• Distinct hot pink: Melaleuca fulgens

    Melaleuca fulgens hails from the West of Australia, no surprise there, however it can be found growing in the southern and eastern states quite happily. This species has a long flowering period from Winter through to Summer and as the blooms are such a bright highlight it is hard to miss. This is the pink…

  • Another furry leaved beauty: Lasiopetalum baueri

    This is commonly known as Slender Velvet Bush, which is a most apt description of this interesting under-storey shrub. Lasiopetalum baueri has rusty coloured , furry new growth and pretty delicate pink flowers in Winter. The dried flowers are long-lasting and have potential as a cut flower and the attractive foliage lasts for ages in…

  • 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…

    One response

  • The show stopping: Banksia ‘Giant Candles’

    This 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. Somehow…

  • 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…

    One response

  • Pimelea: which one is which

    I love Pimeleas, they seem to always be in flower and each state has its own unique species. Pimelea’s are a stunning addition to a garden or even a pot. They put on a show with a mass of flowers and the butterflies love them . But which one is which? We are trying our…

    One response

MORE of OUR LATEST ARTICLES

Latest Comments

BIRD ATTRACTING

BUSH TUCKER

Coastal

Feature Shrub

GROUND COVERS

ILLAWARRA NATIVES

SHADE TOLERANT

SCREENING PLANTS

SMALL TREE

Ornamental grass

FROST TOLERANT

DROUGHT HARDY

Explore all our categories

TAGGED WITH:

Autumn Flowering bee attracting bird-attracting Bird Bath carpeting ground cover clay soils coastal garden cut flowers dense habit drought resistant fast growing feature tree foliage contrast fragrant frost tolerant grey green leaves Honeyeater large flower long flowering period Modern Australian Native Garden part shade pink flowers purple flowers Quick growing rainforest species Red flowers Scented silver foliage small bird attracting spring flowering street address summer flowering understory planting WA water logged soils weeping habit well drained soil white flower wildlife habitat wind tolerant Xanthorrhoea yellow flowers

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.

Feel free to browse around! Join us in this ongoing exploration of Australia’s amazing natural environment.