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The Mediterranean flavour of Grevillea olivacea
Grevillea olivacea is considered a fast growing native shrub for dry conditions, with its dense habit it is the perfect screening plant to block out any building, street or fence. I use it for its grey foliage and small spider flowers, because spider flowering Grevilleas are my favourites! I also like to incorporate it into…
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Pittosporum revolutum and its eye catching fruit
This is Pittosporum revolutum, a medium shrub with jasmine-scented blossoms which flowers profusley in Spring and then is covered in decorative fruit in Autumn. When flowering the scent permeates the whole garden and is often commented on by visitors. In the bush it grows as an understory plant and often gets quite leggy, but pruning…
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The Bronze Highlights of Gymnostoma australianum
This almost Christmas like tree is part of the Casuarina family, at first glance can look like a conifer or pine tree, but fuller in habit. Its overall texture and colour is very similar to She Oaks when they are flowering, which is probably why this specimen caught me eye. The male and female flowers…
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The adaptable possibilities of: Banksia plagiocarpa
This Banksia not only has beautiful flowers but also eye-catching bright red new growth that is covered in tiny hairs giving it a velvety texture, similar to the new growth on Banksia robur. Banksia plagiocarpa has great ornamental potential in the garden, as it can be grown a a large shrub or can be shaped…
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Lucious, Shade-loving: Trochocarpa laurina
Note: The photos on this post were originally misidentified as Decaspermum humile. Thanks to @nightjarnatives who corrected the id on instagram! Trochocarpa laurina or ‘Tree Heath’ is a large shrub to small tree which loves the shade. I have recently spotted it growing under large Eucalyptus in full shade, it also enjoys dappled light. It…
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Light it up: Grevillea lanigera ‘Mellow Yellow’
I have mass planted Grevillea ‘Mellow Yellow in a semi shaded position in my garden and have been surprised at its tenacity and ability to cover its self in blooms for an extended period of time. The small striking spider like flowers appeared in Summer and are showing no sign of slowing down as we…
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Who can resist ? Melaleuca ‘Candy Sparkles’
Some plants are blessed with fantastic common or cultivar names, this is one such species which I would almost buy for the label alone. ‘Candy Sparkles’ promised to be vibrant, attractive and showy without me even seeing it in the ground! I have been snapping up this cultivar whenever I see it and popping it…
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Native plants in the Melbourne City Streetscape
This post is all about praising the plant selection used in the ‘Grey to Green’ project in the City of Melbourne. Much of the plant palate features native species, and on a recent tour I was so impressed with the combinations and utilisation of these species that I felt the need to share some photos…
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Try hedging with something a bit different: Lomatia myricoides
I have already written about this large native shrub Lomatia myricoides or River or Long-leaf Lomatia, please see the link below. This post is not so much about this Lomatia as a specimen plant but about its potential as a fabulous tall screening shrub. I have found Lomatia myricoides to be extremely versatile in the…
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Happy 10th Eucalyptus Day: Eucalyptus paniculata
I live among the gum trees, literally … as John Williams sang “Give me a home among the gum trees” this is the best I could hope for in suburbia to be living under the canopy of three magnificent indigenous Grey Ironbarks or Eucalyptus paniculata. I rejoice in their beauty every day. Our bedroom window…
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The constantly evolving beauty of Ozothamnus diosmifolius
This small to medium native shrub is a hard one to capture both in an image and in words, I have been documenting these three specimens in my garden since they were planted a couple of years ago. It never seemed the right time to photograph them as the flowers are always changing colour and…
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Emu Bush Challenge No. 10: Eremophila ‘Meringur Crimson’
And so it continues … documenting my Eremophila discoveries, I will get to 12 one day! As we approach the end of another La Niña Summer, where heavy downpours are common and the humidity is high, it is a great chance to reflect on hardy, flexible native plants. Amongst the surprises are many species of Eremophilas…
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Australian Native Plants in Japan
It was inevitable that I wouldn’t be able to turn off my native plant nerd brain whilst overseas in Japan last month…. I tried, I really did. I took photos of Japanese plants, seed pods and flowers and researched after visiting the gardens and temples. BUT every Australian plant seemed to call out to me…
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Merry NSW Christmas Bush: Ceratopetalum gummiferum
I am a bit of a Grinch when it comes to Christmas and often one of the things which pulls me our of my un-festive slump is our Ceratopetalum gummiferum or native Christmas Bush. This year I was a little late, as many have finished thier show by the time Christmas actually arrives. However, I…
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Kangaroo Paw Care – Get the Pruners Out!
The Kangaroo Paws in this Bundeena garden are a rainbow of colour, they were planted three years ago in a swathe to test Angus Stewarts ‘Anigozanthos ‘Landscape series’ range. They have a striking effect mass planted and it was a delight to go back and visit them in full bloom a couple of weeks ago.…
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Chorilaena quercifolia: Another WA toughie
I can’t help myself, I seem always to be drawn to the unique foliage and flowers of the native plants which grow naturally in Western Australia. Which then leads me to buy many grafted native plants or grow them in pots or try the ‘see how she goes’ test in my garden. This is Chorilaena…
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A true carpeting ground cover: Pratia pedunculata
This is a native ground cover which sometimes gets classed as a steppable (not a real word ;)), meaning it works well between steppers and pavers and can be walked on occasionally without too much fuss. I like to use it mixed with other low growing ground covers like Dichondra and native violet to get…
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Two favourite floating water plants: Nymphiodes geminata & Marsilea drummondii
I love to include water in my Landscapes, whether in the form of a frog pond, fish pond, water bowl or fountain. One of the reasons for my love of water in the garden is it not only attracts wildlife but it can give you a chance to try growing aquatic plants. If you are…
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Try not to dismiss Callistemon ‘White Anzac’
I have often included this hardy little shrub as one of my least favourite native plants, it can be spotted unkempt in the gardens of petrol stations or nature strips, languishing leggy and forgotten. But if given a little attention it can become a stunning floriferous show stopper! Callistemon ‘White Anzac’ is a low mounding…
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The purple punch of Prostanthera ovalifolia
There is something about this particular shade of purple that is both eye catching and calming at the same time, it’s a lovely vibrant lilac which covers the entire shrub and lights up a shady corner. This native Mint Bush also does well in full sun as well as part shade, making it quite a…
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A tough and useful Bushfood: Lomandra longifolia
Lomandra longifolia, or Common Mat Rush, is abundant along the NSW coast growing and in SA, Victoria and Tasmania in a range of environments from coastal dunes to dry Sclerophyll forest. It can also be seen growing in median strips and petrol station garden beds 😉 Little do most people know it is also a tasty…
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Bold Blue Tongue: Melastoma affine
The colour of this flower is contentious, is it purple or deep pink? it also looks different in the flesh as opposed to on screen and it comes in a white form. This is Melastoma affine, a medium shrub found naturally in tea tree swamps or on creek edges in our sub tropical and tropical…
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Happy National Wattle Day!
We hope your gardens are in full bloom and continue to bring you and the native wildlife joy throughout the month of Spring. This years Wattle is Acacia linifolia or Flax Wattle, it flowers from Summer through to Winter. Changes are afoot this month and we have some some exciting announcements which we thought worthwhile…
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Most Memorable Planting Combinations at the National Arboretum
Every time I visit our nations lovely Capital I seem to find myself at the National Arboretum, by default I manage to eke out at least half an hour to check in on some of my favourite plantings. I have posted previously about two of these species but when I was looking over my photos…
Author: Kath Gadd