As our weather patterns continue to change and awareness increases about the relevance of planting drought-tolerant gardens at our homes and businesses, we want to provide our community with the knowledge and skills to create beautiful and sustainable gardens.
So, what are native gardens? Put simply, a native garden comprises mainly native plants. Now, there is some confusion about the difference between a native plant and an indigenous plant. Native plants are essentially those that are found naturally in Australia. These can include grasses from the southern tip of Tasmania all the way up to the giant palms from the northern rainforests of Queensland. However, not all Australian native plants are going to be suitable for our gardens down here in Victoria, and not all Victorian native plants are suitable for growing on the Peninsula. Bugger!
The majority of plants require specific soil types and amounts of light and rainfall. Plants that occur naturally in acidic soils may not thrive in alkaline soils, while plants that need a lot of shade and rain will struggle in very sunny, dry locations.
This is where we begin talking about indigenous plants – those that grow naturally in specific areas. When we design our gardens around indigenous plants, we know the plants can at least enjoy the growing conditions they require to do well. We can also incorporate other Australian native plants in our gardens as long as they have similar soil, light and rainfall requirements.
When it comes to deciding what indigenous or native plants to choose for our gardens, the first thing we need to assess is the pH and soil type. Our Peninsula soils range from very acidic to very alkaline (low to high pH); we also have areas of heavy clay soils and others with light sandy soils. And this is important. For example, a coastal dune grass from Sorrento will feel out of place in the heavy clay soil of Red Hill, while a fern from Main Ridge will prefer rich, deep soil to the sandy soil of the coast.
Native plants growing naturally in different areas are generally grouped by what’s called their ecological vegetation class, or EVC. There is a fantastic interactive tool on the Mornington Peninsula Shire website called the Local Native Plants Guide, where you can download a list of plants suitable for your particular EVC. You can even search your address on there. Once you have the list, you can either look up the plants on the internet or call your local nursery for availability and advice.
In this column we will be discussing how to prepare and care for your native and indigenous gardens, and we will be profiling a large variety of beautiful plants that you may consider using in your garden.
So keep an eye out each month for some great tips!
