It's been awhile since I've done a gardening post, mainly because my elbow has hurt so much that it's both hard to garden, type, and take pictures. If only I had fractured my left elbow instead.
On the weekend we went to a nursery which has been relocated and it's much better, with big plans for expansion. I'll get around to doing a tour of that soon, when I can take surreptitious photos and not feel like a dick. We spent something like $200 on native plants for the front garden, which is dedicated to natives. We wanted to create a little bit of a hedge to give us a bit more privacy, even though the neighbours are really nice and it's a quiet street anyway, but it's taking a while to wrap our heads around the design. In this way, I wish I was a landscape architect!
Australia has hundreds of varieties of grevillea, which is such a pretty plant with its spider-like flowers. We actually got a bit more of an established one. It's called Spirit of the Anzac (how patriotic!) and it will have red flowers which will contrast nicely against the foliage. It's so bizarre writing this for a largely international audience that has no idea what these flowers look like! Here's a link to the plant where you can see the flowers: https://www.flowerpower.com.au/grevillea-spirit-of-anzac-9331225234040p?srsltid=AfmBOoolfhwGasRtTwuy2cOffS7xdIqxzwTbVS80n82OSkPVIbt7PDmz
We also got another variety that will grow about 3 m wide and high, which will create a bit of a boundary between us and the neighbours to the left. This will be great because their garden is a mess and it just makes us want to tidy it up haha. It will take a year or two to grow up, but I have given it some firm words. They are pretty drought tolerant once established, but I do need to make sure to water it because it's been a dry winter so far.
We have a few banksias here in the garden, but you can't get enough and the birds love them too. This is a smaller variety called Black Magic — here's what the flowers will look like — wild huh?
https://princessfancyplants.com.au/banksia-black-magic-native/?srsltid=AfmBOornvDnWwFrA2pMmkUmjJsfbKwc42CRpJ2piEMy2gWilcK1F0Vay
Behind it, I planted some tube stock correa which do well in this area. They have tubular flowers that the bees and birds love. You can let them grow wild or people shape them into circular hedges. The plants, not the birds, that is.
I also planted the strappy bluish grasses by the letterbox as I really like their colour and form. Again, it's about planting variety for native insects and birds.
The odiferous ants seem to be pretty busy, but I don't think they affect the plants. When disturbed, or if you squish them, they really stink — hence "odiferous".
I love this lotus creeper which is doing really well. Again, it has those tubular flowers that small birds and bees love — check the plant flowers here:
https://www.gardenexpress.com.au/product/lotus-gold-flash/?srsltid=AfmBOoqoswfVsk56wLAG-NR_Ah6bl2-MYm4sHHPV5SXRe4L3lVkfUh3C
Again, the trick with Australian gardens is to make sure that you plant a variety of plants that both big birds and little birds like. The little birds need places to hide and have different needs to the larger species. I'm really looking forward to introducing smaller native birds to the garden, as we seem to have a lot of parrots and varieties of cockatoo.
I love the eremophila with the tubular flowers too. I can't wait til it all grows to show you the progress. We used to have this at the old place and the birds loved it, particularly the little ones. Before long it'll be a small hedge about .5 m high by a few meters wide.
Gah, the garden looks so dull in the photo below. Yesterday, as I was taking photos, was cold and cloudy so it didn't have the glow it could do I just happy snapped it so I can see the difference one day. That big tree is on our place but you can see the neighbour's fence. I wish they'd clean up their garden but it's a holiday house and I'm not holding my breath.
There's actually two giant gum trees in the front yard. They really are spectacular and people always comment on them. They provide architectural interest as well as a home for birds and semi-shade. Most of the plants we have planted should thrive here.
Down the side of the house we planted a non-invasive creeper which should disguise the ugly side fence a little. It has beautiful yellow flowers and unlike many varieties of Australian creepers it won't pull down the fence or get out of control.
Hope you enjoyed this run down of the front garden. Quite different from anything in the northern hemisphere I expect.
However, most things are growing so slowly at the moment, as it's winter, that it's hard to imagine anything growing out of control and us having to trim it. I'm sure that in a few years this whole front garden will look completely different.
With Love,Hi, my name is  @riverflows and I help facilitate the Hive Gardeners group here on the Hive blockchain. You can find us here: created/hive-140635. I live in a warm temperate climate near the coast in Australia. I really love growing our own food and medicinal herbs, native plants, and creating good soil for resilient plants. | |
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