Gardening With Native Plants | Australian Plants Society

Aceratium ferrugineum – an ornamental rainforest plant

Here are some images from Peter Olde, of Aceratium ferrugineum, a beautiful rainforest plant growing in his and Margaret’s Oakdale garden.

The Tasmanian bushland garden

Over 20 years ago a group of Australian Plants Society members purchased an old dolerite quarry and its surrounding 20 ha bushland to build a Tasmanian bushland garden with funding coming from donations and grants.

Mal’s Wild Side: Re-Wilding a Northern Beaches Backyard

When I first came to Australia from the UK, I had a fondness for the environment but knew virtually nothing about Australian nature. Years later, when I moved from inner city living into a suburban house with a backyard, something special happened. Fascinating visitors such as Blue Tongue Lizards, Leaf Tailed Geckos and Possums provided magical wildlife encounters and my conservation passion, long suppressed, became reignited.

Eremophila standards

Growing Eremophila standards is all quite new to me but I’m having a ball experimenting with how different plants can look when grown on a stick. Grafting them has been relatively easy, as has been keeping an attractive habit while the plants are still young. However, pruning as the plants age, will I’m sure, be more of a challenge.

Centennial Parklands – an oasis of flora and fauna for the people of Sydney

Last week, I visited Centennial Parklands as part of a videography course. We made a video of various gardens in the park, as a sign of appreciation to the gardeners, botanists and designers of the Parklands.

Southern Highlands get together – rain and shine!

About 70 people enjoyed a wonderful weekend in the Southern Highlands, hosted by the local group. We had the opportunity to visit members’ gardens, listen to a great talk by Dan Clarke, and visit a range of bush areas.

Australian flora conference chatrooms on YouTube

At the recent Australian flora conference, we had a morning of chatrooms. Chat rooms are designed to give people a broad cross section of information and insights, in an informal and inclusive setting

Native garden design: the Past INFORMS the Present and the Future

Australian native plants are known to have many values of advantage to humans. I’ve delved through history to identify how native plants have been appreciated in the past, and if they may have informed the garden design of the present, and then ‘best guessed’ what might be expected of them in the future. Come along it is an intriguing story . . . .

Australian flora conference – presentations available on YouTube

In September 2022, APS NSW hosted the Australian flora conference for ANPSA, focused on the past, present and future of Australian plants. There were many outstanding speakers during the conference and a good number of these presentations were recorded and are now available on our YouTube channel.

Native bees and native flora go hand in hand..

While many of us realise conserving native plants helps conserve native fauna, the reverse is also true, particularly when it comes to native bees.

Glorious banksias, perfectly sized for your garden

Love a beautiful banksia, but no room for the iconic Banksia integrifolia, or Coast Banksia, which can grow to 15 metres? Well, never fear. New cultivars of dwarf banksias…

Growing WA natives in coastal NSW – 8 tips for success

A reader recently asked for advice on growing Western Australian eucalypts in Sydney. Jeff Howes put on his thinking cap and came up with the following eight tip

Study group updates May – July 2022

Summaries from study group newsletters including correas, ferns, hakea, eucalyptus, grevillea and wallum and coastal heathland May – July 2022.

Creating a sustainable native garden

Creating a sustainable native garden enhances the environment, reduces costs and waste and improves well being.

Looking from the inside – garden design

I am fortunate to have a lot of large windows drawing my attention to what is going on outside, from the sky to the garden that surrounds the house

Aberdeen garden packed with goodies

The Hunter Valley group visited the lovely garden of Margaret Mitchell in Aberdeen.

Grevilleas for pots and small gardens – talk by Peter Olde

On Sat 21st May, 2022 at the APS NSW quarterly gathering, Peter Olde gave a talk titled: Grevilleas for pots and small gardens.

Get propagating! Tips and insights from Harbour Georges River members

During the Harbour Georges River March 2022 meeting, there was some discussion of mini greenhouses and other ways to look after cuttings and seedlings

Study Group Updates: Feb – May 2022

Study group updates from the following groups: Australian Plants for Containers, Ferns, Garden Design, Grevillea, Hakea, Isopogon and Petrophile and Wallum and Coastal Heathland.

Native plants for suburban gardens

I recently gave a talk to the Eastwood Garden Club on native plants for small or suburban gardens.

Gardening tip: Planting under gum trees

To maximize your success establishing new plants to grow under gum trees, plant them as close to the trunk as possible. The reasons you do this are: there are very few tree feeder roots to rob your plant of nutrients and moisture.

Gardening tip: Shady gardens

Using a variety of ‘semi’ rainforest plants as screen plants as they are hardy, have attractive colourful new leaves. Their flowers are also attractive as is their fruit. They can be pruned hard if needed.

What plant, where? A talk by Professor Michelle Leishman

At the Parramatta and Hills February meeting, the speaker was Prof. Michelle Leishman from the School of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University.

Dividing Pterostylis, an easy native orchid to grow

The easiest terrestrial orchids to grow and propagate are those in the genus Pterostylis. These orchids produce abundant underground tubers (white and about the size of a pea) and after a couple of years in a pot they need division…

Garden advice – mistletoe, grevillea allergies, hedges and daisy seeds

Garden advice from our experts on mistletoe, grevillea allergies, hedges and daisy seeds.

Growing native ferns in a shaded garden

Our garden is located on the south side of a steep hill overlooking the Woronora River at Bonnet Bay, just south of Sydney. When we bought the land, it was a beautiful, relatively undisturbed bush block, with wonderful stands of macrozamia cycads and gum trees.