Bold Native Flowers for your Garden

Did you know that there is a vast range of bold Australian natives that can add that burst of colour you desire in your garden without the added maintenance of exotics?

One of the most stunning features of Australian natives is their prominent looks and splendour. Many of our plants are strictly unique to Australia and are improved forms with tidier foliage, better flowers and usually a more compact form, which in turn makes them the ideal choice for any bold native garden.

Native plants have already adapted to our environment, this means that once a native garden is established, it requires much less water to maintain and keep looking healthy than other exotic gardens and plants. They are very easy to grow and native plants can tolerate local climatic extremes such as frost and periodic drought.


Anigozanthos hybrid ‘Amber Velvet’


Scarlet Flame™ Callistemon


Aussie Rambler™ Carpobrotus


Meema™ Hardenbergia


Tropic Cascade™ Lomandra

Velvet Kangaroo Paws

Anigozanthos ‘Gold Velvet’ is a very tough, mid-sized plant that has beautiful dark green foliage, with masses of bold, lavish golden flowers that will grow to approximately 1 metre tall for most of the year. Anigozanthos ‘Regal Velvet’ has magnificent red flowers with green highlights that can reach up to 1 metre to 1.4 metres tall. It is very tough and requires less trimming than some other Kangaroo Paw varieties.

Anigozanthos ‘Amber Velvet’ has amazing vivid amber coloured flowers that really set gardens alight with colour. Its robust foliage makes it a real feature in any garden. Ruby Velvet™ anigozanthos is the smallest of these 4 tough Kangaroo Paws. It is ideal for front gardens and even makes a great garden border. With its vibrant, bold ruby coloured flowers the Ruby Velvet™ plant will make a pleasing addition.

Unlike the small pot culture Kangaroo Paws which behave like annuals, the Velvet range of Kangaroo Paws are long lived varieties with improved disease tolerance. They are mid-sized types with strong flavidus genes.

Grevilleas

Gold Cluster™ grevillea is a beautiful ground cover with masses of spider like stunning gold flowers in winter and spring. It is lower growing, has a denser form and grows to half the height of other popular forms. Cherry Cluster™ grevillea is a semi-prostate ground cover that boasts masses of small bold red flowers throughout autumn, winter and spring. It has very clean and tidy foliage and adds a wonderful burst of cherry red to any native garden. Crimson Villea™ grevillea is one of the showiest winter flowering plants in the world. It is a tough, compact shrub grevillea with tidy foliage and an abundance of crimson flowers in autumn, winter and early spring.


Callistemon

Flora Burst™ callistemon is a real show stopper with masses of red bottlebrush flowers in spring. Generally the Flora Burst™ plant has more flowers than most other callistemon varieties and in many parts of Australia is a repeat bloomer in autumn. As an added feature this shrub also displays rustic red new growth on its foliage in spring and autumn adding a touch of colour almost all year round. Scarlet Flame™ callistemon is an ultra-compact fine leaf callistemon featuring rustic red new growth in spring and autumn. It also has beautifully delicate flowers that along with new growth provide a more colourful plant for a longer period. Slim™ callistemon is a bottlebrush solution for tight planting areas with its unique growth habit. A large number of flowering buds develop in spring and open up to a classic bottlebrush throughout spring, summer and later again in autumn. With its beautiful bold red flowers, the Slim™ plant is an ideal choice for colour in a native garden with tight planting space. Red Alert™ callistemon is a compact callistemon that is low maintenance and a native alternative to Photinia. It has vibrant, vivid red foliage for 2 months in autumn and 2 months in spring and lighter new growth in other months. Macarthur™ callistemon incorporates two of the most popular varieties on the market. Little John and Captain Cook, but providing a more compact growth habit and better flower presentation. It has very fresh green foliage with a bushy, tidy growth and masses of delightful, bold red flowers in spring, then sporadically in autumn. Better John™ callistemon is bred from Little John although is easier to grow, quicker to establish and has better colour foliage than Little John. Its foliage has a blue-green tone when mature, new growth has a silver coloured tone due to its soft hairy texture. The Better John™ plant starts flowering with beautiful small red flowers in mid spring and finishes late spring. Green John™ callistemon has light green new growth contrast beautifully with its darker green mature foliage and its red flowers and is also a wonderful contrast to Better John™ callistemon. It flowers from September to November with small red bottlebrush flowers. The Green John™ plant is denser and faster growing than Little John.

Aussie Rambler™ Carpobrotus glaucescens ‘CAR10’ PBR is a prostate creeping succulent that has long trailing stems that can reach up to 2 metres long. What makes the Aussie Rambler™ plant an ideal ground cover for any bold native garden is its large, deep pink flowers that can reach up to 14cm in diameter. Unlike the common form, Aussie Rambler™ carpobrotus handles heavy soils far better, and is a lot more cold tolerant.

Blue Gem™ Westringia ‘WES03’ PBR has vivid, almost fluorescent blue/purple flowers and is one of the best flowering Westringia’s available. The Blue Gem™ plant has an attractive bushy growth that responds well to pruning, it works well as a feature shrub and is very well suited to any native garden.

Purple Fusion™ Scaevola humilis ‘PFS100’ PBR is a true Scaevola ground cover that does not mound like other varietes, therefore grows much flatter and requires less cutting back. The Purple Fusion™ plant has an abundance of purple lilac flowers all year round but flowers heaviest from September to December. The perfect native plant to add a bit of colour all year round.

Link to original article

Best New Landscape Product

Innovative water wise landscape plants Ozbreed Aussie Box® and Grey Box™ were acknowledged as perfect native alternatives to exotic box plants and awarded the prestigious title of Best New Product in Show at the Landscape Australia Expo in Perth in May.

Selected by Ozbreed in Sydney, these versatile Westringia varieties are very drought tolerant and fit into the ‘No Irrigation Gardening’ category, meaning they are very water wise plants. This provides landscapers and garden enthusiasts with stunning uniform looking hedges and borders, without the water guzzling qualities that many other exotic plants demand.

Ozbreed Aussie Box® is a beautiful native box hedge plant that has a very dense growth habit that can readily be pruned. Left unpruned both plants will form compact ball shapes, making them ideal for mass planting. Aussie Box is still quite compact and tidy. It produces beautiful mauve colored flowers throughout spring and summer and grows to approximately 20cm high x 60cm wide.

Grey Box is a perfect native alternative for English Box. Also a very compact hedge, slightly smaller than Aussie Box at approximately 30 cm high x 30cm wide, Grey Box provides great colour contrast with grey foliage and white flowers from September – May. Both plants look striking when planted together, creating lovely height contrast.

Suitable for all soil types, these native box hedges tolerate full sun to light shade and are very fast establishers. Not only stunning features in any garden, these plants are extremely drought tolerant and hardy, and a perfect native choice for any landscape.

Link to original article

Benches and Hedges

Formal landscapes have never really gone out of fashion, but current interpretations allow for far more flexibility. Formal gardens can be minimalist, or more traditional in design. Modern formal gardens are selective and often use components borrowed from ancient Rome or Greece, or the more ornate renaissance period of Europe. Modern Australian formal gardens reflect our culture, and our punishing environment, whereby plants that can tolerate dry or 46 degree days are essential. Our local resources such as stone or wood, and innovative local design also play an important part. Although Benches and Hedges play an important part in the modern Australian formal garden, there are so many more elements to consider.

Much depends on the type and size of the landscape. The small spaces of modern housing backyards and the way they are often designed and used reflects the Australian desire to entertain and relax. They include lots of hard spaces with clean lines and geometric shapes that are formally set out, occasionally with the mirrored symmetry of older style formal landscapes, but more often now they are designed with a non-mirrored outline and a good degree of balance.

Sometimes it is the furniture, outdoor art, a gazebo, a water feature, or a green wall that stands out as the focal piece, however more often than not, the focal point of the formal Aussie backyard is the outdoor entertainment area. This area has evolved as an extension of the indoors taken outside, and is often referred to as an “Outdoor Room”. Lots of large format pavers, and more and more large outdoor tiles and clean plant covered walls dominate, with strategically placed architectural patio pots and plants used as accents.

If modern formal small landscapes are desired, it is very important to use the suitable furniture. Wood, stone, or wrought iron looking benches provide a wonderfully integrated place for family and friends to sit and relax and enjoy the garden. Furniture looks far better when kept simple and not cluttered in a modern Australian formal garden. All wood, or all stone, or pure metal furniture work well, but furniture mish mash such as canvas and wood, or cane and cushions, or aluminium and glass tend to distract from the clean modern look.

If glass is used in parts of the Landscape, then glass tables can work if they are just plain glass tops, and simply designed chairs. Sleek looking stainless steel Barbeques add Australia’s culture to the landscape, as too do uniquely looking Australian features and focal points. Whether it be Australian stone or wood used in formal looking ornaments and sculptures, or garden wall art, a touch of Australian culture can be added to a formal looking garden.

Formal plantings used architecturally in clusters, or screening plants are popular, the latter being often hedged formally. In the past, English and Japanese Box were used as formal hedging plants or plants grown into balls. The recent years of peak summer days that reached well over the mid forty degrees, have burnt, maimed and killed many of these plants. For this reason there is a trend to use tough formal looking Australian native plants, or summer hardy exotic ones. New ultra compact Westringia and Callistemon plants can be planted in groups for that formal look for full sun to part shade. Aussie Box® Westringia is perfect for hedging. It can can be pruned into a 40 cm high hedge or close to a metre high hedge. Its much shorter internodes allow it to be easily pruned into balls from 40 cm to 90 cm high. Pruning three to four times per year keeps it at its best.

Grey Box™ Westringia is a much smaller native box, which can be used as a tight hedge from 30 cm to 40 cm, or as ball pruned annually from 35 cm to 45 cm. Mundi™ Westringia is a ground cover Westringia that can be formalised by pruning three times per year with a long arm hedge trimmer. Modern machinery enables far quicker maintenance of formal hedging or topiary. Scarlet Flame™ is the densest form of Callistemon, and can be pruned twice per year into a tight tidy hedge that copes well with Australia’s harsh climate.

Better still, it flowers in spring and autumn, and gets flushes of reddish new growth. If you want Callistemon in ball shapes, use Green John™ Callistemon and prune to shape yearly. It is more compact and has cleaner foliage than Little John, and its dark green leaves and bright red flowers make it far better suited to Australian formal gardens. For shade Lilly Pillies like Allyns Magic and Cascade can be made into small hedges or ball shape group plantings.

Screening plants are an important aspect of the modern Australian formal garden, and are regularly used around the back or side walls of the landscape. For sun backed walls, fences or any sunny aspect, one plant stands out. Slim™ Callistemon, a very narrow growing Callistemon can tolerate high reflective heat and still stay clean and tidy. This is a very narrow growing, Myrtle Rust resistant plant that can be used as a dense screen from 1.5 metres to 3 metres high, and only needs occasional pruning to keep it very narrow. It flowers twice per year, and provides dense foliage from the ground up. Native screening plants for shade, range from Acmena smithii plants such as Sublime™ Acmena, which provides a Myrtle Rust and Psyllid resistant, shade and sun tolerant, large screening plant, or shade tree, to the very narrow Pinnacle™ Syzygium, ideal for planting along walls or fences in shady to full sun positions. Pinnacle can also be used for narrow topiary. Lack of space in the modern Aussie backyard have made formal looking green walls popular, and low maintenance evergreen Liriopes, Lomandra, and other plants are making them easier to maintain.

Exotics are not all weak when it comes to heat, but most still struggle with the 47 degree days. One Nandina stands out for formal gardens. Obsession™ Nandina is a very tidy fine leaf dense Nandina, that has red foliage for about two thirds of the year. Rhaphiolepis are very tough, and the new Cosmic White™ Rhaphiolepis and Cosmic Pink™ Rhaphiolepis plants, not only look great when pruned twice yearly, but also rarely produce berries, making them cleaner, and safer, as they are non-invasive (Click here for research paper on Rhaphiolepis). In the more humid regions, Viburnum odoratissimum are very popular as hedges, but they can get rather untidy, as they grow quickly and have somewhat larger leaves and long internodes. Dense Fence Viburnum ‘VOC1’ PBR makes a reliable quick growing screen. It’s shorter internodes and smaller more dense leaves make it a much better choice than the common form. Tidy annual flowers can be used in group plantings using the same plant in mass, but they must be changed when untidy. Alternatively hardier flowering Perennials can be used, such asSterile Gazanias, or native sun tough Scaevola forms.

Plants such as Mondo or mowable Liriope can be used around borders or as dense dark green lawn alternative. One of the best is Isabella® Liriope, the fine leaf, pink flowered, mow once per year, spreading ground cover Liriope. It’s ideal for planting between pavers, or as a high shade or low maintenance sun lawn where a quick mow in early August tidies it up beautifully, and keeps it low growing. Lawns enhance modern Australian landscapes, with fine leaf types providing the most formal look. If you have full sun to 40% shade the best type is a Zoysia. Either Nara™ the beautiful fine leaf native turf, or Empire™, the very formal looking Zoysia japonica. If you have between 40% to 70% shade, then Buffalo is the best alternative, with Sapphire® being the only fine leaf type, but luckily it is also the best in shade. Very broad leaf types of Buffalo look out of place.

In larger landscapes like parks and even mass plantings, modern Australian formal plantings can be achieved by careful plant selection and grouping, clean hard surfaces, modern furniture and lighting selection. Evergreen plants such as Tanika® Lomandra have really led the way in this style of landscape. Trimmed every 3 to 5 years, this plant can be kept stylish and clean. Trimmed into a ball gives this Lomandra that formal look after pruning. In Queensland, Tropic Cascade™ Lomandra offers a great weeping alternative. Just Right® Liriope is another strappy leaf plant that provides a formal dark green look. Unlike all other Liriopes, including Evergreen Giant, Just Right® Liriope does not burn in the sun, and only needs pruning every 5 years or so. Small ball like plants such as Grey Box, or yearly pruned Green John make great mass planting formal gardens. Well defined paths and walk ways, with strategically located gravel or hard surfaces, or the use of fine leaf low maintenance lawns such as Zoysia, with cleverly placed benches greatly enhance large scale formal landscapes.

Old style European renaissance period formal gardens still have their place, but in Australia formal gardens have evolved their own style. Local materials, furniture, and specialised Australian native plants have helped create the Australian formal Landscape. Future plant breeding, inventions of new materials, furniture and garden art, and innovative landscape design and construction will ensure further evolution of the Aussie formal landscape garden.

Link to original article

 

Australian Native Plants

Ozbreed is famous for developing Australian native plants for use in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Japan, South Africa and the USA.

One of its specialties is breeding and releasing more compact native plants. Tanika® Lomandra longifolia ‘LM300’ PBR, a native Lomandra, led the way.

It is more compact and has a finer leaf than the normal Lomandra longifolia types. Native plants in the past were thought of as untidy, and often open in habit.

Breeding of exotics over the centuries has fixed these issues, now with companies like Ozbreed, native plants have gone through a lot of breeding making them tidier.

Grey Box™ Westringia fruticosa ‘WES04’ PBR has revolutionised Westringias.

One of the qualities that makes Grey Box™ Westringia stand above the common Westringia is its incredible robustness, tolerating drought, frost and humidity.

But there is one particularly unique characteristic that sets this Westringia apart from the rest, and that is its ability to tolerate periodic wet feet, an occurence that would generally be damaging to other Westringia.

Unlike the common form, Grey Box™ Westriniga has an extremely compact form, and if left unpruned has a nuturally tidy ball shape.

The Grey Box™ plant was recognised for its exceptional qualities at this year’s Nursery & Garden Industry Australia Awards, being named Plant of the Year 2015.

Click Here to read more about Grey Box™ Westringia being crowned Plant of the Year 2015.

Slim™ Callistemon viminalis ‘CV01’ PBR is providing landscape professionals and homeowners with a bottle-brush solution for tight planting areas.

If you are wanting an iconic Australian native plant but have limited space or a narrow planting area, then Slim™ Callistemon is the answer.

It has a unique narrow growth habit, unlike common Callistemon viminalis that grow to approximately 2-5 metres wide, the Slim™ plant only grows to a width of approximately 1.3 metres, and can be pruned down to a minimum width of just 60cm.

If left to grow naturally, Slim™ Callistemon requires very minimal pruning to remain narrow but pruning two times per year will make the Slim™ plant even tighter and more vibrant.

There are not a lot of plants that can cope with growing next to a tin shed or fence that gets radiated heat from the sun, but this is one of them.

It is also frost tolerant, being tested down to minus 6 degrees Celsius with no leaf burn, and is highly Myrtle Rust Resistant.

Carpobrotus or Pigface as it is commonly called is a regular sight around Australian coastal areas.

Aussie Rambler™ Carpobrotus glaucescens ‘CAR10’ PBR is an improved form of the common Carpobrotus.

One of the main features that sets the Aussie Rambler™ plant apart from the common form is its flowers. Flowers measure from 3.2 – 6cm on the common form, but the flowers on the Aussie Rambler™ plant can reach up to 14cm in diameter.

Aussie Rambler™ Carpobrotus snuffs out weeds, lives in heavy clay soils, has survived in Canberra, where the common form generally dies in winter, and has tolerated all of this whilst still retaining huge flowers and a low growth height of just 20cm after 7 years without pruning.

Little Jess™ Dianella caerulea ‘DCMP01’ PBR is a best-selling Dianella with almost a decade of proven performance. It is a dwarf form of Dianella with a clumping growth habit.

Unlike common Dianella caerulea, the Little Jess™ plant has very short canes that will not fall over, meaning that it remains far tidier, this also makes the Little Jess™ plant very low maintenance, only requiring trimming back every 8 years, but it will benefit from more regular pruning.

The common Dianella caerulea is a cold hardy plant, but Little Jess™ Dianella not only tolerates frost, it is also tolerant of humidity and is a very drought tolerant Dianella, even more than other Dianella caerulea varieties.

Shara™ Lomandra fluviatilis ‘ABU7’ PBR is another improved Lomandra variety.

There are not many Lomandra that can handle areas of high humidity but Shara™ Lomandra is one of them. It is very Phytophthora resistant making it suitable for use in more humid climates and also for tolerating heavier soils.

It is a drought and cold tolerant plant, and can tolerate periods of periodic wet feet, but not permanent, this makes it ideal for both wet and dry areas.

Common Lomandra can strengthen the soil up to 50%, but Shara™ Lomandra is a good erosion control option as it strengthens the soil up to 255%.

Pinnacle™ Syzygium australe ‘AATS’ PBR is the only true narrow growing, compact and dense Australian native Lilly Pilly and is the perfect choice for a hedge or screen in those tight planting areas.

Other varieties are claimed to be narrow growing, however when these varieties are left unpruned they will still have significantly wider growth and cannot be kept as narrow as Pinnacle™ Syzygium.

It will only grow to approximately 1-1.5 metres wide without pruning and can be pruned down to a minimum width of about 80cm, more regular pruning will produce tighter, denser foliage.

Pinnacle™ Syzygium is a distinctive native plant that will deliver a formal look for any garden or landscape.

Luscious® Tristaniopsis laurina ‘DOW10’ PBR has gorgeous large, luscious shiny leaves topped off with red coloured new growth and yellow flowers with a sweet perfume.

Its larger leaf size differentiates it from the common form, and makes the Luscious® plant an excellent native alternative to Magnolia.

It has beautiful striking port coloured bark that peels back to reveal a mottled cream stem. Luscious® Tristaniopsis also has a faster growth rate than the common form, and is highly Myrtle Rust Resistant.

Nara™ Zoysia macrantha ‘MAC03’ PBR is an all-purpose Australian native turf that can handle many conditions.

It is the only general purpose native turf and is the perfect complement for your native garden or landscape.

Nara™ native turf is a very low maintenance turf, based on careful research and observations we have found it will require about 20% less mowing than Buffalo, 35% less than Couch and 55% less than Kikuyu, it also requires less edging than Buffalo, Couch and Kikuyu.

It is drought tolerant and needs less water, has a beautiful fine texture, and because it is generally a coastal grass it is naturally very salt tolerant, but has also been proven to work well many hundreds of kilometres inland. Nara™ native turf rarely gets disease and copes well with humid and dry climates, and it is far more resistant to black beetle, army worm and web worm the Couch, Kikuyu and Buffalo.

List of Australian Native Plants

Australian Native Cottage Garden

Cottage Gardens have been defined as a garden that has a distinct style that uses an informal design, traditional materials, dense plantings, and a mixture of ornamental and edible plants.

English in origin, the cottage garden depends on grace and charm rather than grandeur and formal structure. Unfortunately Australia’s hot summer really take its toll on the traditional garden plants from England. Fortunately there are a number of tough Australian Native Plants that can replace the English plants and still give you the cottage garden feel as well as a number of tough exotics that survive Australia and look at home in a cottage garden.

Flowering plants were and still are an important part of the Cottage Garden. Some Australian native plants give you flowers in spades, and for much of the year as well. Most Kangaroo paws sold in Australia are annuals or bi-annuals, and will not self-replenish from seed, so they are not a good choice for a cottage garden. Anigozanthos flavidus types last many years, but generally only flower in Spring. The 3 best Velvet Kangaroo paws give you flowers for 9 months of the year, year after year as they are long lived perennials.

Gold Velvet Anigozanthos has mid-sized opulant gold flowers, Amber Velvet Anigozanthos has vivid orange flowers, and Ruby Velvet ™ Anigozanthos is the compact red flowering form. Spread amongst other plants these Landscape Kangaroo Paws will provide the back bone of any long lived cottage garden in Australia and best of all, the Velvet Range is Black Spot resistant.

Native Scaevola looks at home in any cottage Garden. Purple Fusion™ is a Scaevola humilis type, which is the hardiest and longest lived form. It also flowers for about 9 months of the year, spreading rich purple flowers through the Garden.

Aussie Rambler ™ Carpobrotus flowers for 4 months from spring to early summer, and then again for a few months in autumn. The flowers on Aussie Rambler ™ Carpobrotus are double the size of the common Carpobrotus, and the vivid pink flowers are one of the highlights of any garden. You need to use this one sparingly in a cottage garden, as it does tend to spread and outcompete other plants, but a few in every garden will really make a statement.

The plants listed so far will give you flowers for most of the year except in winter. Certain types of Grevillea add a lot of colour to gardens in winter. Gold Cluster™ Grevillea, Cherry Cluster™ Grevillea and Crimson Villea™ Grevillea will provide flowers from early winter to early spring, just perfect to extend the flowering period of the garden to all year.

To get nice shapes and forms in the garden, Westringia has a lot to offer. Not only do you get spring and autumn flowers, you get clean foliage with minimal maintenance in an Aussie Cottage Garden. Mundi™ Westringia and Low Horizon™ Westringia are ground cover plants, while Grey Box™ Westringia without pruning, and forms a natural looking ball plant that fits very well into a cottage garden. If it is pruned yearly it works well in formal gardens. Blue Gem™ Westringia has the most vivid flowers of any Westringia.

Small Callistemon lend themselves to the Aussie Cottage Garden, Green John™ Callistemon is the Smallest Callistemon available, and the deep red flowers in Spring and Autumn contrast beautifully with the dark green foliage. Better John™ Callistemon simply grows better than Green John™ Callistemon, yet has the same blue toned foliage with red flowers.

Grasses have become very popular in the English Cottage Garden, but many of those used overseas are either weeds here, or do not cope with our heat. Luckily we have some magnificent native grasses and strappy leaf plants that can be used in place of these. Nafray® Pennisetum and Purple Lea® Pennisetum grow really well in our climate, and provide stunning flowers in autumn. Kingsdale™ Poa is the go to tussock grass with clean blue foliage.

Grasses do need trimming each year after they turn brown, and some people do not like that extra work. Some Australian strappy leaf plants look like ornamental grasses, but only need trimming every few years. The most famous is Tanika® Lomandra known for its fine dark green leaves, and its tidy appearance, it is the go to grass like plant for the Australian cottage garden. Shara™ Lomandra is a new fine leaf form of Lomandra, which works well in humid climates like Queensland, but also works well in wet feet situations. The weeping foliage Tropic Cascade™ Lomandra (Qld NSW) and Southern Cascade™ Lomandra (Southern States) feels right at home in this type of garden. Variegated Tanika™ Lomandra provides contrasting white and green foliage that for your native cottage garden.

Some exotic plants fit right into cottage gardens, but in Australia you need to choose ones that are long lived and ones that survive our extremes. Red foliage has become popular in cottage gardens overseas, and three new Nandina make red foliage easy to come by. Flirt™ Nandina is a ground cover plant and Obsession™ Nandina and Blush™ Nandina are small shrub forms that have red foliage for up to 9 months of the year. These do not rely on cold to turn them red, as all their new growth is red, so they are just as red in summer as winter.

Alternanthera is generally not thought of as a tough plant in Australia, but Little ruby™ Alternanthera is not only tougher in the cold than the standard form, it is actually a ground cover type, providing cottage gardens with low growing deep purple foliage. Gazania has copped a lot of bad press lately, and all bar Double Gold™ Gazania has been banned in South Australia. Double Gold™ Gazania is 100% sterile, cannot become weedy and it will provide big bold gold flowers and blue toned foliage. O So Fine™ Gardenia is a fine leaf short internode form of Gardenia radicans. This ground cover stays denser than the common form and does not open up and become sparse in our Australian conditions.

Having a great looking Australian native cottage garden has become a reality in Australia thanks to innovative plant breeding. If you want exotics in the garden, the choice has now grown and best of all, some of these new hardy exotics survive without too much effort in Australia.

Link to original article

Aussie Ornamental Grass Gardens

Ornamental grasses especially native ornamental grasses hit their peak in the 1990’s, and although they have never reached the heights of the glory days many types are still used in gardens and Australian landscapes in large numbers today. Exotic and native ornamental grass like plants took over the mantle from true ornamental grasses a decade ago and have not looked back. Grassy ornamentals have so many advantages, and new breeding has recently provided specialist plants that work in conditions they once struggled in.

True ornamental grasses of the Poacea family have the distinct advantage of establishing very quickly. In 2 seasons, or half a year of growth they look like they have been established for years compared to regular plants. Plant cool season ornamental grasses like Poa in autumn, and by spring they are well established, although they also do well if planted in Spring. Poa Eskdale is still popular today due to its ability to grow cleaner, and cope better with Sydney’s summers.

Kingsdale™ Poa has very blue fine foliage, and looks great next to green plants. It is very tolerant of salt laden winds. Poa are still very popular in Victoria. The best time to cut back cool season grasses in Australia is autumn. Warm season true ornamental grasses if planted in spring will look mature and amazing in the first autumn. Native Pennnisetum are still very popular due to their beautiful autumn plumes. Australian Pennnisetum alopecuroides differ greatly to what is grown overseas.

Australian forms are more tolerant of the heat and drought than the types that originated from overseas, but are not as cold tolerant. Nafray for example thrives in Australian conditions, even in Canberra, but when it was taken to the USA it would not cope with the Transition zone’s cold, which is somewhat colder than Canberra, yet the forms grown in the USA which had their roots in breeding in the USA and Europe, from plants from the Asian continent, easily survived the cold of the USA.

Australian forms are more tolerant of the heat and drought than the types that originated from overseas, but are not as cold tolerant. Nafray® Pennisetum for example thrives in Australian conditions, even in Canberra, but when it was taken to the USA it would not cope with the Transition zone’s cold, which is somewhat colder than Canberra, yet the forms grown in the USA which had their roots in breeding in the USA and Europe, from plants from the Asian continent, easily survived the cold of the USA.

These same types however really struggle with Australian summers. Nafray® Pennisetum is still very popular in Aussie Landscapes due to its quick establishment, and its reliability. Many projects from 15 years ago are still healthily populated with Nafray®. Another true Australian native grass to stand the test of time is Mingo, which is a compact blue foliage Kangaroo grass. This makes a stunning reliable blue ground cover that also looks great cascading over rocks. The best time to cut back warm season ornamental grasses is spring.

True ornamental grasses require cutting back annually to look their best. On large scale plantings this is extra work, but it does quickly and efficiently clean the landscape, and promote clean new growth.

In gardens, the fresh look of recently invigorated grasses can be the highlight of a garden. Ornamental native grasses are very tough, drought, heat and frost tolerant, and Pennisetumn and Kangaroo grass are very humidity tolerant. They are long lived if the minimum care of the annual cut back is observed. With their strong root system they are great at preventing erosion, and help clean stormwater runoff by removing nutrients and heavy metals, and few pests or diseases bother them.

These grasses move interestingly in the wind and create a living hypnotic sound as they rustle, attract wildlife, and add a natural soft look to any garden, providing interesting textures and colours, with changing appearances throughout the year. They make great companions for potted flowers, perennials, herbs, shrubs, ground covers and succulents and look great when planted in and amongst rock. Attractive, elegant, colourful, soft, flowing, feathery, graceful, gentle, freshening and breathtaking are ways of labelling ornamental grasses.

Strappy leaf plants took over in popularity from true grasses in the early 2000’s. This is whenTanika® Lomandra took the position of Australia’s favourite grass like plant.

Its clean green fine leaf evergreen foliage ticked a lot of boxes, and it only needed trimming every 4 to 6 years which saved greatly on maintenance costs. Today Tanika® Lomandra is still the number one selling Landscape plant in Australia. Nyalla® Lomandra has a slightly more upright blue grey fine foliage that is highly tolerant of salt laden winds, making it the perfect coastal ornamental grass like plant. More recent breeding has resulted in Lomandra types that not only handle drought, but also wet feet, which was for years the nemesis of Lomandra.

Katie Belles™ Lomandra hystrix is a taller grass like plant that is often used in retention basins, and rain gardens Australia wide, and is used as the go to Lomandra for Queensland where the humidity makes it hard for Lomandra longifolia types. Tropic Cascade™ Lomandra is a more compact weeping form that looks great in gardens, and is very shade tolerant. For years Queensland was in need of a fine leaf Lomandra that survived its humidity. Many had come to try, but all failed till the introduction of Shara™ Lomandra. This compact fine leaf Lomandra thrived in Queensland, and has performed really well in rain gardens around Australia. It is moreover very cold tolerant so it has worked well as an evergreen alternative to poa in the cooler climatic zones.

Exotic grasses have never been as popular in Australia as they have been overseas, but Liriope, a grass like plant continues to grow in use. Evergreen Giant has been popular in Australia for decades, unfortunately the nursery industry started to grow it from seed, and the true type has all but disappeared from sale in Australia, leaving poorly performing Liriopes in its place. Liriope evergreen Giant in South Africa for example is completely different to what is now grown in Australia. They are still growing the original plant from division and not the poor performing seed grown clones that now are used in Australia.

Just Right® Liriope is now replacing Evergreen Giant as the only Liriope that thrives in the heat, drought and full Australian sun. Just Right® Liriope has a leaf thickness (not width) double that of Evergreen Giant. It is also a little smaller. The ridged leaf keep it from burning in the full sun. All Liriopes thrive in the shade, but some do well in full sun in the Eastern states, if they are cut back annually. Just Right® Liriope does not need to be cut back however, as it stays evergreen and clean for many years before it needs a trim. However if other Liriope are mown or cut back hard at the end of winter, they perform well in the full sun. The yearly cut back removes any dead foliage, and the Liriope quickly reshoot in Spring and looking great.

Liriope makes a great ground cover and is very reliable. Amethyst™ Liriope has purple flowers that sit high above the dark green foliage. Pink Pearl™ Liriope is a variegated form with beautiful pink flowers. Silverlawn™ Liriope is a new white and green foliage Liriope that is ideal for colour contrast in the garden. Isabella® Liriope is a lawn alternative that needs mowing every August, and make a lawn in heavy shade areas like down the side of a house.

While Lomandra and Liriope continue to grow in popularity, the Australian Native ornamental grass has not been forgotten, with large numbers of Poa, Pennisetumn, and Themeda still being used in the Landscape today.

Link to original article

Amenity Planting, What’s Old Is New Again

In the seventies, eighties, nineties, and the first part of the Naughties, amenity planting often used the same type of plants over and over again, mainly because they worked, and were no fuss. Now many of the same plants are being used over and over again, but in very different forms. Plant breeding has made these plants more visually appealing, better performing, and less maintenance, and in the case of exotics, far less invasive. There are a few new species that have emerged, but in the main amenity planting is now the realm of reinvented versions of the older forms.

Amenity areas are often non-irrigated, and receive far less care compared to residential gardens. Even if an irrigation system is installed, they occasionally break down, so drought tuff plants are needed. They are also highly visible to the public, resulting in designers and Landscape architects using mainly evergreen plants that look good 365 days of the year.

Nandina is a perfect example of this. In the past it was Nandina domestica nana that was all the rage, planted in parks, around offices, and off course in McDonald’s car parks. Nandina are still very popular in amenity areas, but now the older Nana type is being replaced by far nicer alternatives. Gulf Stream and Moon Bay have become very popular because their finer leaf and more tidy habit are far superior to domestica nana. Right now we are seeing a new revolution in Nandina. All these past types were mainly grown for their late autumn and winter red colour.

Now new ones are replacing Moon Bay and Gulf Stream, for the main reason that they are not only red in the cold months, but they have lots of red new growth in spring, summer and autumn. Obsession looks like Moon Bay and Gulf Stream in winter, but in summer it is also bright red, while the other are yellow green looking.

Flirt™ Nandina is a smaller more compact version, similar to Obsession™ Nandina with its fines leaves, and red new growth. Blush™ Nandina is a tidier looking version of Nandina domestica nana, but again with vibrant summer red new growth.

Lomandra longifolia and Lomandra hystrix have been used for decades in large numbers for amenity planting. The advent of Tanika™ lomandra revolutionised the use of this plant. Its fine dark green leaf, tidy habit, soft non spiky nature and super drought tolerance has made it the biggest selling amenity plant in Australia. Lomandra confertifolia became popular for a while, but the fact that they mainly live in shaded forest, saw them fail time and time again in large amenity plantings.

They also hated wet feet, and recent wet periods caused those lots of problems. Shara™Lomandra fluviatilis ‘ABU7’ PBR, which is actually one of the new species is now widely being used in amenity areas, including rain gardens. It handles drought, frost, wet feet, and has an even finer leaf compared to Tanika™ lomandra. It is the first fine leaf Lomandra to do well in Queensland, but it is just as happy in Canberra. A third smaller than Tanika™ lomandra, makes it well suited to amenity areas that need a smaller plant.

Westringia in the past was widely used, and still is, but there was a move away from it for a while, as most plants did not cope well with clay soils, had too much die back, and were too short lived.

Mundi™ Westringia, a low growing ground cover, and the miniature Grey Box™ Westringia are now used widely in amenity planting. These guys handle periodic wet feet in clay soils, and are longer lived. Callistemon have always been popular, but some of the past popular types like the shorter lived Kings Park Special and Captain Cook are now being used less often.

Some popular plants from the past like Little John continue to flourish. Great plants will always be wanted. There are now new forms of this available, including the myrtle rust resistant Green John™ Callistemon. Myrtle rust has certainly changed amenity planting in some parts, with councils looking for disease resistant varieties such as Slim™ Callistemon, a narrow screening shrub. Myrtle rust has all but seen the end of Agonis flexuous being used in amenity areas.

Liriope and Ophiopogon are still a mainstay in our landscape, and plants like Stripy white are selling more than ever. Evergreen Giant is still very popular, but unfortunately its days maybe numbered, as the true form of the past is now rarely sold. A decade or more ago, nurseries started selling seed grown versions, which has resulted in a highly variable plant now being supplied, with many projects failing. Just Right® Liriope, a hardier more sun resistant type has now started to take its place. Liriope are still used widely in full sun, but are regularly the go to plant for shaded amenity areas. Isabella® Liriope is widely being used as a lawn alternative for shade.

Hedging has remained popular, and many of the old favourites are still used. Murraya, Vibernum, Lilly Pilli, and Photinia are still very popular, with many types from the past still being grown. Murraya Min a Min is a more compact version, but buyers still seem to prefer the faster nature of the original.

Red Robin is the go to plant for Photinia, with its wonderful red new growth, and its ability to form a dense screen quickly it is no wonder.

The improved faster bushier nature of Super Red and Super Hedge from Paradise plants is resulting in them quickly catching Red Robin in popularity. Resilience is one of the popular Lilly Pillies, and more narrow sites has seen Pinnacle™ Syzygium become very popular. Due to drought, Buxus has lost its appeal in many regions. A finer leaf version of Vibernum, called Dense Fence™ Viburnum is now widely being used, but it still retains quick growth to form a screen.

Perceived Invasive plant lists have greatly reduced the popularity of many plants, including Agapanthus, Rhaphiolepis, Dietes, and Gazania are used a lot less compared to the past, but new breeding for low seed set or sterility is seeing these plants make a comeback. Agapanthus coped a lot of bad press in some regions, but faith is being restored with breeding for low seed set.

Agapanthus such as ‘Cloudy Days’ and Queen Mum™ Agapanthus are safer, and more beautiful with their part blue part white flower. Rhaphiolepis used to be installed frequently, but after it was added to lists its popularity plummeted.

Now Cosmic White™ Rhaphiolepis and Cosmic Pink™ Rhaphiolepis, with their lack of berries and seed, and their higher disease tolerance is seeing them come back with a vengeance.

Seeded Gazania is being used less and less due to invasiveness, but plant breeding by Sydney University and Nuflora has created a 100% sterile form. Double Gold™ Gazania ‘GT20’ PBR is not only completely non-invasive, it has more prolific beautiful flowers and a blue foliage.

One completely new genus and species to make a rapid rise in amenity areas is Zoysia turf. Roadsides, council parks, community areas, office and residential buildings are now using Zoysia due to its low maintenance.

On roadsides it only needs mowing twice per year, and in other fertilised areas a third the mowing of other popular amenity turf types. Empire™ Zoysia turf is the most popular type, thriving with very little fertiliser, but Nara™Native turf is quickly gaining in popularity. This native turf has excellent winter colour, and thrives in our harsh Australian climate.

After analysing the amenity plant market, it was very interesting to note the species used has not changed much, but the varieties have changed greatly.

Link to original article

Advantages of Using Native Plants in the Garden

There was a time when we suddenly “discovered” native plants and native gardens become the rage. Unfortunately many of us didn’t really understand that a native garden, while it may be a low maintenance garden is certainly not a no-maintenance garden and over time native gardens gained a reputation for being wild and ugly.

The mistake however was on the part of the gardener, and not the wonderful native plants. Using native plants in a garden does not have to mean creating a bushland garden (unless you want to of course). Native plants can be appreciated in any style of garden and with greater knowledge of the incredible diversity of native plants available to us, comes great diversity of options for them in our gardens, and even includes the option for a native turf in Nara™ Zoysia macrantha ‘MAC03’ PBR.

There are of course many good reasons to grow natives in the garden. Attracting wildlife, especially birds, is a key reason. By growing native plants from our local area (known as indigenous plants) we will be providing a food source for local species. Native plants from other parts of Australia may also be providing food for wildlife but may not necessarily be the “best fit” for the local wildlife, so it is always a good idea if wildlife is your main reason for growing natives, to include as many local indigenous plants as possible.

Even if specifically attracting wildlife is not your primary aim for growing natives, it is a very valuable “side effect”. Our wildlife is under pressure through loss of habitat, so if we can offset that just a little by adding beautiful native plants to our gardens, then we should look again at the value of native plants to our gardens – from a gardener’s perspective. This is not just about being patriotic, many of our native plants are highly sought after overseas and for good reason – they are wonderful plants that look great in many different garden styles. There are natives suitable for every garden style, including flowering natives for cottage gardens, and plants with large green leaves for tropical gardens such as the large leaved Alocasia brisbanensis.

The two most common mistakes made with native plants are lack of care or growing in the wrong part of the country. Native plants, like all other plants, need some care in the garden in order to not just survive but to thrive and look good. Some degree of watering, fertilising, pruning and pest control will go a long way to bringing out the best in your garden natives. When it comes to location, Australia is a very big place with very different climates and soils from one side to the other. While many native plants are both tough and adaptable, many of the west coast natives in particular will struggle with the humidity on the warm temperate to tropical east coast. As always a few exceptions exist. One is the ‘Velvet Range’ of kangaroo paws which have been bred and trialed to ensure they perform well on the east coast.

With choosing the right plants for your gardens, natives can certainly make for low maintenance gardens. Generally they will take the harsh climate extremes that come with being Australian, and will continue to live on if we neglect them – even if not at their best. Many natives are accustomed to drought and so tend to need less supplementary watering in a garden than do most exotics. Whilst this is a good generalisation, it is very important to check the labels when buying plants as this is not always the case. Many native rainforest trees for example make very beautiful small garden trees, even in places like Melbourne and Adelaide, but will need some supplementary watering in times of drought.

In a garden we tend to expect more of plants then we do in the bush. We want them to be compact and shapely, and to have long flowering times. We want them to grow in places they wouldn’t normally and to have beautiful leaf colours and shapes.

Modern plant breeding has been working on all of these traits and more, and continues to contribute enormously to the current success of many native species in gardens.

Perfect examples of this are the Native Grasses, Lomandras and Dianellas. In their natural (species) form they are both beautiful and useful plants which are why they first attracted the attention of gardeners and landscapers alike. Plant breeding has since developed many cultivars with compact forms, variegated leaf colours in a variety of shades and a range of plants which are adapted to suit a very wide variety of climates and situations.

Grafting of grevilleas, eucalypts and other natives has provided us with plants that will tolerate a greater diversity of conditions in a garden. We now have gloriously flowering varieties which will grow in a wide range of soil types and climatic conditions. We now even have the first ever red foliage variety of compact Eucalypt – Vintage Red™ Eucalyptus cladocalyx ‘EUC78’ PBR!

Many natives have been bred into wonderfully compact forms which are well suited to small gardens or for use as small hedges or even clipped balls in formal gardens.  Lily pillies are not the only natives suitable for hedging. While many others are also suitable, new varieties of Callistemons such as Slim™ Callistemon viminalis ‘CV01’ PBR, which has a particularly narrow growth habit perfect for hedging, especially in narrow areas, and Westringias such as Ozbreed Aussie Box® Westringia ‘WES08’ PBR, which has been bred to be very compact and need little pruning to maintain a good hedge shape, are offering exciting and compact plants for use in formal gardens or any small garden. A garden full of wonderful native flowers and the wildlife that goes with it is now available not just to large gardens and bush style landscaping but to small gardens, median strips and public spaces. Many natives can also be used in container gardens and wall gardens very successfully.

Whatever the situation or garden style, there will be an abundance of natives plants available which will add beauty and value to the garden. No Australian garden should be without at least one native plant.

(Always remember to select native plants that will work in your region of Australia, just because they are native does not mean they work all over Australia)

Link to original article

Add Some Flair To Your Design With Yalba

Add Some Flair To Your Design With Yalba

YALBA is an extremely tough and extremely beautiful Australian native, ornamental grass. Who ever thought a grass could look this glamorous? These fluffy plumes show for up to 5 months at a time (usually April to August) and are an eye catching feature for any landscape, and don’t forget that this plant is tougher than the fluffiness lets on. Another great feature is the reddish foliage in autumn and winter, with green foliage in the warmer months. Yalba is a dense, fast spreading grass and is much more compact than common Imperata grasses, with longer lasting and more prolific flowers.

Yalba is the perfect plant for roadsides, median strips and large landscape areas as it will out-compete weeds, has excellent drought and frost tolerance, and tolerates poor soils. Yalba is so competitive in an area that it out-competes Couch, Kikuyu, and most other weeds. Once established, you just mow it once each year or two, and that’s it. If any plant could ever be called bullet proof, then Yalba is it. Yalba is also perfect for slopes and erosion control as it strengthens the soil 5.45 times compared to bare soil.

With roadsides becoming difficult to maintain, a plant like this that can be mown any time of the year is just what the doctor ordered. Slash yearly, or every second year, and that’s it! Yalba will do the rest (avoid summer slashing if the region is in drought). Although if you want the masses of white plumes you will need to trim, slash or mow yearly around late February or March.

Where to use Yalba:

  • Anywhere where a monoculture is required.

  • Where weed control is difficult.

  • In confined spaces such as median strips on roadsides, or nature strips between paths and the road, or any other landscape area that is enclosed by hard borders.

Where not to use Yalba:

  • As it is so aggressive, do not plant it amongst other plants, unless the plant is large like an advanced tree.

  • Do not plant it bordering other plants as it will grow into them.

  • If Yalba does get into gardens, which it will only do if you plant it near one without a boarder, it can be sprayed out with Fusilade on roadside type situations, and the plants will not be effected.
    (True grasses such as Poa and Pennisetum will be killed by Fusilade. Lomandra and Dianella are not hurt by Fusilade).

Yalba grows approx. 50cm-60cm high with a spread of 60cm to 100cm or more. It prefers full sun to part shade and tolerates sandy to heavy clay soils.

Link to original article

Choosing the Right Landscape Trees

Leafy suburbs are often the richest most expensive real estate. The trees planted 50 years ago are not the same trees planted today. Poplars, Plane trees and Jacarandas are no longer in the modern landscape tree menu. Good landscape trees make a lot of sense, so what makes a good modern landscape tree, and what are some of the modern popular trees.

A good landscape tree has one strong prominent straight trunk that has its branches spread relatively evenly above head height. A good landscape tree is drought tolerant, neat & tidy, and is tolerant of pruning. Safety is another factor, you do not want a tree regularly dropping branches, twigs, fruit or bark, or even too many leaves on the street or buildings below. The root system needs to be safe and not cause the sidewalk to buckle, and they shouldn’t have invasive suckers. Height is another important factor, often shorter trees are needed for under overhead wires or near buildings.

A good uniform planting of street trees helps create a pleasing street view. The right choice of tree surrounding houses and buildings can cool the environment, and provide an enjoyable landscape. Trees also improve air quality, reduce noise, stabilise soil and create or contribute to habitat. With smaller house block sizes, and larger houses more compact forms or more shade tolerant trees are often needed.

It is important when selecting trees that they are adapted to their intended site and they fulfil their landscape function. These functions may include the shading of yards or buildings, providing a screen to block out a fence or road, to simply provide privacy, to define a landscape area by separating zones, or to form linkages between one building and another. Avenue plantings link an entrance with a large building or in a town and creates a network of tree lined streets. Some trees are used as a focal point for a landscape, where as a single specimen becomes the landscape feature. Planting trees in the right place to achieve the desired benefits is also important. For example, if a house or building has solar panels, it is important not to block them from the sun. It is recommended to put trees further away from the panels, or on the other side of the building where the sun will not be blocked. Often shade is desired for buildings, so finding the right tree with the right height and spread is also important.

Selected varieties of trees perform these tasks far better than seed grown trees. One of the main selection points is predictability. Seed grown trees vary in size and spread significantly, making it difficult to predict the ultimate size. The botanical description of Acmena smithii for example has a height range between 1 metre and 8 metres tall, making seed grown trees far too difficult to predict their final height. This height variation is common amongst many seed grown trees. Clonal varieties from cuttings, grafting, or tissue culture provide not only predictability of height and spread, but are generally selected for other improved characteristics. More compact forms, narrow trees, denser screening trees, improved heat or cold tolerance, larger or smaller leaves, foliage colour, new growth colour, disease resistance, and flowers have all been used as criteria to select a better landscape tree.

Trees that regularly drop branches such as Eucalyptus types have fallen greatly in popularity in recent years. Foliage is now king, with clean evergreen foliage being far more important than flowering trees.Evergreen trees are simply the most popular landscape trees in Australia including selections of Acmena, Elaeocarpus, Ficus, Magnolia, Syzygium, Tristaniopsis and Waterhousea. Many great cultivars of these tree types have been bred over the last decade, providing uniformity and great selection criteria, making the choice of the right landscape tree far easier. Myrtle rust put a scare into the landscape tree industry, with many growers switching from Syzygium to Acmena or Magnolia. But Myrtle rust has not really caused problems in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth, where Syzygiums are still selling very well. In Melbourne, Deciduous trees are still commonly used, probably due to the cooler winter climate where it is sometimes desirable for the sun to shine through in winter. The most popular types of Deciduous trees for the landscape are Pyrus Cleveland select and Capital, or Ulmus Murrays Form or Todd.

 Popular evergreen landscape tree varieties that have been introduced over the last decade.

Pinnacle™ Syzygium australe ‘AATS’ PBR

The narrow nature of this tree has made it extremely popular as a landscape tree. With blocks getting smaller and buildings larger, there are often many narrow landscape areas that need screening. It also makes a great feature tree when pruned yearly in a conical shape. Although this tree will reach 6 metres or more it can be pruned down to and kept at a height of 2 metres if desired.

Luscious® Tristaniopsis laurina ‘DOW10’ PBR

This larger leaf form of Tristaniopsis has become one of the most popular advanced landscape trees in Australia. Its larger shiny leaves make it a great native alternative to Magnolia. Its striking bark and red new growth add to its reputation. It is a perfect size for landscape plantings in both smaller yards and large commercial projects, and makes a wonderful shade tree. Its high level of disease and pest resistance and reliability has seen its use grow. It works in most parts of Australia, from tropical areas to colder regions like Victoria.

Red Head™ Acmena smithii ‘BWNRED’ PBR

Red Head™ Acmena is an attractive large shrub / small tree with glossy rounded, deep green foliage. New growth flushes red to deep claret than changes to chocolate before hardening off the dark green foliage. The dense foliage can be pruned down to 1.5m high and is fire retardant. This tree is one of the best forms for pleaching. It is highly Psyllid and borer resistant, and does not get Myrtle rust. Its compact size makes it a great shade tree if the first 1.8 metres is cleared on the trunk. It is great for screening or as a feature tree, especially with its beautiful red new growth twice a year.

 Sublime™ Acmena smithii ‘DOW30’ PBR

Sublime™ Acmena is a mid-sized tree with refreshing lime green new growth and dense foliage to the ground, although if the trunk is cleared to 1.8 metres it makes a dense shade tree. It has proven to be a very reliable plant Australia wide, with excellent Psyllid and Myrtle rust resistance. For screening it is a trouble free plant, and can be pruned regularly, or if forgotten it responds well to harder pruning.

Sweeper® Waterhousea floribunda ‘DOW20’ PBR

Sweeper® Waterhousea is a heavily weeping tree with large clusters of white flowers in summer. It has gorgeous lush new growth and an elegant rippled leaf. It can be used as a large screen, or as a feature tree. It is well suited to humid climates.

Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’

The unique character of glossy deep green tops of leaves, with a furry brown coloured underside has made these trees very popular in Australia. With a height of 6 metres and a spread of 3 metres it is a good size for modern landscapes.

Link to original article

Federal Coalition Commits $112 Million to Gold Coast Light Rail

Funding for the Gold Coast Light Rail's next stage have been leaked online revealing a $112 million federal commitment by the Coalition.

The funds, due in next year's federal budget, are part of a massive $7.6 billion roads and rail package organised by ousted Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in a final attempt to win over key battleground seats before next year's election.

The light rail extension is the only Gold Coast project included in the leaked budget plan.

The Stage 3A proposal outlines a 6.4km southern extension which will create eight new stations, running from Broadbeach South to Burleigh Heads.

There is also potential for two western spur lines heading to Robina and Varsity Lakes which would split off at Miami and Burleigh Heads.

Related: Gold Coast Gets $30bn Post-Commonwealth Games Development Pipeline


The state and council last year put $5 million each towards the business case, which was expected to be finalised by December 2018.

Community consultation meetings began last month with links, as well as the location of the stations, subject to change based on the incoming funding and local feedback.

“Four advertised community drop-in sessions were held in August and attended by about 750 people at Burleigh Heads Surf Club and Mermaid Beach Surf Club,” a Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesperson told The Urban Developer.

“People were able to have their questions answered, view alignment maps and animated fly throughs and leave feedback that will be used to inform the Detailed Business Case.”

The $660 million Light Rail project is currently funded by the Commonwealth and will now await funding from the state government and Gold Coast City Council who are expected to pledge $66 million towards stage 3A.

“Any decision around future funding for the delivery of Stage 3A will be dependent on the completion of a supportive business case and funding contributions from all three levels of government,” the TMR spokesperson added.

Patronage on the new rail system has been received well with a reported 5.2 million trips taking place since the trams began running to Helensvale.

Light rail stage 3B is eventually expected to travel south from Burleigh to the border, stopping at Gold Coast Airport.

If the funding does go ahead mid-2019, trams are anticipated to be carrying passengers to Burleigh by 2021.

Link to original article

Interstate Migrants Flock to Robina

Sydneysider Angus Terry – who recently secured a Robina development site with plans to build a new Anytime Fitness gym – has become one of the latest purchasers in Robina Group's Vue Terrace Homes community.

The 2,300sq m site earmarked for Anytime Fitness is across the road from Vue Terrace Homes, making the "commute" to work a literal walk in the park for Terry, who will be relocating with his partner to operate the new gymnasium.

Terry said he and his partner were eagerly seeking a change from bustling Sydney and settled on Robina as the ideal location and Vue Terrace Homes as the perfect new address.

“We have always dreamed of living a short drive from the beach and when I was growing up we came to the Gold Coast for family holidays so I know the area quite well,” he said.

“The most appealing thing about Robina is the fact that while it has grown dramatically over the years and matured as a CBD, it still has a great community-oriented atmosphere where people are friendly and support one another.

"Robina is also highly accessible which gives it the dual appeal of being well positioned for both business and lifestyle.

“We love that everything we need is within easy reach – we have access to some of the city’s best dining and shopping options at Robina Town Centre, can catch a game at Cbus Super Stadium or take a train to Brisbane for the day from Robina station which is a short walk from Vue.”

Efficient and comfortable living spaces have been carefully crafted with form and function seamlessly integrated.


Terry said the decision to call Vue home was not only due to its proximity to Anytime Fitness, which is expected start construction in the new year, but also the community's impressive features and facilities.

“After an exhaustive look at properties that didn’t fit the bill – we found Vue and it ticked all of the boxes for us," he said.

“We were instantly sold on the clean, contemporary design, quality fittings and layout of the homes and could see ourselves really enjoying the resort-style facilities.

"We are going to be working hard so we wanted a place that we could come back to and really relax, so Vue's beautiful pool and barbeque area and its direct access into Robina City Parklands was a huge drawcard.

"Neighbouring a $15 million 17-hectare city park is really exciting for us. As a young, active couple it is so important to us to spend time outdoors."

A careful balance of private and public spaces has been achieved to offer residents enjoyment both in their home and amongst the gated grounds.


Terry and his partner are a prime example of the strong surge in interstate migration currently reflected in the Gold Coast real estate market.

Migration to Gold Coast City continues to push the city’s population up, with the annual increase hitting its highest level in ten years in the year ending 2017 with figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing an increase of over 15,000 people.

Robina Group sales manager Azura Griffen said Sydney and Melbourne purchasers recognised the value on offer in the Gold Coast market.

“We are seeing an increasing number of buyers from the southern capitals purchasing at Vue Terrace Homes – contributing to the total $83 million in sales at the project to date,” she said.

“Buyers from interstate are attracted to the lifestyle benefits on offer in Robina. Our education facilities in particular are a major drawcard – Robina is home to Gold Coast’s top two private schools and Bond University.

The extensive range of shops, restaurants, entertainment and transport options paired with the comparably affordable home prices are extremely attractive to interstate buyers."

Griffen said Robina was consistently among the top-performing Gold Coast areas on a number of key measures including values, capital gains, rental rates and yields.

“Robina is a continually growing and evolving area which is attractive to both investors and owner occupiers alike.

“There is a $1 billion pipeline of public and private investment under way here and our population and workforce are due to double by 2050 as a result,” she said.

Link to Original Article

Ridong Unveils Plans for ‘World Class’ Gold Coast Tourism and Wellness Retreat


Chinese developer Ridong, the original developer of the Gold Coast’s $1 billion Jewel project, has lodged plans for a “wellness and tourism retreat” in Tallebudgera Valley on the Gold Coast.

The $60 million proposal seeks approval for a six-star, 98-room key resort, 113 residential dwellings, a 16-hectare man-made lake and a contemporary European art and sculpture gallery modelled off Tasmania’s Museum of Old and Modern Art (MONA).

In plans submitted to the Gold Coast City Council in late September, Ridong has also proposed a 3-storey health and wellness centre with a day spa, a waterfront chapel for wedding services, two conference centres and three restaurants.

Chairman of the Ridong Group, Riyu Li, began acquiring parcels of land in Tallebudgera Valley in 2014.

The “wellness and tourism retreat” will cover sites owned by Li on Tallebudgera Connection Road and Tallebudgera Creek Road.

The Ridong Group sold its 45 per cent share in the Jewel towers in February.

Related: ‘It’s Just Another Normal Working Day’: Yuhu

Artist impressions of a chapel (top left), health and wellness centre (right) and art museum (bottom) in the Gold Coast hinterland.


In applying for the rezoning the rural 47.5-hectare rural site, Ridong has positioned the development as a “significant investment in the development of an integrated tourism resort” catering to a growing inbound tourism market interested in health and wellbeing.

Building heights will be largely low- to medium-rise, with the hotel component of the development reaching 5-storeys. The proposed development will cover less than 9 per cent of the nearly 50-hectare site.

The 4-storey, 14,885sq m contemporary art gallery will be privately operated and comprise a curated cultural exhibition space, a 100-seat theatre and automotive museum.

Ridong said that the gallery will act as a “world class” tourism attraction for the area as the Gold Coast “doesn’t currently have an art gallery of such proposed scale”.

Ridong has appointed architecture firm DBI for preliminary design duties.

The major development is currently in preliminary assessment with the Gold Coast City Council and is not expected to progress before 2019.

Link to Original Article