Bush Craft

The Age

Thursday May 26, 2005

Paul Bangay, Additional reporting Peter Barrett

They've been in and out of fashion; now natives are making a quiet comeback, writes Paul Bangay.

Natives have come a long way since the heady days of the '60s and '70 when kangaroo paws ruled and exotics were reviled. It would be exaggerating to say that they are back in fashion, but designers are certainly integrating them into their gardens much more. While some coastal or environmentally sensitive areas have rules about using only indigenous plants, the average inner-city gardener can benefit from a knowledge of what native plants have to offer.

This family garden in Canterbury was created by Eckersley Stafford Design 15 years ago. At the time, hedges and classic gardens were popular but, being keen bushwalkers, the owners wanted a part of their garden to reflect their love of the Grampians and Alpine ranges.

The problem was integrating this slice of bushland into a garden that was otherwise fairly traditional.

The first thing to do was choose the right location for their bushland retreat. Tucked away down the end of a path, it is almost a secret garden. Three windows look out onto it so the owners also get great pleasure from their bedroom, study and living room. In this regard it is like a tiny bush diorama.

Unfortunately, this particular spot also turned out to be quite wet. The nifty solution was to install a dry creek bed, which snakes its way along the natural slope of the land, looks great and allows the water to take its course. The pebbles are popular with the kids and the surrounding fawn-coloured Nepean gravel looks soft against the green foliage.

Fitting in beautifully with the scene is tassel rush (Restio tetraphyllus), a reedy plant native to Victoria that likes the wet and has beautiful copper-coloured, velvety flowers. Clumps of kangaroo grass (Themeda australis) were also planted for their delicate, slightly purple flowers. Their fresh, green growth returns after a good cutting back each year.

To add focus to the spot, they planted a central eucalypt. This Silver Princess (Eucalyptus caesia) is one of the great "little gums" and was about a metre high when it was planted. It has now reached its peak (about six to eight metres) and a few saplings have been added to take over when it begins to look too old. The silvery twigs and trunks are quite ornamental; they are great bird attractors and come out in lovely pink and red flowers in winter and spring.

The owners love banksias, so two types were planted. Along the fence, silver banksia (Banksia marginata), which have pretty, cone-shaped flowers that appear honey or treacle coloured, until they dry out and turn brown.

The other variety, creeping banksia (Banksia repens), was chosen for its architectural foliage. A few were planted around the central feature.

But the key to making this little pocket of native flora work was in the integration of the various elements. The stepping stones (Wistow Bluestone from South Australia) look rugged and natural, and lead the eye down the path and out into the rest of the garden to a wall and pool area.

Native plants with similar foliage to their exotic neighbours were planted on the fringes of the garden. So, native flax lilies (Dianella tasmanica) were juxtaposed with exotic large wild iris (Dietes grandiflora). Finally, a ground covering of native violets extends into the exotics and beyond, further smoothing the transition.

Indigenous oases like this may be relatively uncommon but green thumbs are increasingly becoming aware of the excellent extra options native plants bring to their designs. Integrating natives and exotics takes a little practice but as the pictures show, the results can be fantastic. (m)

Create the garden

1. Make a dry creek bed. Dig out a channel 20 centimetres deep. Line the bottom with crushed bluestone, then fill with pebbles and gravel. Use boulders to mark edges. This will serve as a drain so make sure the lowest part of the bed has somewhere for the water to go. For pebbles, try Eco Concepts at 467 Church Street, Richmond (phone 1300 131 413) or Chris Cross Garden Supplies, 1575 Burke Road, Kew East (phone 9859 2666).

2. Indulge in some crazy paving. Dig out the area you want paved to the depth of the stones you have plus a little bit extra for the mortar or crushed rock base. Lay the stones in a pattern. Put down your mortar and push the paving stones in place, using a rubber mallet to hammer down so the stones are level - you don't want people to trip. Finish by sweeping loose gravel into the grooves.

3. Plant a eucalypt. Don't plant a tree next to your driveway or in the middle of the lawn unless you're happy to pick up after it. There are plenty of smaller varieties that give off a wonderful aroma. Cut out any dead wood before branches drop. For seedlings, try Kuranga Native Nursery, 393 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood (phone 9879 4076).

4. Deal with your dry spots. Correa bauerlenii, or Chef's Hat Correa, is tough as nails, and likes shady, well-drained areas. It has dense foliage that grows to about two metres and flowers like little chefs' hats. Rub the leaves and you'll find it smells like chewing gum. Try Karwarra Australian Plant Garden, Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, Kalorama, (phone 9728 4256).

5. Install a wrought-iron bird bath. The dark, slightly rusty hues of the bird bath blend in with the surroundings.

It also adds focus and is popular with the local birdlife.

6. Mingle natives with exotics. Integrate natives with exotics by planting similar-looking specimens close by. Here native flax lilies (Dianella tasmanica) appear on one side of the path and South African large wild iris (Dietes grandiflora) are on the other. Both have similar long, dark green, strap-like leaves. While the natives can be left alone the lilies need to be cut back every few years to keep them looking good.

© 2005 The Age

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