“Wet, green and weedy” could describe our gardens in March. Add “chewed” for all the ragged leaves left by the hungry caterpillars. Moss and new growth cheer us up as we sharpen the secateurs for some trimming when the rain stops.
February has given us lots of rain, greenery and growth. The colourful new foliage and every possible shade of green has contrasted with the fungi and been appreciated by caterpillars. In a small urban garden the challenge is to display contrasting foliage and make the best use of splashes of colour. I hope you enjoy your garden as you also tackle the abundance of weeds such as Singapore Daisy and the introduced pasture legumes that try to out-compete our local native plants.
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.