The Australian Garden Designing With Australian Plants

Using australian plants is critical to creating an australian garden and this gorgeous book covers all aspects of design and a great range of australian plants.

The australian garden designing with australian plants. He says kate s obviously worked hard to establish the right plants in. Grouped arrangement of plants and repeat plantings of low native grasses combine with taller sculpturally formed plants such as deep red alcantarea and tall flowering kangaroo paw mixing with the owner s favourite exotics more tropical plants such as frangipani trees and gingers. Her stunning garden with panoramic views of the macedon ranges features a variety of australian native plants and a contemporary take on the latest in garden ideas and plantings.

Whether in a drought ridden or tropically humid area australian gardeners require just that little bit more knowledge to be sure the plants they put in their garden are suited to and will thrive in the local environment. Native plants have never been more popular and they can be easily incorporated into any style of garden but if you want to create an all australian native landscape then an organic naturalistic design works best. Australia has a unique climate that nurtures a thoroughly diverse range of flora and fauna.

A coastal native garden usually contains hardy plants that can cope with a windy sunny and sandy location. Use large trees and shrubs around the perimeter of the front yard to protect smaller or more vulnerable plants from the wind. Studying native plants and garden design led kathleen murphy to create a water wise oasis at her home where clients can see her work firsthand.

Borrow some of these design ideas for a native garden that sings. John says plants should be the very last step in the design process which might seem strange if you re new to garden design. As well as the bush garden style most australian gardens now feature at least some native plants such as grevilleas but often their use is rather random and lacks any sense of design.

Plants should ideally perform well once established on existing soils and with existing rainfall patterns without the need for excessive watering soil modification and intensive maintenance regimes. Australian plants are sometimes used as part of other garden styles such as japanese gardens where plants such as westringia fruticosa adapt very happily to the closely clipped form that is required of plants in a japanese garden.