• So much Joy: Eremophila racemosa x maculata ‘Fairy Floss’

    This Emu bush is always a great performer in a difficult postion, providing so my joy with its multicolured buds and blooms. I have been growing Eremophila ‘Fairy Floss’ for a number of years now and have found it to be particularly tough and hardy. What I didn’t realise was that it is a cross…

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  • Coronidium elatum: The lesser Known paper daisy

    This is a paper daisy which you may have seen growing in the bush, popping its flower heads up but often looking quite scraggly. Well the good news is this species of paper daisy makes a wonderful garden specimen. It responds so well to pruning, it can be shaped into a small shrub and will…

  • Philotheca myoporoides and it’s many forms

    This gorgeous shrub is called Wax Flower or Philotheca, which apparently means “loving receptacle”. And that it is, providing plenty of flowers for pollinators and scent for humans, it is a very hardy species which can handle sun and shade in equal measure. Because of its hardiness it is one of the most widely cultivated…

  • The little brother:Rytidosperma racemosum

    I don’t know why but I have always thought of Wallaby Grass as the little brother to Kangaroo Grass. I adore native grasses, they are such an important part of a native planting palette, providing texture and movement and they also play a crucial role as a food source for wildlife. This sweet little native…

  • Silver in the Shade: Plectranthus argentatus

    If you are looking for a native under story plant to grow where no plant has succeeded before give Plectranthus argentatus a try. It will grow in the dry soil under large trees and ramble about filling in bare patches creating a dense silver layer to a dark forgotten corner. Plectranthus argentatus has a lightly…

  • however you like it: correa glabra

    This small to medium shrub is commonly known as Rock Correa, due to its ability to grow in gravelly soils, making it super tough. I absolutly love Correas but find it quite difficult to grow them in my location. Correa glabra is easily the toughest one I use in coastal NSW gardens. In fact the…

  1. Thanks for this amazing blog! I am about to plant the sentinel (in a coastal location in Adelaide) and was…

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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