Ausgarden: Australia's Gardening Community

Photo 1, 'Bare and Lifeless', illustrates what I am up against. An ugly wooden fence, a hideous exotic Metrosideros and a patch of grass that I have to mow. Positives are the Callistemon Viminalis at left, my Grevillea bed and the mature Buckinghamia Cellisima (Ivory Curl) tree to the right of shot. My aim is not to completely obscure the fence or the Metrosideros, simply to distract from it. Given the power line some 5 or so metres above the ground, I also have to ensure that anything I plant can be kept to a modest height.

Photo 2, 'Transformation', is probably a tad presumptious, but I hope to be able to show you something in 6-8 months time that illustrates the improvement. For now, its some plants bordered by rocks:

1. Rear - Pittosporum Angustifolium : 'Native Apricot'. Should grow to no more than 6 metres, but I am confident that I can keep it smaller and denser than would be the case in the wild.

2. Rear - Leptospermum Maddidum : 'Turkey Bush'. This is also labelled as L. Brachyandrum and L. Longifolium, but L.Maddidum is the FNQ 'troppo' Turkey Bush. Another weeper to about 5 metres, with a lighter shade of green to P. Angustifolium.

3. Centre - Leptospermum Petersonii 'Copper Glow'. To 3 metres, with unusual flowers - green centre/white petals - in Spring.

4. Front - Austromyrtus Floribunda : 'Cape Ironwood'. Again, potentially to 3 metres, but I am confident that I can keep it clipped to something smaller if necessary.

5. Front - Myrtus Communis : to 4 metres, fragrant foliage and flowers, the only exotic in the mix, but irresistable to a 'myrtle maniac' like myself.

6. Syzygium Australe 'Aussie Compact' : I tend to ignore the label on this little guy, as you can trim them relentlessly, but I think its got the potential to reach about 1.5 metres.

Overall, I'm quite happy with the outcome. The most expensive single item was the sugarcane mulch - the plants cost $3.50-5.00 each and the rocks came in at about $12 (fuel costs included as it was a bit out of my way). Its not going to make a magazine any time soon, but I am confident that I can blur the distinction between the Grevillea garden and the new patch as soon as the sugarcane breaks down and I can lay something like Ti-Tree mulch. I wont use bark mulches with new plantings any more, because of the nitrogen depletion - I realise its visually incongruent, but thats a small price to pay for getting your plants off to a good start.

Although I have a huge slab of bare grass on the other side of the driveway, I dont know that I am prepared to go there - we dont have a lot of foot traffic down our street, but I can see potential issues nevertheless. The irony of this project was that the ugly Metrosideros gave me a 'precedent', and would already serve to redirect pedestrians to the left of the block : I dont have that sort of 'leg up' on the other side. That said, I highly recommend extending your garden into the public space.

Cheers,

Artie