Images of flowering meadows from northern hemisphere landscapes evoke appealing emotions and aesthetics of flowers, seeds heads and grasses swaying in the wind. This style is very on trend in gardens. Is it possible, in a sub-tropical garden using native plants, to create that landscape that is both beautiful and sustains wildlife?
Green is winning the colour award at the moment but tinged with all sorts of variations as the new growth appears.
As well as proving valuable habitat for urban wildlife, many native plants supply valuable bushfoods. Try some of these recipes to bring a native Australian flavour to your Christmas table this year (and don’t worry, I’m sparing the Kangaroo as I prefer it to graze in your garden!).
The Scrub Christmas Tree (Commersonia bartramia) is coming into flower and will continue over the holiday season. Enjoy this and all the other forest trees that make summer bearable with their green shade. The wildlife wouldn’t survive without them.
This garden in a semi exposed coastal location has been transformed with careful preparation and clever plant choices to suit the soil and climate conditions.
Many of our gum trees are flowering now in Noosa. They are too big for the small urban garden, but get to know the ones near you. They are the bones of the vegetation in your area and indicate what other plants might do well in your garden.