clay soils – Mallee Design

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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

The elegant branches of Leptospermum brachyandrum ‘Silver’

I have written about this favourite tea tree of mine before, however I think it deserves another post which is more dedicated to its elegant branches and decorative bark. I took these photos of Leptopsermum brachyandrum ‘Silver’ at Kuranga native… Read more ›

19/09/2023 2 Comments

Feature shrub, Frost tolerant, Landscape Design, Naturalistic garden, Shade tolerant, Small tree, Tropical garden

clay soils, creek planting, decorative bark, foliage contrast, grey green leaves, heavy soils, Leptospermum brachyandrum 'Silver', temporary inundation, weeping habit, wet weather, white flower

Pittosporum revolutum and its eye catching fruit

This is Pittosporum revolutum, a medium shrub with jasmine-scented blossoms which flowers profusley in Spring and then is covered in decorative fruit in Autumn. When flowering the scent permeates the whole garden and is often commented on by visitors. In… Read more ›

Hedge, Illawarra natives, Screening plants, Shade tolerant, Small garden, Small tree, Uncategorized

clay soils, decorative fruit, dense habit, figbird, foliage contrast, fragrant flowers, grey green leaves, Illawarra natives, narrow habit, perfume, Satin Bowerbird, spring flowering, understory planting, wind tolerant, yellow flowers

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

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

A true carpeting ground cover: Pratia pedunculata

This is a native ground cover which sometimes gets classed as a steppable (not a real word ;)), meaning it works well between steppers and pavers and can be walked on occasionally without too much fuss. I like to use… Read more ›

08/11/2022 3 Comments

Coastal, Frost tolerant, Groundcover, Shade tolerant, Small garden

carpeting ground cover, clay soils, full sun, lawn pavers, lawn substitute, moist soil, native lawn, part shade, Pratia pedunculata, spring flowering, steppers, summer flowering, understory planting, well drained soil, white flower, wind tolerant

Try not to dismiss Callistemon ‘White Anzac’

I have often included this hardy little shrub as one of my least favourite native plants, it can be spotted unkempt in the gardens of petrol stations or nature strips, languishing leggy and forgotten. But if given a little attention… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Coastal, Drought hardy, Hedge

clay soils, large flower, low mounding shrub, prolific flowers, wet weather, wind tolerant

A tough and useful Bushfood: Lomandra longifolia

Lomandra longifolia, or Common Mat Rush, is abundant along the NSW coast growing and in SA, Victoria and Tasmania in a range of environments from coastal dunes to dry Sclerophyll forest. It can also be seen growing in median strips and… Read more ›

29/09/2022 2 Comments

Bush tucker, Coastal, Drought hardy, Illawarra natives, Ornamental grass

Bushfood, clay soils, Common Mat Rush, Edible native plant, first nations knowledge, front line coastal, Indigenous to the Illawarra, Lomandra longifolia, sandy soil, small bird attracting, spring flowering, understory planting, weaving fibre, weeping habit, wind tolerant

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

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

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

Powerful Pollinators: Leptospermums

We are mid the Australian Annual Pollinator Week and I have been admiring our our native tea trees all Spring so I thought I would bring them to your attention this week as they are wonderful plants to grow for… Read more ›

Coastal, Drought hardy, Frost tolerant, Hedge, Screening plants, Small tree

2nd line coastal, bee attracting, clay soils, coastal garden, drought hardy, grey green leaves, Leptospermum 'Lavender Queen', Leptospermum lanigerum, Leptospermum rotundifolium ‘Lavender Queen’, Leptospermum scoparium 'Seclusion', pollination, Pollinator Plants, Quick growing, silver foliage, spring flowering, weeping habit, wind tolerant

Portfolio: Gardening in Wind

This is my sisters garden on ‘Windy Hill’ as we like to call it, it gets so windy here the rubbish bins get blown down the street, gates are blown off their hinges and plants find it tough! Her front… Read more ›

27/08/2021 2 Comments

Bird attracting, Coastal, Drought hardy, Feature shrub, Groundcover, Hedge, Ornamental grass, Portfolio, Screening plants, Small tree

Acacia baileyana prostrate, Acacia binervia Stirling Silver, Acacia cardiophylla, Baeckea linifolia, Banksia 'Sentinel', Banksia integrifolia 'Roller Coaster', Calothamnus quadrifidus grey form, Casuarina 'Green Wave', clay soils, Eucalyptus 'Euky Dwarf', Eucalyptus pulverulenta 'Baby Blue', foliage contrast, Grevillea 'Amber Blaze', Grevillea 'Red Hooks', Grevillea banksii prostrate White, grey green leaves, Poa 'Kingsdale', weeping habit, wind tolerant

Portfolio: Haberfield Landscape Design

The brief for this front garden in Sydney’s inner west was to create a modern native garden which is sympathetic to the era of the house and show cases an Art Deco water feature passed down through the family. The… Read more ›

AILDM, Bird attracting, Feature shrub, Formal gardens, Landscape Design, Ornamental grass, Portfolio, Shade tolerant, Small tree, Uncategorized, Water plants, Winter flowering

Acacia 'Limelight' grafted Standard, Banksia 'Coastal Cushions', Border planting, clay soils, Decomposed Crushed Granite, foliage contrast, Grevillea rhyolitica 'Cherry Cluster', Hakea francisiana Grafted, large flower, Lomandra 'Mist', low mounding shrub, Melaleuca 'Mini Quini', Porphyry stone, understory planting, water feature, weeping habit, Xanthorrhoea johnsonii

Are native plants really drought tolerant? Casuarina ‘Cousin It’

When someone tells you they want a drought tolerant garden, what comes to mind? or you may be told a certain plant is ‘water wise’ what does this really mean? As the current drought wears on and wears thin and watering… Read more ›

Coastal, Drought hardy, Frost tolerant, Groundcover, Natives for containers, Small garden

carpeting ground cover, Casuarina 'Cousin It', Casuarina glauca prostrate form, clay soils, frost tolerant, weeping habit, wind tolerant

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

‘Snow in Summer’ in the streets of Sydney: Melaleuca linariifolia

This is ‘Snow in Summer’! and even though it is not Summer yet the Melaleucas have been out for the last couple of months, I found this fabulous street of Melaleuca linariifolia in the inner west earlier this week. This avenue… Read more ›

Bird attracting, Drought hardy, Medium Tree, Small tree

bee attracting, bird-attracting, clay soils, decorative bark, drought tolerant, Honeyeater, Melaleuca linariifolia, paper bark, privacy screen, shade tree, street address, Street Trees, white flower, wind tolerant

I need to remember this fern: Blechnum cartilagineum

I am not very good with my native ground cover ferns, I have a handful which I use over and over again which I know to be hardy and pretty. I was walking in the Blue Mountains this weekend and… Read more ›

Naturalistic garden, Shade tolerant, Small garden, Tropical garden

Blechnum cartilagineum, clay soils, dry shade, foliage contrast, heavy shade, moist shade, Reddish foliage, understory planting