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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

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

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

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

Happy 10th Eucalyptus Day: Eucalyptus paniculata

I live among the gum trees, literally … as John Williams sang “Give me a home among the gum trees” this is the best I could hope for in suburbia to be living under the canopy of three magnificent indigenous… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Coastal, Illawarra natives, Medium Tree, Winter flowering

bee attracting, clay soils, Eucalyptus Day, Eucalyptus paniculata, grey green leaves, Grey Ironbark, heavy soils, interesting bark, weeping habit, wind tolerant, Wollongong Native Trees

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

Two favourite floating water plants: Nymphiodes geminata & Marsilea drummondii

I love to include water in my Landscapes, whether in the form of a frog pond, fish pond, water bowl or fountain. One of the reasons for my love of water in the garden is it not only attracts wildlife… Read more ›

Coastal, Naturalistic garden, Water plants

bee attracting, Bush Foods, fish, frogs, habitat garden, Marsilea drummondii, Nymphoides geminata, Pond plants, water bowls, water feature, water plants, wildlife, wildlife habitat, yellow flowers

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

Bold Blue Tongue: Melastoma affine

The colour of this flower is contentious, is it purple or deep pink? it also looks different in the flesh as opposed to on screen and it comes in a white form. This is Melastoma affine, a medium shrub found… Read more ›

Bush tucker, Shade tolerant, Small garden

bee attracting, Bush Foods, clay soils, edible fruit, large flower, moist shade, moist soil, purple flower, spring flowering, subtropical species, tropical species, understory planting, well drained soil

Happy National Wattle Day!

We hope your gardens are in full bloom and continue to bring you and the native wildlife joy throughout the month of Spring. This years Wattle is Acacia linifolia or Flax Wattle, it flowers from Summer through to Winter. Changes… Read more ›

Naturalistic garden, Screening plants, Shade tolerant, Small tree, Winter flowering

Acacia linifolia, bee attracting, fragrant flowers, large shrub, National Wattle Day, perfume, Quick growing, understory planting, weeping habit, well drained soil, wind tolerant, yellow flowers

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

Native flowers in the deepest dark of Winter

It has been a long cold, wet Winter here on the southern NSW coast, off and don’t forget windy! In fact my garden experienced a mini tornado a month ago, a micro weather event which sent someones garden shed and… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Butterfly attracting, Coastal, Naturalistic garden, Screening plants, Winter flowering

bee attracting, bird-attracting, birdsinbackyards, clay soils, Epacris microphylla, Eriostemon difformis ‘Star Sprite’, Grevillea 'Orange Marmalade', Grevillea arenaria, Grevillea oleoides, Hakea francisiana Grafted, Phebalium nottii Grafted, Pimelea linifolia, Westringia longifolia, winter flowering

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

Gardening for Wellbeing

Stress Relief, Connection to Nature, Community involvement, Mood lifting, Physical Health, Personal Growth ….just to name a few! Words by Kath Gadd and Hannah Preston at Mallee Design In times of great social and economic upheaval gardening can offer multiple… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Coastal, Feature shrub, Frost tolerant, Naturalistic garden, Uncategorized, Winter flowering

bee attracting, clay soils, mental health, sit spot, understory planting, weeping habit, wellbeing, wind tolerant, yellow flowers

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

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

The Tallest Flowering Trees: Eucalyptus regnans

Whilst much of the east coast of Australia is assulted by incessant rain, floods and storms and the West Coast has received some of their highest Summer temperatures on record and are now battling bushfires, I am reminiscing about mild… Read more ›

07/03/2022 1 Comment

Frost tolerant, Shade tolerant, Snow Tolerant

bee attracting, Cool Climate Rainforest, creek planting, Dicksonia antartica, Eucalyptus regnans, ferns, fungi, moss, Mt Field National Park, streams, Tasmania, water falls