Hedge – Mallee Design

The glossy leafed Eupomatia laurina

This ancient flowering plant has a fossil record of 120 million years, it’s primitive flowers are a legacy from Gondwana. Isn’t that mind blowing!? The perfumed, glossy screen tree with edible fruits is the perfect addition to a bush food… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Bush tucker, Feature shrub, Hedge, Illawarra natives, Natives for containers, Screening plants, Shade tolerant, Small tree, Tropical garden

bee attracting, bird-attracting, Bush Foods, clay soils, dense habit, edible fruit, Edible native plant, Illawarra natives, large leaves, moist shade, natives for pots, Scented, understory planting, white flower, wollongong local species

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

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

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… Read more ›

Hedge, Illawarra natives, Screening plants, Shade tolerant, Small garden, Small tree, Uncategorized

clay soils, decorative fruit, dense habit, figbird, foliage contrast, fragrant flowers, grey green leaves, Illawarra natives, narrow habit, perfume, Satin Bowerbird, spring flowering, understory planting, wind tolerant, yellow flowers

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… Read more ›

Coastal, Formal gardens, Hedge, Natives for containers, Screening plants, Small tree, Tropical garden

Autumn Flowering, bird-attracting, casuarina family, christmas tree, cone, dense habit, fence screening, foliage contrast, full sun, Gymnostoma australianum, part shade, privacy screen, prolific flowers, QLD species, rainforest species, well drained soil, wind break

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… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Bush tucker, Butterfly attracting, Hedge, Illawarra natives, Medium Tree, Screening plants, Shade tolerant, Small tree, Tropical garden

bird-attracting, dense habit, heavy shade, moist shade, rainforest species, Reddish foliage, shade tolerant, subtropical species, Trochocarpa laurina, understory planting, weeping habit

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… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Coastal, Hedge, Screening plants, Small tree

Autumn Flowering, bee attracting, clay soils, coastal garden, decorative bark, foliage contrast, heavy soils, interesting bark, large flower, Melaleuca 'Candy Sparkles', pink flowers, small tree, water logged soils, wind tolerant

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

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… Read more ›

13/03/2023 1 Comment

Bird attracting, Feature shrub, Hedge, Naturalistic garden, Shade tolerant

bee attracting, clay soils, cut flower, cut flowers, habitat garden, large flower, long flowering period, native bees, Ozothamnus 'Radiance', Ozothamnus diosmifolius, pink flowers, understory planting, well drained soil, white flower, wildlife habitat

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

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… Read more ›

23/12/2022 2 Comments

Bird attracting, Coastal, Feature shrub, Formal gardens, Hedge, Illawarra natives, Landscape Design, Medium Tree, Screening plants, Shade tolerant, Small tree

Australian Native Garden, bee attracting, Ceratopetalum albury's christmas, Ceratopetalum gummiferum, Christmas bush, cut flower, dense habit, feature tree, Festive, flowers and bracts, native bees, Pollinator Plants, Red flowers, spring flowering, summer flowering, well drained soil

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

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… Read more ›

09/10/2022 3 Comments

Bush tucker, Feature shrub, Hedge, Screening plants, Shade tolerant

bee attracting, fragrant, fragrant flowers, medium shrub, part shade, prolific flowers, purple flowers, Scented, spring flowering, understory planting, well drained soil

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

What to Plant for Poorly Drained Soils

Wet Weather Gardening After yet more rain on the east coast many plants in many gardens are suffering water-logging. Even in reasonably well drained soils the inundation has been too much for some plants. Physically, the force of rain, streams… Read more ›

15/07/2022 3 Comments

Coastal, Feature shrub, Hedge, Screening plants, Small tree, Tropical garden

Agonis 'Burgundy', Agonis flexuosa, Baloskion tetraphyllum, Banksia robur, bee attracting, boggy soils, Casuarina 'Cousin It', Casuarina 'Freefall', Casuarina 'Green Wave', Casuarina glauca prostrate form, clay soils, Grevillea baileyana, Leptospermum 'Starry Night', Melaleuca armillaris Pink, Melaleuca viridiflora 'Burgundy Weeper', Melastoma affine, Syzygium wilsonii, water logged soils, wet weather

Luscious, Dense and Green: Xanthostemon chrysanthus

This showy small to medium tropical tree was flowering its head off on my recent trip to Brisbane and northern NSW. It was such a welcome sight after the damp, soggy Summer we have had, finally a species revelling in… Read more ›

27/04/2022 1 Comment

Bird attracting, Butterfly attracting, Feature shrub, Hedge, Medium Tree, Screening plants, Shade tolerant, Small tree

Autumn Flowering, bee attracting, feature tree, large flower, long flowering period, privacy screen, Quick growing, rainforest species, shade tree, Street Trees, summer flowering, tropical species, Xanthostemon chrysanthus, yellow flowers

White or Pink? How do you like your Blueberry Ash?

Elaeocarpus reticulatus is one of the Spring flowering native tree species which really knocks itself out during its flowering season. It consistently covers itself in the little white fairy skirt like flowers to the point that it gives the whole… Read more ›

16/12/2021 4 Comments

Bird attracting, Hedge, Medium Tree, Screening plants, Shade tolerant

bee attracting, bird-attracting, clay soils, Elaeocarpus reticulatus, Indigenous to the Illawarra, moist soil, part shade, pink flowers, protected position, rainforest species, Satin Bowerbird, spring flowering, white flower

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

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

Portfolio: St Ives Landscape Design

This garden in the leafy north shore suburb of St Ives was designed last year and built only 7 months ago, by Ash from ‘Living on the Hedge’. Part of the brief for this garden was to have plenty of… Read more ›

07/06/2021 7 Comments

AILDM, Bird attracting, Butterfly attracting, Groundcover, Hedge, Landscape Design, Medium Tree, Ornamental grass, Portfolio, Screening plants, Small tree, Uncategorized, Winter flowering

Portfolio: Bundeena Tree House

This an amazing house which spills over a sandstone outcrop and is placed underneath a giant fig tree. It is sheltered by a stand of Casuarinas and hidden from the street by its rapidly growing native garden. The garden has… Read more ›

AILDM, Bird attracting, Coastal, Groundcover, Hedge, Naturalistic garden, Ornamental grass, Portfolio, Screening plants, Shade tolerant

Banksia 'Sentinel', Callistemon 'Pink Champagne', Calothamnus quadrifidus grey form, Casuarina 'Green Wave', Cissus antartica, Ficinia nodosa, Ficus, Grevillea 'Gin Gin Gem', Grevillea flexuosa Grafted, Leptospermum laevigatum 'Foreshore', Lomandra 'Tanika', Maireana oppositifolia 'Smokey', Microlaena stipoides, Poa 'Kingsdale', Sydney Sandstone

Finger Limes loving the shade – Citrus australasica

My friend has the magic touch when it comes to growing all things edible and so of course her fingers limes are abundant in the Autumn ?. She has two varieties one is Citrus australasica ‘Rainforest Pearl’, a grafted form.… Read more ›

Bush tucker, Hedge, Natives for containers, Screening plants, Shade tolerant, Small tree

bee attracting, Bush Foods, Citrus australasica, Citrus australasica 'Rainforest Pearl', dense habit, edible fruit, fence screening, moist shade, part shade, shade tolerant, white flower