Drought hardy – Mallee Design

Privacy with punch: Leptospermum lanigerum ‘Seclusion’

Please meet Leptospermum ‘Seclusion’ which I am finding to be an outstanding native screening plant, originally I admit to buying it for its intriguing cultivar name ‘Seclusion’, who doesn’t want that in their garden right? It also has a classic… Read more ›

Coastal, Drought hardy, Frost tolerant, Hedge, Screening plants

bee attracting, clay soils, dense habit, fast growing, foliage contrast, full sun, grey green leaves, Leptospermum lanigerum Seclusion, part shade, pink flowers, pollinating insects, Pollinator Plants, spring flowering, summer flowering, temporary inundation, wet weather, wind tolerant

Phenomenal Phebaliums: the delicate blooms of Phebalium nottii and squamulosum

I am a long time fan of the Phebalium genus, these small to large shrubs which belong in the Rutaceae family can be found growing over much of the south and east coast of Australia. However Phebalium squamulosum is an extremely… Read more ›

Drought hardy, Hedge, Natives for containers, Naturalistic garden, Shade tolerant, Winter flowering

bee attracting, dry shade, foliage contrast, fragrant flowers, frost tolerant, part shade, pink flowers, pollinating insects, Scented, understory planting, well drained soil, yellow flowers

Happy Wattle Day: The Ever useful Acacia fimbriata

The 1st of September is not only the first day of Spring, but it is also National Wattle Day! So if you have any flowering in your garden, cut off a sprig for a jar or pin it to your… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Butterfly attracting, Coastal, Drought hardy, Frost tolerant, Screening plants, Small garden, Small tree, Winter flowering

Acacia fimbriata, bird-attracting, butterfly attracting, Fairy Wren, figbird, fragrant flowers, Honeyeaters, national wattle, National Wattle Day, privacy screen, weeping habit, wind break, yellow flowers

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… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Butterfly attracting, Coastal, Drought hardy, Frost tolerant, Hedge, Screening plants, Small tree, Winter flowering

bee attracting, bird-attracting, drought tolerant, fence screening, frost tolerant, Grevillea olivacea Red, Grevillea olivacea Yellow, habitat garden, hedge, Waterwise native, wildlife habitat

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… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Drought hardy, Feature shrub, Small garden, Tropical garden, Winter flowering

Australian Native Garden, banksia plagiocarpa, bee attracting, bird-attracting, drought tolerant, large flower, long flowering period, medium shrub, Native Garden Design, temporary inundation, well drained soil, wet weather

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… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Butterfly attracting, Coastal, Drought hardy, Frost tolerant, Groundcover, Natives for containers, Naturalistic garden, Winter flowering

Autumn Flowering, bee attracting, clay soils, drought tolerant, frost tolerant, full sun, grey green leaves, ground cover, long flowering period, well drained soil, wind tolerant, winter flowering

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… Read more ›

02/05/2023 2 Comments

Bird attracting, Drought hardy, Frost tolerant, Landscape Design, Naturalistic garden, Ornamental grass, Water plants

bee attracting, Calothamnus quadrifidus grey form, Casuarina glauca, Doryanthes palmeri, Eucalyptus pulverulenta 'Baby Blue', Eucalyptus sideroxylon Rosea, grey green leaves, Grey to Green, Melaleuca hypericifolia, melaleuca quinquenervia, Melbourne City, Micromyrtus ciliata, openspace, Plectranthus argentatus, public space, Rhagodia spinescens, streetscape, understory planting, urban greening

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… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Butterfly attracting, Drought hardy, Hedge, Screening plants, Shade tolerant

Autumn Flowering, bee attracting, clay soils, fine foliage, heavy soils, large flower, Lomatia myricoides, summer flowering, understory planting, water logged soils, weeping habit, well drained soil, white flower

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… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Coastal, Drought hardy, Feature shrub, Frost tolerant, Hedge, Naturalistic garden

bee attracting, Eremophila 'Meringur Crimson', foliage contrast, grey green leaves, understory planting, wind tolerant

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… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Drought hardy, Landscape Design, Medium Tree, Natives for containers, Screening plants, Small garden, Small tree, Winter flowering

Acacia baileyana, Acacia covenyi, Acacia decurrens, Backhousia citriodora, Brachychiton rupestris, Cissus antartica, Eucalyptus polyanthemos, Eucalyptus pulverulenta 'Baby Blue', feature tree, foliage contrast, grey green leaves, Hardenbergia violacea, Indoor plant, Leptospermum brachyandrum 'Silver', well drained soil, yellow flowers

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… Read more ›

14/11/2022 1 Comment

Bird attracting, Drought hardy, Hedge, Screening plants, Shade tolerant

Chorilaena quercifolia, dry shade, frost tolerant, long flowering period, part shade, understory planting, WA, well drained soil

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… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Coastal, Drought hardy, Hedge

clay soils, large flower, low mounding shrub, prolific flowers, wet weather, wind tolerant

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… Read more ›

29/09/2022 2 Comments

Bush tucker, Coastal, Drought hardy, Illawarra natives, Ornamental grass

Bushfood, clay soils, Common Mat Rush, Edible native plant, first nations knowledge, front line coastal, Indigenous to the Illawarra, Lomandra longifolia, sandy soil, small bird attracting, spring flowering, understory planting, weaving fibre, weeping habit, wind tolerant

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… Read more ›

19/08/2022 1 Comment

Drought hardy, Feature shrub, Frost tolerant, Groundcover, Hedge, Landscape Design, Ornamental grass, Small tree, Winter flowering

Acacia baileyana prostrate, Australian Native Garden, bee attracting, Correa glabra, Eucalyptus pulverulenta 'Baby Blue', foliage contrast, grey green leaves, Lomandra confertifolia ssp Rubiginosa, Modern Australian Native Garden, National Arboretum, planting combination, understory planting, weeping habit

Happy Eucalyptus Day! Eucalyptus risdonii

This is a Eucalypt species very close to my heart, you can see it in my banner at the top of the website. Yes, I took photos of it almost 10 years ago and have recently revisited the vegetation community… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Drought hardy, Medium Tree, Small tree

bee attracting, Eucalyptus risdonii, Eucalyptus viminalis, foliage contrast, grey green leaves, silver foliage, Tasmanian species, threatened species, well drained soil, white flowers, wind tolerant

Native Nurseries Across Australia

This is a collection of nurseries I’ve visited, bought from and love. I’ve written about some of my favourite Native Nurseries in blogposts before but it’s handy to have one reference list to come back to isn’t it?! It’s by… Read more ›

15/03/2022 11 Comments

Bird attracting, Coastal, Drought hardy, Feature shrub, Illawarra natives, Natives for containers

Inala Conservation Reserve: Bruny Island

Forty Spotted Pardalote Image above by Alfred-Schulte The Inala Reserve on Bruny Island was the highlight of my recent trip to Tasmania, we spent two nights staying in the cabins inside the reserve bird watching and exploring this natural wonderland.… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Drought hardy, Feature shrub, Groundcover, Medium Tree, Naturalistic garden

bird-attracting, Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus viminalis, Forty-spotted pardalote, Inala Conservation Reserve, nature connection, nesting boxes, small bird attracting, summer flowering, Swift Parrot, wildlife habitat

My Favourite Poa: Poa ‘Suggan Buggan’

Since discovering this super blue grey form of Poa labillardieri I have been throwing it around with gay abandon ? my love for native grasses and Poas in particular is something which is pretty obvious when you see some of… Read more ›

28/11/2021 2 Comments

Coastal, Drought hardy, Frost tolerant, Naturalistic garden, Ornamental grass

foliage contrast, grey green leaves, low spreading habit, mass planting, Poa 'Suggan Buggan, Poa labillardieri 'Suggan Buggan', Quick growing, small bird attracting, understory planting, weeping habit, wind tolerant

Powerful Pollinators: Leptospermums

We are mid the Australian Annual Pollinator Week and I have been admiring our our native tea trees all Spring so I thought I would bring them to your attention this week as they are wonderful plants to grow for… Read more ›

Coastal, Drought hardy, Frost tolerant, Hedge, Screening plants, Small tree

2nd line coastal, bee attracting, clay soils, coastal garden, drought hardy, grey green leaves, Leptospermum 'Lavender Queen', Leptospermum lanigerum, Leptospermum rotundifolium ‘Lavender Queen’, Leptospermum scoparium 'Seclusion', pollination, Pollinator Plants, Quick growing, silver foliage, spring flowering, weeping habit, wind tolerant

The almost native pig face: xDisphyllum ‘Sunburn’

Meet a new addition to the Australian native succulent family, well maybe more a half sibling or cousin, as technically this lovely green pig face is half south African ? shock horror! However there are so few Australian succulents I… Read more ›

25/10/2021 2 Comments

Coastal, Drought hardy, Groundcover, Natives for containers

bee attracting, carpeting ground cover, drought hardy, drought resistant, drought tolerant, fast growing, frost tolerant, full sun, large flower, well drained soil, wind tolerant, xDisphyllum Sunburn, year round flowering, yellow flowers

Happy National Wattle Day: Acacia binervia ‘Sterling Silver’

Spring! if ever there is a seasonal change to bring hope and excitement for the future surely Spring is it? I have been watching the Wattles all Winter long, they have been lovely this year and very appreciated during extended… Read more ›

Coastal, Drought hardy, Feature shrub

Acacia binervia Stirling Silver, bee attracting, foliage contrast, fragrant, large flower, low spreading shrub, National Wattle Day, perfume, Quick growing, silver foliage, well drained soil, wind tolerant, yellow flowers

Portfolio: Gardening in Wind

This is my sisters garden on ‘Windy Hill’ as we like to call it, it gets so windy here the rubbish bins get blown down the street, gates are blown off their hinges and plants find it tough! Her front… Read more ›

27/08/2021 2 Comments

Bird attracting, Coastal, Drought hardy, Feature shrub, Groundcover, Hedge, Ornamental grass, Portfolio, Screening plants, Small tree

Acacia baileyana prostrate, Acacia binervia Stirling Silver, Acacia cardiophylla, Baeckea linifolia, Banksia 'Sentinel', Banksia integrifolia 'Roller Coaster', Calothamnus quadrifidus grey form, Casuarina 'Green Wave', clay soils, Eucalyptus 'Euky Dwarf', Eucalyptus pulverulenta 'Baby Blue', foliage contrast, Grevillea 'Amber Blaze', Grevillea 'Red Hooks', Grevillea banksii prostrate White, grey green leaves, Poa 'Kingsdale', weeping habit, wind tolerant

A Portrait of a Flower: Hakea francisiana

Look at this thing! is it not one of the most spectacular flowers you have ever seen? I have been impatiently waiting for this moment in my Hakea francisiana Grafted life cycle since I planted it 6 months ago. It… Read more ›

23/07/2021 6 Comments

Bird attracting, Drought hardy, Feature shrub, Frost tolerant, Screening plants, Small tree, Uncategorized, Winter flowering

bee attracting, bird-attracting, cut flowers, frost tolerant, grey green leaves, Hakea francisiana Grafted, large flower, long flowering period, pink flowers, winter flowering

To clip or not to clip …

Sometimes I find native gardens lack a little….structure. Its lovely to have a bush style garden with lots of flowing foliage and a naturalistic feel, however I am a big fan of breaking that up with some stronger forms which… Read more ›

10/07/2021 2 Comments

Coastal, Drought hardy, Feature shrub, Formal gardens, Shade tolerant

Casuarina 'Green Wave', Correa alba, Correa baeuerlenii, garden maintenance, Leptospermum laevigatum 'Foreshore', pruning