narelle. ◆

1 Yates ‘Clonex Purple’ rooting hormone gel, $11.03/50ml, I/N: 3012537. 2 Scotts Osmocote ‘Seed & Cutting’ premium potting mix, $11.98/25L, I/N: 2961489. 3 Saxon mini green house with seed tray, $9.98, I/N: 2960182. Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered.

Top native picks Enjoy pops of colour throughout your garden with a mix of warm- and cool-coloured natives

(Corymbia ficifolia): grafted eucalypts with gorgeous flowers in red, pink, white and orange. Liriope (Liriope cvs): strappy-leaved grasses, perfect for spilling over the edge of garden beds or pots.

Pigface

(Carpobrotus glaucescens): hardy, low-growing and creeping succulent with pink, daisy-like flowers.

Coastal rosemary

(Westringia fruticosa): bushy shrub with silvergreen foliage and small lilac or white flowers. Fan flower (Scaevola aemula): a groundcover with sweet purple, blue or white fan-shaped flowers in summer.

Native violet

(Viola hederacea): dense groundcover with dainty purple and white blooms.

Cushion bush

(Leucophyta brownii): the silvery-grey stems and leaves of this small shrub grow into a neat, compact mound.

Bottlebrush

(Callistemon citrinus): large red flower heads appear in autumn and spring.

Kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos spp.): an iconic plant with flowers in single and bi-colour forms. Lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora): a medium-sized shrub or tree with white blooms and scented leaves. an ideal feature tree, with golden-yellow blooms hanging from pendulous branches in late winter. Giant candles (Banksia): a very hardy medium shrub with large bronzeorange spikes.

Grevillea (Grevillea spp.): available in trees, groundcovers and shrubs, with blooms

in various colours.

Brown boronia (Boronia megastigma): a small shrub with reddish-brown blooms

Wattle (Acacia spp.): from spring.

(Leptospermum spp.): medium shrubs with an upright or weeping habit, and pink or white

blooms in spring.

Wax flower (Philotheca myoporoides): provides white star-shaped flowers from late winter.

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