Native gardens

Overview

In our region we can experience crazy weather conditions with our climate being hot and dry in summer and can have sub-zero mornings in winter. These conditions create an ideal range for a very narrow group of plants that are both heat and frost tolerant. For species that aren’t in this band it generally takes a significant amount of effort, through excess watering and fertilisers, for the plants to appear healthy. By considering native plants that are suitable for your local climate, you can create a low maintenance garden with plenty of benefits that are rewarding for you and your local environment.  

Benefits of planting natives in your garden
  • Established native gardens are low maintenance, they require less fertiliser and less frequent watering as plants generally grow slower than exotics and therefore require less pruning.   
  • Native plants are generally more drought tolerant once established.  
  • Native gardens attract native birds and provide food for bees and butterflies.  
  • A native garden doesn’t require as many pesticides. Even though your native garden might still invite some pests, its way less inviting to invasive species than ornamental plants. 
  • A native garden can act as ecosystem support. This means all native plants you add to your garden supports habitats and food for many Australian species above and below ground.  
  • Attracting more native birds normally lead to less pest insects like flies and spiders in the home.  
  • By choosing a good mix of native trees, shrubs, ferns and ground cover plants, you can push back on weeds in your own backyard. 
  • The leaf litter created from shade trees and dense patches of native garden will provide mulch to the soil which will naturally hold more water, and nutrients.   
How to choose native plants 

When choosing what plants to put in your native garden, you need to consider height, space, colour and purpose. Some Australian trees and shrubs can get rather big and be harder to maintain in a small backyard, so think about your powerlines and yard space before establishing your new garden plants. Also, consider the colours of the leaves and flowers as many Australian species are attracted to certain colours of the plants. Birds typically feed out of flowers that are red and orange, while insects like colours like blue, purple, pink and yellow. If your desire is to provide a habitat for multiple species in your yard, try a variety of plant types with lots of different colours.  

Best plant species for the Isaac Region 
  • Grevillia’s  
  • Bottle Brush 
  • Banksia’s  
  • Eucalypts (can be very tall) 
  • Wattles (Acacia) 
  • Corydalines 
  • Kangaroo paws 
  • Ground covers 
  • Australian daisies and everlasting daisies 
  • Yellow buttons 
  • Blue bells 
  • Grasses and sedges- great or garden stability and weeds 
  • Lomandra species  
  • Birds beak grass  
  • Native succulents and cacti  
  • Finger limes and native citrus 
  • Cycads  
  • Palms 
  • Alexandra Palm 
  • Bungalow Palm 

For more advice on native plants contact your local garden wholesaler or check out the Australian National Herbarium website here.

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