4 minute read
Autumn landscaping: Native plants to brighten your yard
Photography by Jade Stephens
Autumn is an ideal time to add new plants and blooms to your garden ahead of winter and spring, especially native species. Native plants add colour and beauty to your green space and foster a sustainable, minimal-care garden that will be resilient enough to withstand Canberra’s unique and often harsh climate. Native plants can also benefit local biodiversity and provide essential habitat and food sources for local fauna, including birds, insects and small mammals.
Here are some of the most well-suited native species for autumn planting.
Banksia spinulosa ‘Birthday Candles’ is one of the most popular native plants in Australia. It’s a dwarf and dense shrub with golden yellow flowers that is loved by bees and nectar-eating birds.
Callistemon ‘Kings Park Special’ is a popular bottlebrush shrub recognisable for its aromatic leaves and vibrant red cylindrical flowers that bloom in spring and summer. It’s very hardy and adds a striking colour to gardens. For a smaller version of this vibrant red bottlebrush, try the Callistemon viminalis ‘Captain Cook’ or Callistemon viminalis ‘Little John’ varieties.
Grevillea lanigera ‘Mount Tamboritha’ is a hardy evergreen shrub popular for its vibrant pinkish-red and cream flowers. It’s a spreading, low-growing native with attractive bushy foliage.
Correa ‘Marian’s Marvel’, otherwise known as the Australian fuchsia, is a durable shrub that can live through frost and drought. It produces pink and yellow, bell-shaped tubular flowers and dark green foliage.
Eucalyptus ‘Baby Blue’ is a small multibranched evergreen tree with round leaves that are silvery blue-green. It’s similar to the well-known eucalyptus, but much smaller and better suited for a private garden or compact plot.
Indigofera australis, also known as the Australian indigo, is a native shrub that is both frost and drought-hardy, perfectly suited for Canberra’s climate. The plant’s name reflects its attractive, indigo-coloured blossoms that grow amongst delicate green leaves.
Lomandra ‘Tanika’ is a tough, droughttolerant grass-like plant with long, slender leaves that are green in colour. It boasts small, yellow flowers that bloom from April to October.
Westringia ‘Glabra’, also known as the violet westringia, has small, white or pale purple flowers and dense foliage, making it a popular choice for hedges and landscaping.
Remember, before you plant anything new in your garden this autumn, be sure to give your green space a good clean-up. Remove weeds, leaves and debris, pull out old or diseased flowers and plants, and prune anything healthy that you want to keep. Where you have soil, be sure to aerate it, then add some compost or manure to give it new life.
Next, add a fresh layer of mulch to keep the moisture in and prolong plant life, especially in the upcoming colder months as it helps to regulate soil temperatures, insulates plant roots from frost and prevents erosion. The cooler temperatures and increased soil moisture during autumn also allow plants to establish strong root systems before the onset of winter. Mulch is also your first line of defence against weeds.
Be sure to choose the right location for your plants to thrive, making sure they have access to enough sun and water and have enough room to grow. If you’re not a green thumb, then ask your local nursery expert for some handy tips and advice.
Finally, instead of only planting new species in garden beds this autumn, why not inject some colour and textural variety across your outdoor space with pots and planters of different shapes and sizes? Be sure to prepare them like you would garden beds, with the right soil and fertiliser, and ensure they are set up for ample water retention and drainage.
