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Grass tree spheres
Xanthorrhoea species or Grass Trees are a pretty standard ‘feature plant’ in a native garden, with their showy black trunk and perfect grass head on top they are almost a signature plant for a lot of Australian gardens.
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Native ginger: Alpinia caerulea ‘Red Back’
This is native ginger, Alpinia caerulea ‘Red Back’, planted in an internal courtyard, doesn’t it look beautiful? It had been recently cleaned out and cut back as it was a bit too happy. It has naturally arching canes that form a vase like habit and can get a little burnt and ratty if left unaltered.
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shady planting
This is a great example of colourful planting in shade, it is a simple combination of Baekea virgata dwarf, Indigofera australis and Thryptomene FC Payne. The Baekea is the lime green mound on the left which naturally looks like it has had a shapely prune, the Indigofera is above it with its arching branches and…
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Spear Lily: Doryanthes palmeri
This is Doryanthes palmeri or the Spear Lily, a striking feature plant similar to the Gymea Lily except that it has a flower spike that leans over and isn’t spherical and the foliage is less clumping and more linear.
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Mint Bush: Prostanthera rotundifolia
The Australian mint bushes really smell far superior to regular mint, not as sweet a bit more citric.
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Dense Cycads
Macrozamias as far as the eye can see, it is so amazing witnessing what a dense understory these plants make, it is impossible to walk through even to get a better photo much to my frustration.
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Grey ground cover
Acacia baileyana prostrate or the Cootamundra wattle ground cover makes a stunning display and looks great planted under Eucalypts like this one especially with the dark bark of the Ironbark.
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A Persoonia…
Persoonia pinifolia naturally grows in areas of sandstone, in sheltered positions with part sun.
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Royal National Park
This photo was taken on the Forest Way bush walk in the Royal National Park, it show the Cabbage tree (Livistona australis) palms at their best, the Illawarra escarpment is full of these palms also, for me it is a signature of home.
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Lambertia formosa
I am constantly asked for plants that are bird attracting, which then leads to the question of what type of birds are you trying to attract?
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Forked Fern
This ferns is rather unlike other ferns. It grows branches stemming out from the centre in a hexagonal shape, it appears as though the the branchlets will keep dividing indefinitely.
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Hanging leaf pattern
Myoporum floribundum would have to be the most delicate looking shrub around, the long leaves hang down almost vertically and when it is in flower the tiny white buds sit atop the stems in a unusual arrangement.
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Rainforest Shade
This image shows a well put together rainforest planting in full shade.
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Bold broad leaf “Architectural Plant”
This is Moraea robinsoniana in flower, to match its bold foliage it has this large striking flower head which is also then followed by decorative blue fruit.
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Drum sticks
Isopogon anemonifolius is a local shrub that is found in many bushland areas around Sydney and also on top of Illawarra Escarpment.
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Yellow and grey green
This is the paper daisy Bracteantha bracteata growing amongst a bed of Themeda ‘Mingo’, the grass creates a beautifully soft looking ground cover that sets off the strong shape and colour of the daisy.