At A Better Driveway, we’re all about landscaping solutions that are both hardy and aesthetically pleasing. In the botanical kingdom, no style of garden is better at balancing these two considerations better than an Australian native garden. This week, we take a look at four key advantages of choosing local flora over the most ostentatious but higher maintenance European species.
Maintenance requirements
If you want a low maintenance garden that is able to take care of itself, then native plants are the way to go. Australian soils are nutrient scarce, high in salt, and structurally weak, so most native varieties have evolved to be able to withstand harsh growing conditions, and to thrive on little nutrients. Although you do need to undertake some soil preparation and water regularly during the first three months to establish your garden, an established native garden will need no more than an occasional prune.
Edibles
Bush tucker ingredients such as lemon myrtle, wattle seed, lilly-pilly, quandong and finger limes have become an increasingly important part of the Australian culinary scene over the past couple of years. Whilst they’re hard to source at market, they’re relatively easy to grow in your own garden as they tend not to have the same high maintenance requirements that a traditional European vegetable garden does.
Variety
Australian flora isn’t all gumtrees and kangaroo paw. With more than 24,000 species of native plants, there is an endless array of garden concepts open to homeowners who want to plant a native garden. Options include desert, coastal, grassland, tropical and bushland garden concepts, so there is something that will work for every taste and climate.
Wildlife
Choosing to plant a native garden is a great way to encourage wildlife and beneficial insects, which ultimately reduce the amount of pest activity in your garden. Kangaroo paw, grevilleas, and banksia are all ideal for attracting honey-eating birds, whilst finches and parrots will be attracted by seeding plants such as native grasses, pultenaea, bush pea, and davesia. Native butterflies can be drawn to the garden with flowering plants such as mellicope and callistemons, whilst bushy plants will encourage lizards and their natural predators such as kookaburras.
Nothing compliments an Australian native garden better than an exposed aggregate driveway or path that highlights the rich colours of native plants and compliments the raw, organic characteristics of this type of landscaping. To learn more about our capabilities, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by calling 03 5783 4746.