PROFILE: KURANGA NATIVE NURSERY
A nurseryman and his nursery Evan Clucas, Kuranga Native Nursery By Jane Edmanson Jane Edmanson, caught up with her friend and nurseryman, Evan Clucas, to discover where his passion for growing came from, how his love of native plants shaped his garden and nursery, and how the public perception of native plants has changed through the years. Evan Clucas and Leanne Weston are well known for their love of native plants. Their retail nursery, Kuranga Native Nursery in Mount Evelyn, is always a delight for gardeners to visit. When he was a young lad, Evan’s parents had half an acre in Mont Albert that they let him plant up. They also owned a bush block in Pakenham Upper where he loved to roam around and take note of the bird and plant life which instilled a love of nature that has never left him. Actually, his first love was birdlife, and he became interested in which plants attracted birds, then eventually nature and plants took over. Evan is blessed with a large one-acre garden, populated entirely with native plants. There is a wide variety, a bit of everything, he is not prejudiced in his choices. He loves the way plants meld together in shape and form and is passionate about different plant groups, such as eucalypt, grevilleas, boronias, phebalium and as he calls them, the “odd ball” persoonias.
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Over the years he has had a significant collection of native plants, sometimes certain varieties fade away to make room for another collection. Right now, his attention is on the Phebalium species. “It is a plant that should be better known by growers and gardeners, as they are so rewarding, such easy maintenance and with wonderful colourful flowers.” Says Evan. Evan has always liked walking in the bush and in the past has gone on collecting trips, having his garden and nursery provides places that he can showcase his native plants. There is so much diversity and things are always changing, for instance the general public’s interest in bush food is huge. It has always filled a small niche but now it is quite a trend. He loves the way breeding and research has meant that so many native plants are smaller growing and freer flowering, and this will go on infinitum.
