• A flower within a flower within a flower … Hoya australis

    This is Hoya australis or Wax flower and I have taken some close up photos which demonstrate perfectly why this umbel has been given its common name. I find this one of the most curious flowers from our native vine species, it is a large highly perfumed umbel of tiny wax like flowers which is…

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  • The show stopping: Banksia ‘Giant Candles’

    This is superb specimen of Banksia ‘Giant Candles’ forced me to drive around the block a couple of times before I could find a park and give it the photo shoot it deserves. This extra large shrub or ,as I prefer to call it, small tree is a cross between Banksia ericifolia and Banksia spinulosa.…

  • The most weeping of the weeping: Myoporum floribundum

    I am obsessed with plants with a weeping habit or drooping foliage, some people find them sad and depressing looking but they are my favourite. There are many native plants with soft long leaves or gently falling branches, they can create dense screens, focal points or backdrops. Weeping foliage in a garden gives a relaxed informal…

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  • A spikey, perfumed tangle of Grevillea flexuosa

    This is a wonderfully messy Grevillea that likes to sprawl all over the place. Its stems literally get tangled in themselves and the leaves are stiff and spikey so they can almost grab onto other plants to hoist themselves towards the sunlight and as its name implies it is so very flexible 😉 Grevillea flexuosa…

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  • One of a kind: Howittia trilocularis

    I discovered this unusual large native shrub in Cranbourne Botanical Gardens on my visit last year. I have never heard of it before but it instantly struck me with its deep purple flowers and small hairy leaves. It was planted as an understorey back drop shrub in one of the garden beds under the canopy…

  • The limitless potential of Thomasia solanacea

    I have written about this genus before but thought this species needs its own space on the blog as it really is an extremely versatile medium shrub. It is one of those plants for a trickier spot in the garden as it loves a dry shady position. It is endemic to south-west WA, it is…

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providing resources for native plant gardeners and designers.


Mallee Design was created by Kath Gadd in 2012 to document and share her love for native Australian garden design. Her original motivation was to inspire those interested in learning more about native Australian plants. The Mallee Design blog has since grown into a rich resource, used by gardeners, horticulturalists, landscape designers and others.

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