bird-attracting – Mallee Design

Categories

Archive

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

Happy Wattle Day: The Ever useful Acacia fimbriata

The 1st of September is not only the first day of Spring, but it is also National Wattle Day! So if you have any flowering in your garden, cut off a sprig for a jar or pin it to your… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Butterfly attracting, Coastal, Drought hardy, Frost tolerant, Screening plants, Small garden, Small tree, Winter flowering

Acacia fimbriata, bird-attracting, butterfly attracting, Fairy Wren, figbird, fragrant flowers, Honeyeaters, national wattle, National Wattle Day, privacy screen, weeping habit, wind break, 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 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

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

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

Walks for winter-spring flowering plants on Dharawal Country

In our temperate climate the winter wildflower season is magnificent making it one of the best times for walking in and around the escarpment – or at least when it’s not too muddy! – and many of the winter flowerers… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Butterfly attracting, Illawarra natives, Winter flowering

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

Bird Nerd-ing in a Mallee Birdbath

Our friend Angus Stewart in Tasmania (from Gardening with Angus) recently captured all these wonderful birds making use of his Mallee Dish – including a few that we’ve never seen before since they only occur in Tasmania. In this video… Read more ›

27/07/2022 2 Comments

Bird attracting, Frost tolerant, Naturalistic garden, Products, Winter flowering

Inala Conservation Reserve: Bruny Island

Forty Spotted Pardalote Image above by Alfred-Schulte The Inala Reserve on Bruny Island was the highlight of my recent trip to Tasmania, we spent two nights staying in the cabins inside the reserve bird watching and exploring this natural wonderland.… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Drought hardy, Feature shrub, Groundcover, Medium Tree, Naturalistic garden

bird-attracting, Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus viminalis, Forty-spotted pardalote, Inala Conservation Reserve, nature connection, nesting boxes, small bird attracting, summer flowering, Swift Parrot, wildlife habitat

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

Instagram #INeedABirdbathHere Winner and Entries!

We’ve been simply blown away by the beautiful garden entries we received in our most recent birdbath competition #INeedABirdbathHere. We asked our followers to send us photos of their gardens for the chance to win a Freshly Spun Medium Copper… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Coastal, Feature shrub, Groundcover, Naturalistic garden, Ornamental grass, Small tree

bird-attracting, birdbaths, birdsinbackyards, habitat garden, nativegarden

A Portrait of a Flower: Hakea francisiana

Look at this thing! is it not one of the most spectacular flowers you have ever seen? I have been impatiently waiting for this moment in my Hakea francisiana Grafted life cycle since I planted it 6 months ago. It… Read more ›

23/07/2021 6 Comments

Bird attracting, Drought hardy, Feature shrub, Frost tolerant, Screening plants, Small tree, Uncategorized, Winter flowering

bee attracting, bird-attracting, cut flowers, frost tolerant, grey green leaves, Hakea francisiana Grafted, large flower, long flowering period, pink flowers, winter flowering

Garden Photo Competition – Win a Medium Dish!

This Winter we’re running a garden photo competition on instagram, your chance to show off your gardening skills to us and win a Medium Spun Copper Dish valued at $545.00!! Take a photo of the spot in your garden that needs… Read more ›

13/07/2021 3 Comments

Bird attracting, Uncategorized

Bird Bath, bird-attracting, birdbaths, garden design, gardening, habitat garden, Modern Australian Native Garden, native birds

Habitat Gardening

My eye is repeatedly drawn to this delightful photo of a father Tawny Frogmouth and his hatchling. Tawny Frogmouth fathers look after their baby birds until they fledge and require wide branches or large forks in old trees to nest.… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Butterfly attracting, Landscape Design

Photo Competition Entries and Winner!

Our photo competition is finished and we’ve been absolutely blown away by all our entries. The submissions represent so many different birds and locations across Australia that we couldn’t resist putting them all in one blog post with the winner!… Read more ›

05/05/2021 2 Comments

Bird attracting, Landscape Design

Small Scented Shade Tree: Leptospermum petersonii

I finally found a mature Lemon Scented Tea Tree to photograph which shows off its stunning weeping habit and shapely trunk and branches. Leptospermum petersonii really does make a wonderful small feature shade tree in the garden, the strong thick… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Bush tucker, Coastal, Drought hardy, Frost tolerant, Screening plants, Small garden, Small tree

bee attracting, bird-attracting, Bush Foods, fast growing, fragrant, Leptospermum petersonii, privacy screen, Quick growing, shade tree, spring flowering, summer flowering, weeping habit, white flower, wind tolerant

Portfolio: Jamberoo Consults

I have been visiting this rural property on and off for the last 3 years, each time providing the client with onsite sketch designs for different areas of the expansive garden. Working on this garden has been an absolute pleasure… Read more ›

AILDM, Bird attracting, Illawarra natives, Ornamental grass, Portfolio, Shade tolerant

Bird Bath, bird-attracting, Decomposed Crushed Granite, Dichelachne crinita, dry creek bed, Ficinia nodosa, Indigenous to the Illawarra, Juncus usitatus, large garden, Poa labillardieri, retaining wall, rural property, swale, turf pavers

Back from a Bird Language Retreat

The mantra of the weekend, a quote shared by JA Baker: “The hardest thing of all is to see what is really there.” The next Bird Language Retreat is Apr. 13th–16th 2023 _____________________________________ By Hannah Preston Two weeks ago I… Read more ›

27/11/2020 3 Comments

Bird attracting, Naturalistic garden, Shade tolerant

Andrew Turbill, Barrington Tops National Park, Bird Bath, bird calls, bird-attracting, Cymbidium suave, Glochidion ferdinandi, king parrot, Lyre Bird, native grasses, nature connection, Wangat Lodge, wildlife habitat

Camera Trap Basics for Bird-Spotters

Recently, we’ve been using camera traps to capture videos of birds using our birdbaths. One of my favourites is the video of these wonderful silvereyes flocking around a dish in some coastal habitat below! Silvereyes migrate in large groups, feed… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Coastal, Illawarra natives, Products

bird-attracting, birdbaths, dense habit, front line coastal, Grey Fantail, habitat garden, Little Wattlebird, Silvereye, small bird attracting, small birds, trap camera, water bowls

Luscious green screen: Myoporum acuminatum

Some native plants are just so useful and practical I really don’t understand why we don’t see them being utilised everywhere…. and Myoporum acuminatum is one of them. It is a mystery to me why this very fast growing ,… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Coastal, Drought hardy, Illawarra natives, Screening plants, Small tree

2nd line coastal, bee attracting, bird-attracting, Myoporum acuminatum, privacy screen, Quick growing, sandy soil, shade tree, Street Trees, summer flowering, white flower, wind tolerant

Portfolio: West Wollongong Revisit

The images in this blog post were taken of a local garden I designed a few years ago which has been filling out beautifully. The requested privacy is beginning to really take shape, the front garden has been reclaimed as… Read more ›

AILDM, Bird attracting, Feature shrub, Groundcover, Hedge, Landscape Design, Natives for containers, Portfolio, Screening plants, Small garden, Winter flowering

Portfolio: Stanmore Landscape Design

This small garden in the inner west of Sydney is a sight to behold after the recent rains. It is hard to believe that most of these plants have only been in for 6 months, that is the beauty of… Read more ›

09/03/2020 4 Comments

AILDM, Bird attracting, Groundcover, Naturalistic garden, Ornamental grass, Portfolio, Screening plants, Small garden, Small tree

Level 2 Water Restriction friendly plants: Calothamnus quadrifidus

Yesterday NSW moved into level 2 water restrictions, it has been a long time coming, with bushfires still burning up and down the east coast and dam levels at an all time low. The hardest hit are out west where… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Coastal, Drought hardy, Feature shrub, Hedge, Screening plants, Shade tolerant, Winter flowering