well drained soil – Mallee Design

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 ›

27/10/2023

Kath Gadd

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 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 ›

21/07/2023

Kath Gadd

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 ›

22/06/2023

Kath Gadd

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 ›

26/05/2023

Kath Gadd

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

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 ›

06/04/2023

Kath Gadd

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

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

Kath Gadd

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

Australian Native Plants in Japan

It was inevitable that I wouldn’t be able to turn off my native plant nerd brain whilst overseas in Japan last month…. I tried, I really did. I took photos of Japanese plants, seed pods and flowers and researched after… Read more ›

16/02/2023

Kath Gadd

Bird attracting, Drought hardy, Landscape Design, Medium Tree, Natives for containers, Screening plants, Small garden, Small tree, Winter flowering

Acacia baileyana, Acacia covenyi, Acacia decurrens, Backhousia citriodora, Brachychiton rupestris, Cissus antartica, Eucalyptus polyanthemos, Eucalyptus pulverulenta 'Baby Blue', feature tree, foliage contrast, grey green leaves, Hardenbergia violacea, Indoor plant, Leptospermum brachyandrum 'Silver', well drained soil, yellow flowers

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

Kath Gadd

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

Kangaroo Paw Care – Get the Pruners Out!

The Kangaroo Paws in this Bundeena garden are a rainbow of colour, they were planted three years ago in a swathe to test Angus Stewarts ‘Anigozanthos ‘Landscape series’ range. They have a striking effect mass planted and it was a… Read more ›

28/11/2022 1 Comment

Kath Gadd

Bird attracting, Coastal, Feature shrub, Naturalistic garden, Ornamental grass, Uncategorized

Anigozanthos, Landsape Orange, Landscape Lilac, Landscape Lime, Landscape Red, Plant Care and Maintenace, pruning, Rhagodia 'Silver Border', Rhagodia spinescens, well drained soil

Chorilaena quercifolia: Another WA toughie

I can’t help myself, I seem always to be drawn to the unique foliage and flowers of the native plants which grow naturally in Western Australia. Which then leads me to buy many grafted native plants or grow them in… Read more ›

14/11/2022 1 Comment

Kath Gadd

Bird attracting, Drought hardy, Hedge, Screening plants, Shade tolerant

Chorilaena quercifolia, dry shade, frost tolerant, long flowering period, part shade, understory planting, WA, well drained soil

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

Kath Gadd

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

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

Kath Gadd

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 ›

12/09/2022

Kath Gadd

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 ›

01/09/2022

Kath Gadd

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

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 ›

23/03/2022

Kath Gadd

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 almost native pig face: xDisphyllum ‘Sunburn’

Meet a new addition to the Australian native succulent family, well maybe more a half sibling or cousin, as technically this lovely green pig face is half south African ? shock horror! However there are so few Australian succulents I… Read more ›

25/10/2021 2 Comments

Kath Gadd

Coastal, Drought hardy, Groundcover, Natives for containers

bee attracting, carpeting ground cover, drought hardy, drought resistant, drought tolerant, fast growing, frost tolerant, full sun, large flower, well drained soil, wind tolerant, xDisphyllum Sunburn, year round flowering, yellow flowers

Wildflowers of the Illawarra

This wildflower season I have stayed local due to travel restrictions, which has meant I have walked the Illawarra escarpment a lot more than I normally would. Usually in the winter wildflower season we would travel to the Blue mountains… Read more ›

11/10/2021

Kath Gadd

Bird attracting, Illawarra natives, Shade tolerant, Winter flowering

Actinotus helianthi, Bauera rubioides, bee attracting, Boronia pinnata, Epacris microphylla, fragrant, Hakea sericea, Phebalium squamulosum, pink flowers, Ricinocarpos pinifolius, Sydney Sandstone, Thelymitra ixioides, understory planting, well drained soil

Portfolio: Helensburgh Consult

Front gardens play such an important role in most streetscapes but especially in suburbia where the repetition of built form and front lawns can become almost claustrophobic. These clients wanted something different to look out on from inside of their… Read more ›

26/09/2021

Kath Gadd

Groundcover, Landscape Design, Naturalistic garden, Ornamental grass, Portfolio, Screening plants, Small tree

Happy National Wattle Day: Acacia binervia ‘Sterling Silver’

Spring! if ever there is a seasonal change to bring hope and excitement for the future surely Spring is it? I have been watching the Wattles all Winter long, they have been lovely this year and very appreciated during extended… Read more ›

01/09/2021

Kath Gadd

Coastal, Drought hardy, Feature shrub

Acacia binervia Stirling Silver, bee attracting, foliage contrast, fragrant, large flower, low spreading shrub, National Wattle Day, perfume, Quick growing, silver foliage, well drained soil, wind tolerant, yellow flowers

The very versatile Lomatia myricoides

I have been wanting to tell you all about the River Lomatia for some time but have been waiting to find some fully grown shrubs to photograph and I finally found them on my recent Summer trip to Mount Kosciuszko.… Read more ›

23/02/2021

Kath Gadd

Butterfly attracting, Frost tolerant, Hedge, Screening plants, Shade tolerant, Snow Tolerant

bee attracting, cut flowers, large shrub, Lomatia myricoides, moist shade, moist soil, native bees, small bird attracting, summer flowering, understory planting, weeping habit, well drained soil, white flower

Try something exotic! Tecomanthe hillii

How non native does this spectacular flower look?! It is the flower of the Fraser Island Vine or Tecomanthe hillii a gentle climber which is endemic to North Eastern Queensland. Tecomanthe hillii enjoys fun sun to part shade in a… Read more ›

20/10/2020 2 Comments

Kath Gadd

Butterfly attracting, Natives for containers, Shade tolerant, Small garden, Tropical garden

bee attracting, climber, large flower, native bees, pink flowers, shade tolerant, Tecomanthe hillii, tropical species, understory planting, warm climate, well drained soil

The Partying Pea: Chorizema cordatum

This outrageous little pea flower is growing in my daughters primary school, it thinks it is unassuming and doing its own thing, little does it realise what a show off it is! Chorizema cordatum is a wonderful South West Australian… Read more ›

15/09/2020 1 Comment

Kath Gadd

Butterfly attracting, Drought hardy, Feature shrub, Naturalistic garden, Shade tolerant, Small garden, Winter flowering

butterfly attracting, Chorizema cordatum, long flowering period, low spreading habit, orange flowers, part shade, pink flowers, prolific flowers, understory planting, WA, well drained soil

The Grevillea that ticks all the boxes: Grevillea ‘Winter Delight’

This low growing shrub is one of my favourite Grevilleas, it covers itself in pinky red flowers all through winter to attract the birds and the bees. It has a naturally dense habit which can only be improved with a… Read more ›

16/06/2020 4 Comments

Kath Gadd

Bird attracting, Coastal, Drought hardy, Frost tolerant, Groundcover, Small garden, Winter flowering

bee attracting, dense habit, Grevillea 'Winter Delight', grey green leaves, long flowering period, low growing, low mounding shrub, low spreading habit, part shade, pink flowers, Red flowers, small bird attracting, well drained soil, wildlife habitat

The small tree Emu Bush: Eremophila longifolia

This is another Emu Bush to add to my database, Eremophila longifolia is classically not so bushy in habit but more upright and weeping. I think it makes a lovely small feature tree with its long, droopy leaves and clusters… Read more ›

18/02/2020

Kath Gadd

Bird attracting, Coastal, Drought hardy, Feature shrub, Frost tolerant, Small tree, Winter flowering

drought hardy, drought tolerant, Eremophila longifolia, frost tolerant, insectivorous birds, long flowering period, pink flowers, small birds, weeping habit, well drained soil, wind tolerant, year round flowering

Mallee Design

Native Garden Design & Consultation

Tag Archives: well drained soil

Categories

Archive

Phenomenal Phebaliums: the delicate blooms of Phebalium nottii and squamulosum

The Bronze Highlights of Gymnostoma australianum

The adaptable possibilities of: Banksia plagiocarpa

Light it up: Grevillea lanigera ‘Mellow Yellow’

Try hedging with something a bit different: Lomatia myricoides

The constantly evolving beauty of Ozothamnus diosmifolius

Australian Native Plants in Japan

Merry NSW Christmas Bush: Ceratopetalum gummiferum

Kangaroo Paw Care – Get the Pruners Out!

Chorilaena quercifolia: Another WA toughie

A true carpeting ground cover: Pratia pedunculata

The purple punch of Prostanthera ovalifolia

Bold Blue Tongue: Melastoma affine

Happy National Wattle Day!

Happy Eucalyptus Day! Eucalyptus risdonii

The almost native pig face: xDisphyllum ‘Sunburn’

Wildflowers of the Illawarra

Portfolio: Helensburgh Consult

Happy National Wattle Day: Acacia binervia ‘Sterling Silver’

The very versatile Lomatia myricoides

Try something exotic! Tecomanthe hillii

The Partying Pea: Chorizema cordatum

The Grevillea that ticks all the boxes: Grevillea ‘Winter Delight’

The small tree Emu Bush: Eremophila longifolia