• The purity of Grevillea ‘Ivory Whip’

    I am quite selective and fussy when it comes to large flowering spike Grevilleas, some of them I find incredibly garish and I dislike the way they attract the aggressive nectar feeding birds. For some reason this medium sized Grafted Grevillea remains an exception for me. The flowers of Grevillea ‘Ivory Whip’ are not in…

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  • The perfect Scented Screen: Leptospermum ‘Little Lemon Scents’

    This dwarf graceful, weeping tea tree is a wonderful addition to any garden, it can be used as a privacy screen, in a mixed hedge or as a soft backdrop in a layered planting. The compact habit of Little Lemon Scents is far smaller growing and more shapely than its parent, Leptospermum petersonii (Lemon-Scented Tea…

  • Hakea ‘Pinball’ for all

    This is a grafted form of the very showy Pin Cushion Hakea, Hakea laurina, which hails from south-western WA. This is a wonderful grafted species which means we can now grow these very iconic flowers in areas with higher humidity and a heavier soil, it is actually also a cultivar: Hakea laurina x petiolaris. I…

  • What to Plant for Poorly Drained Soils and temporary inundation

    I am adding to this post as here on the East coast of NSW we continue to have flooding, heavy downpours and associated erosion. It has been over 3 years of this tumultuous weather and this particular blog post has been getting quite a lot of visits. The past few years have also given me…

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  • Another furry leaved beauty: Lasiopetalum baueri

    This is commonly known as Slender Velvet Bush, which is a most apt description of this interesting under-storey shrub. Lasiopetalum baueri has rusty coloured , furry new growth and pretty delicate pink flowers in Winter. The dried flowers are long-lasting and have potential as a cut flower and the attractive foliage lasts for ages in…

  • A flower within a flower within a flower … Hoya australis

    This is Hoya australis or Wax flower and I have taken some close up photos which demonstrate perfectly why this umbel has been given its common name. I find this one of the most curious flowers from our native vine species, it is a large highly perfumed umbel of tiny wax like flowers which is…

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  3. Hi Maree, Poa labillardieri can grow in a shaded spot in the GC or you could try Libertia paniculata. Happy…

  6. Hi, I love these native grasses too. What compact variety would best suit the Gold Coast I was hoping to…

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providing resources for native plant gardeners and designers.


Mallee Design was created by Kath Gadd in 2012 to document and share her love for native Australian garden design. Her original motivation was to inspire those interested in learning more about native Australian plants. The Mallee Design blog has since grown into a rich resource, used by gardeners, horticulturalists, landscape designers and others.

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