Gardening with Neil Fisher
Have you anything planned this weekend? Why not get into the spirit of World Environment Day which is next Monday.
I would suggest starting with a visit to one of Central Queensland’s interesting botanical gardens, and taking note of some of the more successfully growing plants, and then visit your local nurseries to see what interesting or unusual natives you may be able to find.
This will help make your garden just that little bit different from everyone else’s.
Maybe visit Rockhampton’s Kershaw Gardens visit and check out some of the unique native plants growing there this Saturday.
Then Sunday has Central Queensland’s largest gardening and environment event.
Ecofest is being held at the Gladstone Toodoon Gardens themed “Beat Plastic Pollution”.
It is a must visit event with a number of educational workshops, talks, and activities focused on this year’s theme.
There are also numerous displays, plants for sale, market stalls and food trucks.
The Ecofest starts at 9am Sunday and finishes at 3pm in the afternoon.
Below I have listed some of the less common, but still very worthy, native plants that I would recommend for Central Queensland.
Austromyrtus dulcis or The Midgen Berry is a low spreading shrub with beautiful dark green evergreen leaves and striking copper coloured new growth.
It hardy in most soils in sun or shade positions and is suitable for semi-exposed seaside plantings. White tea tree like flowers are usually produced in clusters of 2-5 flowers.
The Midgen Berry is bush tucker plant produces sweet edible berries that look like tiny speckled eggs in late Summer and Autumn.
Dodonaea viscosa or Hop Bush is an erect shrub with sticky, shiny leaves.
In Spring creamy-yellow flowers appear followed by purple and yellow torpedo shaped fruit. It should grow to between 2-3m high in most gardens.
The Hop Bush grows in most soils in either a sunny or semi-shaded position and it is drought and frost tolerant.
Grevillea trachytheca or Vanilla Grevillea is fast growing spreading shrubs for dry positions.
This shrub has masses of vanilla scented, white flowers that will occur throughout winter and spring.
It will grow between .5m and 2m and up to 2m across.
Grevillea trachytheca grows best in a full sun position with good drainage.
Hardenbergia violacea or Native Sarsaparilla is a vigorous climbing or scrambling vine for average to well drained situation.
Masses of purple pea flowers will appear in spring making spectacular display.
Native sarsaparilla is deal for covering logs or embankments in home gardens.
Native Sarsaparilla leaves are high in vitamin C, and boiled can be drunk as a tonic for coughs and chest troubles.
Hibiscus insularis or the Phillip Island Hibiscus is a very dense shrub with small army green leaves.
It produces small greenish-yellow flowers with purple/crimson centres that age to mauve.
Left unpruned this Hibiscus can reach the height of 4m and can be pruned and shaped.
It will grow best in a sunny well-drained position and is tolerant to coastal conditions, frost and drought.
Hovea acutifolia or Purple Pea Bush is an attractive small shrub with an erect slender stem with dark green leaves covered with fine golden brown hairs.
Masses of purple pea-flowers will cover the plant in Winter and Spring that attract Butterflies and Bees.
It will grow up to 3m high and 1.5m wide in an open sunny position with well-drained soils.
Hovea acutifolia is a hardy shrub that is drought resistant, will tolerate some shade but is frost tender.
Hoya australis or Wax-flower is a tropical trailing plant with its waxy foliage and flowers giving it the common name of the Wax-flower.
Bunches of these scented pink or white waxy flowers occur during spring.
In the garden they make a lovely addition to the under story garden.
Pavetta australiensis or Butterfly Bush is a glossy foliaged understory shrub.
Clusters of perfumed white flowers will give a spectacular show from July to November followed by rounded black fruit.
The flowers will attract Butterflies and Honey eating birds.
Pavetta australiensis is a useful screen plant growing to 3m and drought tolerant but frost tender.
If you find some of these plants of interest for your garden, why not visit Ecofest as many of these plants will be on sale.
Some of these plants may not be available all year round in most local nurseries; they should be able to be ordered from specialist nurseries for this garden.