Go Native

The term ‘cottage garden’ usually conjures up images of the classic ‘English’ cottage garden - Hollyhocks, Larkspur, Delphiniums, Phlox, Daffodils, etc, and His big joke on mankind, the Rose.

Aussie natives in a 'cottage' style garden

With a little planning, it is not difficult to achieve the informality and colour of the traditional cottage garden using entirely, (or partly if preferred), Australian natives.

Running Postman - Kennedia prostrata

Running Postman - a twining ground cover with red and yellow pea-flowers

Many Australian native plants are drought tolerant and can cope with our hot summer temperatures and they attract beneficial insects, birds and other wildlife.

Nodding Blue Lily, Stypandra glauca - a graceful grass-lily, very hardy.

Gully Grevilea, Grevillea barklyana - West Gippsland's own grevillea

Once established, Australian natives generally require less watering than exotics and limited fertilizing with a low-phosphorous fertilizer and some tip pruning.

Austral Indigo, Indigofera australis - a soft-foliaged purple pea-flowered shrub

Common Appleberry, Billarderia scandens - a light climber with delicate pale green bell-shaped flowers

Small trees, shrubs, ground covers, wildflowers, bulbs, orchids, climbers, aquatics and grasses are all available as native species for constructing an attractive, climate coping, wildlife-attracting cottage garden.

Heath var, Epacris sp - many varieties available of this long-flowering shrub

Give it a try – go native!