Suggested by a volunteer at Kumbartcho Nursery as a more local Myoporum than the finer leaved ones you buy in the shops, and a very hardy low-growing shrub for the front verge. Small white flowers in Autumn followed by berries. Full sun or semi-shade Grows to approx. 50cm with spread of 1 to 2 metres […]
Myoporum boninense ssp.australe (Boobialla) Read More »
On Friday, our new street tree was installed in line with the blue dot by two friendly workmen from the BCC. They called it a “Lop Con” short for Lophostemon confertus (Queensland Brush Box), and it’s the same as the others in the street. One neighbour who is also missing a tree has already ordered
Putting the Native Back into Nature Strips Read More »
I was among those who was delighted when the BCC came out with their new policy allowing verge gardens in 2016. But there were also complaints from the edible verge movement that it didn’t include lots of edible foods in its suggested plants. The guidelines didn’t forbid edibles, it just didn’t push their barrow. I
Why I Won’t Be Growing An Edible Verge Read More »
Early March and it’s still very hot, very dry. Promised rain seems to go around us. On the verge: Gerberas have come up for their second season and are flowering well. The soil has definitely improved. Zinnias are still flowering. A blue dot marks where the street tree will go. March 19, 2017: After yet
Bought as tubestock from Kumbartcho Nursery, December 2016. Planted in south-west corner. Very shaded so plant is quite leggy. Bought a second plant Kumbartcho Nursery, December 2019 for the verge. Shrub to 0.5 Metres High by 1 Metre across Aspect: Full Sun Soil/Conditions: Adaptable / Moist to Sandy Description: Dense Prostrate Habit Evergreen Perennial Grey-Green
Enchylaena tomentosa – Ruby Saltbush Read More »
Our street has several street trees but for some reason there are gaps – and there’s a big gap on both sides of the street in front of our house. Did little trees die from neglect? Did someone remove them? Where they ever there? So, I phoned the Brisbane City Council call centre 3403 8888
Woohoo, I’m getting a street tree Read More »
Frogsmouth shown here in a pot with some Mazus Pumilio partly submerged in the front pond. It started as a tiny tubestock from the Nambour show and was growing well with many flower spikes about metre long. You can see how it gets its name from the yellow flowers – one just visible in the
Philydrum lanuginosum – Frogsmouth Read More »
Holly Fuschia is a pretty shrub with leaves that look and feel like holly leaves but red fushia-like flowers rather than berries. If you have fond memories of holly from the Northern Hemisphere – or associate it with Christmas – this is a good substitute. But it is much more than that. The flowers suit
Graptophyllum ilicifolium – Holly Fuschia Read More »
Scaevola is suddenly fashionable. It’s a pretty plant with flowers that look like half a daisy – hence fan flowers. In the new bed between the tank and the house, I have Aussie Winners – aemula which has larger, softer leaves and larger flowers, and some slightly smaller cheaper versions from Ridgy-Didge. They have morning
Scaevola – Fan Flower Read More »
Creeping herb with green circular leaves. Said to have greenish-white 5 mm flowers in Spring/Summer but I have yet to see any. I find this a useful creeping groundcover in the front lawn, on the verge, on mulched paths. It dries out quickly in hot sun but usually comes back again when it’s cooler. Mows
Dichondra repens – Kidney Weed Read More »
January 2017 was very hot, very dry. Bird baths sometimes needed topping up twice a day. On the verge: Zinnias, salvia, geranium, sedum holding up well. Gerberas have come back to life. Seems too hot for cosmos. Osteospermum struggling and a few plants have given up. Seeds planted in trays – spinach, asparagus pea, capsicum
The art of repurposing is looking at something you don’t want – and turning it into something you do want. Had enough of that swimming pool? Some people love them but for others, the joy of pool ownership is overshadowed by the cost of maintenance, the need for refurbishment, and those compulsory fences. Turning pools
Converting a Swimming Pool to a Water Tank Read More »
The land is public so you need to consider and manage the reactions of neighbours and others affected. Verge gardens can be, but don’t have to be, food gardens. More important than the suggestion of individual plants are the general guidelines which allows you to choose your own plants that fit your location, soil, taste,
I’m Planting on the Verge Read More »
Eastern Garden I combined the two metal beds to eliminate the corner sections crushed be the digger during the pool renovation. In the middle I put a reed avocado tree and created a mound of mixed soil and Activ8. On three sides there is a straw bale extended outwards to the border. This effectively breaks
December 2016 Planting & Update Read More »
I planted this along at the bottom of the eastern fence several years ago but it became overshadowed by a more vigorous westringia. Earlier this year the Westringia went and with the new access to light and space this little shrub has grown well. It is now quite leggy but I read it responds well
Austromyrtus tenuifolia & Austromyrtus dulcis – midgen berry Read More »
Herb to 10-70cm tall. Shade. A tufted perennial herb with fleshy tuberous base and mid-green soft felt-like leaves, bears non-aromatic pale blue to violet blue flowers most of the year. Tubestock from Kumbartcho Nursery Planted under Acacia fimbriata 20/12/2016 has spread in front garden
Plectranthus Parviflorus – Cockspur flower, Native Coleus Read More »
Pool fences are necessary – ugly, inconvenient, but necessary if you have a pool. But we no longer have a pool which means the fences can come down. Woohoo! I can walk from the front to the back garden without negotiating two gates. Plus, without the fence cutting across your line of vision, the garden
Pool fences make good supports for vertical gardens Read More »
Bought as tubestock at Kumbartcho Nursery 10/12/2016 Planted at the base of a birdbath by the back tap. The little birds – fairy wrens, brown honeyeaters and willy wagtails, perch on the bottle tree, take a dip, then back up to dry. The purple-flowered Orthosiphon aristatus doesn’t seem as hardy as the white with purple tips.
Orthosiphon aristatus – Cat’s Whiskers Read More »
commonly known as the Waxvine or Common waxflower Bought as tubestock from Kumbartcho Nursery 10/12/2016 Planted in pot with native violets at base. Wikipedia – Hoya Australis says it is an evergreen climbing vine which may reach 4–10 m (13–33 ft). It has simple opposite glabrous (shiny) leaves 3–6 cm long and 2–5 cm wide.
Bought as tubestock from Kumbartcho Nursery 10/12/2016 Planted toward eastern end of back fence. Sprawling shrub, needs tying to fence. Round, dense shrub to 4m tall. Sun/semi-shade. White flowers in spring. Attracts birds and bees. Leaves aromatic when crushed. ANPSA “Usually found in sandy or sandstone-derived soils but sometimes found in basalt soil or rocks,
Leptospermum polygalifolium – Wild May Read More »
Also known as snake vine, climbing Guinea flower or golden Guinea vine Tubestock from Kumbartcho, planted in north-east corner near fence – January 2017 Strikes well from cuttings. One against eastern wall. One growing up dividing fence on western side. And one on the front fence as a backdrop to the verge garden. Here’s a
Hibbertia scandens Read More »
Brisbane has a facade of green – bushland which is great until you look closely and see the invasive weeds, parks which have trees and grass but lack the diversity and multiple layers of planting that are needed for small birds and other wildlife, and all those barren grass verges (aka native strips, footpaths) that
How green is our city? Not very. Not enough. Read More »
What are the plants or flowers you remember from your youth? I remember sunflowers in the corners of the paddocks, the yellow rose on the tankstand, and the cheery relience of some gerberas who kept popping up no matter how grim life was. What flowers do you remember?
Where have all the flowers gone? Read More »
I call the native violet my weed of choice. This is not meant in a derogatory sense. Bare soil will always be colonised by something so why not encourage this friendly little plant to out-compete less attractive weeds and be the default groundcover. Native Violets grow in all sorts of places from full shade to
Viola hederacea / banksii (Native Violet) Read More »
I got some Okinawa spinach cuttings from Diane at BLF. They strike very easily, stand up to summer heat, and are another option for greens. And it seems it is also attracts the Blue Tiger butterfly.
Stenocarpus ‘Doreen’ – according to its tag is an attractive medium shrub with delicate mid-green foilage and large clusters of creamy flowers in summer. Full sun to part shade, 2m high and 1.5m wide. It has done well but a couple of years later it is more like 4m high and .75 m wide –
Stenocarpus ‘Doreen’ Read More »
Backhousia citriodora (common names lemon myrtle, lemon scented myrtle, lemon scented ironwood) is a flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae, genus Backhousia. (wikipedia) See also http://www.lemonmyrtle.com.au/ Bought at native Plant sale September 2016 Planted against the east fence – south of the pomegranate
Backhousia citriodora Lemon Myrtle Read More »
A flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to Australia from Queensland to Tasmania. It is known in Australia by the common names false sarsaparilla, purple coral pea, happy wanderer, native lilac and waraburra. (wikipedia) Hardenbergia violacea is usually a climbing plant whose branches twist around the stems of other plants. It is moderately
Hardenbergia violacea Read More »
Common Name – Swamp Mazus. A native ground cover for wet to waterlogged soils. Rosettes of tiny oak-like leaves. Unusual asymmetrical lilac/blue flowers in Spring-Summer. Grows in full sun or part shade. Low perennial herb forming rosettes connected by rhizomes. Flowering: September–April Bought Native Plant Sale: September 2016 Doesn’t like to dry out. Divides easily.
Attractive, scrambling shrub to 1m. Flowers white or pale mauve from spring to autumn. Sticky fruits adhere to clothing, skins and pets and may be a minor nuisance near walkways or other high traffic locations. (ref) Grows as an understory plant in monsoon forest and vine thickets (ref) Food plant for Zebra Blue butterfly. Bought:
Plumbago Zeylanica Read More »
Eucalyptus curtisii, or Plunkett mallee, is a small tree that is native to Queensland in Australia. It is a mallee eucalyptus that grows from 2 to 7 metres in height and has smooth, grey bark that peels in long strips. The adult leaves are 6 to 13 cm long and 10 to 25 mm wide.
Plunkett Mallee – Eucalyptus Curtisii Read More »
It is a medium to large evergreen tree growing to 30–36 m tall with a trunk up to 1.5 m diameter. The leaves are lanceolate, 5–15 cm long (to 25 cm long on vigorous young trees) and 6–18 mm broad. The seed cones are dark blue-purple, berry-like, with a fleshy base 2-2.5 cm diameter bearing a single oval or
Podocarpus elatus (Brown Pine) Read More »
New plant bought Kumbartcho 5/3/2021 Bought: Nambour Garden Show July 2016 and put in pot. Planted: Against back fence to climb on wires (southfacing, gets sun in summer) Survived for 2 years Links https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pararistolochia_praevenosa http://www.saveourwaterwaysnow.com.au/01_cms/details_pop.asp?ID=291 http://richmondbirdwing.org.au/
Pararistolochia praevenosa – Richmond birdwing butterfly vine Read More »
Bought: Nambour Garden Show July 2016Planted: Against back fence to climb on wires (southfacing, gets sun in summer)Prefers full sun or part-shadePruning after flowering can restrain growth and plants respond well to hard pruning. It is important to note that Pandorea species develop a strong and penetrating root system and should not be planted near
Pandorea Jasminoides – Bower of Beauty Read More »
The Brisbane City Council guidelines are at https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/clean-and-green/natural-environment-and-water/plants-trees-and-gardens/verge-gardens What about trip hazards? A common trip hazard is border edges so your garden must be flush with the concrete path if you have one. The BCC permits organic mulch and I use a thin layer of mulch to protect the soil while waiting for the plants
Verge Planting – Brisbane City Council Guidelines Read More »
There are two ways to get shade – to build it or to grow it – and I need shade on the western side of the house. When we moved here there was a mock orange hedge – horrible thing. It was two metres high but didn’t block the sun, it billowed out and filled
Bamboo to Block the Western Sun Read More »
When I started this garden and looked around at options, there was talk about low maintenance, sustainability (a much misused word), permaculture, and even using a garden as an extension of the house – with massive outdoor kitchens. So much choice, opinion, and conflicting advice. What to do? Priorities The first thing to consider is
What sort of garden do you want? Read More »
To save space and effort, I decided to do away with the compost bin and install more free-range worm stations instead. Worm farms need to be sealed to exclude wildlife and easy to access for regular addition of kitchen scraps. This is the latest version to try. I bought a set of 3 Little Rotters
This pale yellow clivia is by the path to the front door. It has moved around a little but seems to have found its niche. Poor clay soil, deep shade in winter, not so deep in summer. I cut off the seed pods after the first show of flowers and sometimes get a second. Plants
Blue tongue in the back garden near the cycad. They have a burrow near the post of the retaining wall.
Another Blue Tongue Read More »
Blue tongues – taken from above. The one on the left is making its escape into the leaves. I think we have at least 3 lizards of different generations but this is the first time I have seen two in the same place at the same time. It is a sunny spot in the south-east
Blue Tongues – August / September 2014 Read More »
This stuff grows anywhere, tolerates poor and dry soil, strikes from small pieces. Small yellow flowers. The blue tongue lizards like it. I was a bit concerned about weed potential but it seems to spread, not jump and is easy to pull out. To kill completely, just sheet-cover or out-compete. Alyssum can beat it. August
Golden Carpet Stonecrop (Sedum acre) Read More »
Weather has been very cold, windy and dry. Days are getting longer, sun moving south. Eastern beds 13/7/2014 – Narrowed bed 2 and moved bed 1 away from the side of the pool, leaving a new path. Found ginger and a large red sweet potato. Cleared nasturiums, planted parsley seedlings. Tomatoes starting to fruit. Plan
This not so little bug – about 1.5 cm long – is enjoying the sun on the native hibiscus out the front. Cotton Harlequin Bug (Tectocoris diophthalmus) See more about them at http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_stinkbugs/Harlequin.htm
Cotton Harlequin Bug Read More »
I bought one small Aloe Vera in 2010… From that one, I now have many plants. The aloe vera is the one plant that thrives just about anywhere and can withstand the wind. I plant it anywhere there is a gap so that there is some handy for ant and wasp bites. The flowers are a
There are lots of types of gardeners and many different reasons to garden. A garden can reflect your whole philosophy of life, whether you try to be in control or just go with the flow, whether you’re tidy or messy or somewhere in between, whether you tend to find your own way or are a
I planted two Kangaroo Paws in a hurry on the native strip in March 2011 before I went away for 3 weeks. They grew steadily through the winter but were doing nothing much when we went away in early September. Six weeks later (mid-October), we returned to this… and this… It’s a west-facing wall –
Pigface is a bright, cheerful plant I remember from early childhood and when I saw a punnet of seedlings in the nursery, I knew I had to include it. It’s a succulent with the grey leaves and starkly contrasting soft bright flowers. They are so soft that you need to touch them to appreciate it
Pigface Red – Mesembryanthemum Read More »
For me, the first role of the garden is to provide habitat for the many beneficial creatures – from the native bees and lizards to the small birds to the possums. There was a front hedge when we moved in – extremely trimmed lillypilly, now much less formal. It’s on the south border so it
South-eastern Fence Garden Read More »
