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Portfolio: Leichhardt Garden Design
This garden was finished yesterday (Hoooray!) except for three plants I am still waiting for to complete the front, then it will be something else front and back. This small terrace was renovated a year ago and after a much protracted waiting period for clean up we were able to start work on the garden…
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Gardening with 2nds
I like re-cycling, myself and my family are usually dressed from the op-shop, I use every opportunity to re-cycle building materials around the garden and think nothing of going through the kerb side household clean-ups, therefore I am a big fan of rummaging through the half price plant areas in nurseries. Often these are tables…
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Blue Tongue: Melastoma affine
This showy little shrub is Melastoma affine or Native Lasiandra, it really does look like a dwarf form of the incredibly popular south American Tibouchina, which lights up the streets of many inner western Sydney suburbs. However, this is not only an Australian native Lasiandra but is also a bush food. After the flowers finish…
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Exotic looking native: Rhododendron lochiae
There are several native plants that I like to use when either designing a planting that already has some exotic species established or when trying to convince people that not all native plants are straggly, open and dry looking. This is one of them Rhododendron lochiae, isn’t it beautiful? It has dark glossy green leaves and…
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Tetratheca thymifolia at its best
This is a happy little native shrub that exhausts itself come late winter-early spring by covering itself in delicate little purple or white flowers. The white form is not as hardy as the purple mind you, especially in periods of humid weather. Tetratheca thymifolia is perfect for native cottage gardens and works well as…
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Shady Winter Purple: Hovea acutifolia
Hovea acutifolia always takes my breath away when I see it in full bloom, it is quite something. For most of the year it is an almost nondescript medium sized shrub that is useful for filling shady spots in the garden. Then BAM it covers itself in these happy little purple flowers that are almost…
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One of my favourite Mallees…Eucalyptus luehmanniana
This is Eucalyptus leuhmanniana or Yellow Topped Ash, it is a rare species to the east coast of NSW and grows in high rainfall areas on sandstone soils, it comes in a glaucous and non-glaucus form, the glaucous form is my first choice. Above you can see the whitish-silver stems and buds of the glaucous…
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Portfolio: Glebe Re-visited
I went back to this front Terrace garden in Glebe a couple of weeks ago to do some follow up work; re-mulching and pruning and I was struck again by how quickly the garden is filling out, it is still under a year old and already you can see the structure as the plants begin…
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Portfolio: Crows Nest Garden Design
This garden in Crows Nest was designed at the beginning of last year and has been slowly and steadily taking shape. It is being lovingly built by the owner on weekends and through his careful attention and patience it will be a great success. However, unfinished as it is I couldn’t resist posting a few…
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Ode to Banksia spinulosa
Banksia’s may possibly be my favourite Genus of Native plants and this particular species could well be top of that list. I was at a clients garden this afternoon and we were lovingly looking at his Banksia spinulosa and stroking the new growth and commenting on what a wonderful plant it is. There is something…
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Butterfly attracting Pimelea ‘White Jewel’
This is a low growing form of Pimelea linifolia called ‘White Jewel’, it has proven itself to me to be very hardy and versatile. One of the main reasons I like using this plant is its shape, it grows into a thick luscious looking mound about 30cmHigh x 60cmWide which has the appearance of having…
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Low Shrubbery: Acacia howittii ‘Honey Bun’
I have had my eye on this little dwarf form of Acacia for a few years now, it isn’t as common as some of the Acacia cognata dwarfs, which is one of the reasons it appeals to me. This is Acacia howittii ‘Honey Bun’ and it is an incredibly pretty and useful low shrub, suitable for…
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Eucalyptus ‘Silver Princess’ at Heide
I accidentally visited the Heide Museum of Modern Art last month, WOW it was a pretty wonderful accident! They have the most beautiful sculpture gardens, which are expansive and great for kids. The art Gallery itself is also an impressive building surrounded in native gardens with a bit of an edge. I saw this wonderful…
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Polarising plants: Ozothamnus diosmifolius
I love plants that have the capacity to completely divide people, where they are either loved or hated. I think Ozothamnus diosmifolius is one such plant, I have only been recently converted and I must say it is partly by the discovery of all the new colours out there, pinks, oranges and the most amazing…
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Shady Lilly Pilly: Syzygium wilsonii
There are so many Lilly Pillys around, different cultivars, that apparently grow faster, thicker, thinner, redder and so on, they are used for hedging everywhere (which is great, far better than Murraya) and can be a little over done. This one is Syzygium wilsonii and it is amazing for a few reasons, firstly it has…
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Portfolio: Glebe Native Garden Blitz!
OK blitz is not a word I would usually associate with my gardens, and its a rather over commercialised word, however it does portray something of the” makeover” aspect that a new garden can be.This is how I feel when I look at these before and after photos from a garden installed last Friday, total…
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Enticing Suburban Native Garden
This is David’s wonderful garden, it has been made with a passionate eye and a dedicated hand and is simply beautiful. The garden is well laid out and incorporates several different areas that are all planted out with natives, can you believe it is only five years old?
Category: Small garden