Playing catch up

Strangely, in my opinion the Australian native plant world is yet to catch up to the rest of the world in the use of horticultural species for largely aesthetic purposes. The average exotic garden may be planted to induce a particular feeling, a dense show of colour, or purely to 'fit in with the jones', an Australian native garden seems to mean a water free, sparse, largely colourless display (or collection) recreating an 'image' or 'feeling' of the bush.

While for ecological restoration projects a non-diverse, narrow species selection endemic to the area may be acceptable , I feel that it is important for the home gardener to be aware of the diversity in Australian plants. A quick drive through any of Melbourne's residential suburbs proves this theory, with the most common native's to eye being water deprived, unpruned Callistemon's, planted singularly with no concept of field of vision that would normally be applied to an exotic garden. Rarely is there attempt to exhibit contrasting foliage or try anything different.

Perhaps tainted knowledge of the origin of these plants makes people assume how they should be used. Romantic visions of Australia portrayed in the movies usually show a dry, deserted  sparse vision of Australia with some people looking to recreate this feeling in there yards. This seems to be the minority though.

I believe the unmaintained, unwatered and improperly planted native garden stems from the myth of the care free nature of Australian plants. Every garden show I have watched during the last ten years promotes native species as extremely hardy, drought free super plants. While it is true that most native species will survive during periods of drought, these periods leave the plant looking scrappy and unhealthy, holding onto life by a thread. Unfortunately this is the norm. With proper care these gardens and a step up in quality of design and species selection, any native garden could be as captivating as any exotic garden I have seen. 

A lot of this problem also lies with the retailer. Consumerist habits have forced people to search for plants at larger (and normally cheaper) garden and hardware centers. These large retailers (and alot of smaller nurseries) usually wield the same advice as gardening shows and popular literature, promoting natives as care free options. Species selection is often limited along with imagination. People are perhaps less willing to use there imagination with lesser known species of natives that zero of there neighbors possess.

Even when limiting species selection to a local area, the pure amount of species available is astonishing. So there is no excuse for lack of species. Native gardens can be densely planted, imaginative, exciting adventures even in a small area that will still evoke a sense of nostalgia in Australians. Its time the natives caught up.

Improving the state of residential Australian native garden design and implementation is a great passion of mine and something I hope to make a career of in the future.