Yes, I know the pitfalls of trying to emulate the 'Blitz' style garden, but my friend is adamant that she wants 'dense green foliage', and she wants it right now (at the front, anyway). Given the current conditon of the 'garden', anything would be an improvement, but I am especially alarmed that she wants to use Golden Canes, simply because they provide an instant screen.

The irony is that she is willing to spend $100 per plant, but doesnt want to buy a large number of plants. This is in direct contrast to my own approach - beds filled with plants that will give depth as well as height.

As its a narrow block (less than 20m wide when you remove the driveway), my plan is for one feature tree augmented by a host of dense shrubs (various LillyPilly varieties, along with the smaller Melaleuca and Leptospermum cultivars), but I havent had any experience planting out natives over the 1.5 metre mark. If I could find a 3 metre tree and 4 or 5 lillipillies of about 2 metres, I really think she would accept that the remainder just need 18 months or so. Pretty up the tragic bed under the front windows with a selection of Grevillea and she would have it all - a beautiful street frontage with adequate privacy, all courtesy of a low maintenance garden which wont hurt her water bill.

The upside of this project is that it will be a clean slate, with the only remnants being 3 large Cuban Royal palms along the driveway. Soil looks completely useless, the front garden faces into the afternoon sun and the neighbours look like they spend their days comatose in front of the telly, if their gardens are any indication.

Any suggestions re trees and shrubs most welcome, particularly if its backed by personal experience. If she is going to spend big on the main plants, I want them to be healthy from day one.

Thanks,

Artie

I have never needed to buy anything over a 6-8" pot from Rocky but in Mackay have done so. Mainly foxtail palms and Syzgyium paniculatum and S. australe. Checked the records today as the neighbour was inquiring, her spouse really likes the S. australe which screen our patio from their clothes line. They were planted in August '99, were trimmed comprehensively once only and are now about 5m tall. The label mentioned 3-4m.

Two S. paniculatum out front facing west are about 3m, planted Oct '99 and never lopped. They are outrageously healthy and have retained their lower branches thus screening across the street effectively.

Five advanced foxies in two locations (both west facing) have done well.

What's the distance from planting postion in the front to the house for "the tree"? i.e. what ultimate height is acceptable?

Is a clump of 3-5 native single palms a possible substitute for a tree?

Dense and green...hard to get away from lillypillies and you are well up on those. The only melaleucas that catch my eye as small shrubs are the M. 'Claret Tops' at the Northside Plaza near the servo and I imagine they are well watered.

There's a small tree Leptospermum up here which has a beautiful fluted trunk and weeping foliage; I've never properly attached a species name to it. Another tree possibility may be peanut tree, Sterculia quadrifida.

IMO, the more advanced plantings need more attention to planting technique and prolonged after care to avoid setbacks and dropping dead syndrome. But accept that there a degree of satisfaction at being able to see something substantial!

Cheers
Rose

Thanks for your reply - very detailed and extremely helpful, as always. I agree that the LillyPillies remain the best bet for the large shrubs, but its the feature tree that I am struggling with. Dont want to get something which will cause my friend problems down the line, but it has to be big enough to shade the front of the house.

I have considered palms, but my problem with most of them is finding the ideal height, and allowing for the movement of the sun as the seasons change. Unless you use something like MacArthur palms, you run the risk of having crowns which disappear out of sight in just a few years time. I also know from my own garden that the Rocky wind/sun combo really knocks newly-planted palms around - mine are just recovering from Summer, and its been nine months since they were planted.

Whilst I dislike the really big gums that abound in Rocky backyards, Corymbia Ptychocarpa sounds like it might just fit the bill. This summary is courtesy of the GA site:

Most of the eucalypts are far too big for the average suburban garden, but Corymbia ptychocarpa or Swamp Bloodwood has huge leathery leaves, beautiful flushes of new growth with huge clusters of pink flowers in summer, followed by decorative gumnuts with vertical ridges. It grows from 8 to 15 metres and is one of the most sought after smaller eucalypts in the tropics.

Whether Fitzroy Nurseries have one of these in a 25-litre bag remains to be seen, but I can think of worse choices. It would be especially gorgeous in flower, the entire front garden alive with small birds - so much better than the lifeless expanse that currently occupies the space.

Cheers,

Artie

Are there any pittosporums local to your area, they could fit the bill for a screen?

Have promised to take her to Yeppoon to see the largest known (by me, at any rate) specimen of Waterhousea Floribunda in existence this weekend :)

Agree about the palms, eventual telephone poles look not a good one with the taller spp.

Pittosporum ferrgineum and rhombifolium are local, and gorgeous in fruit, tidy when not.

The swamp bloodwood is popular for good reason, plenty here as feature trees. And I still like Euroshinus falcata (ribbonwood etc) a lot even though it's not fancy.

Cheers
Rose

Artie,

My own bias makes me partially agree with Rose's latest list on brachychiton, golden penda, buckinghamia and pittosporum rhombifolium.

Euroschinus falcata is a great dry rainforest tree, well shaped, good shade but a specimen I have seen in its original environment was maybe 10 to 12m high - don't know whether you want that size. Another big tree is the North Qld Tree Waratah - great shape, tremendous red flowers. Otherwise there are several species of Flindersia that might also be suitable, but check their size.

Rose says the swamp bloodwood looks good in your area, but in mine (SE Qld, Brisbane to Toowoomba) I have always found it a scrappy, spindly tree. Also when you buy them, the labels don't promise the colour you want, but say it can vary from white to pink to red. Maybe try the Eucalyptus "Summer Beauty" for a pink flowering grafted tree or the E. "Summer Red" for a red variety.

I also agree with using wattle as a pioneer species.

To the above list, check whether Native (broad-leafed) Gardenia is suitable.

Cheers,
Frank

I have recommended the various E. Ficifolia / E. Ptychocarpa hybrids (now Corymbias, I believe) to my friend, but the grafted rootstock seems to constrain them to no more than 5-6 metres, and I believe that I need something more in the 12m plus range to shield the front of the house from the blistering afternoon sun. It also needs to be sufficiently dense at the top to make 'worthwhile' shade, without being a menace to people standing beneath it.

Ultimately, it will come down to the stock that Fitzroy Nurseries have in May - most of the other nurseries just dont persist with anything larger than 14" pots. I'll let you know how I get on.

Cheers,

Artie

At this stage, I am leaning heavily (no pun intended) toward the Weeping Lillypilly, Waterhousea Floribunda, with the proviso that I need to find a good-sized specimen out at Fitzroy Nurseries. The remaining shrubs/small trees will be a combination of various Syzygium species and a selection from the plants Rose mentioned earlier.

Cheers,

Artie

Incidentally, the feral Golden Rain trees that the Council has planted across the street from me will soon start shedding their seeds and they grow everywhere - I am always pulling out the seedlings, and they don't need mulch to help them germinate. I just wish the Council would take all of them out - it has taken a hard line against all the Norfolk Island Hibiscus trees that it had planted as street trees - taken them all out, just because some people **might** complain about some seed pods causing itches to passers-by.

Artie,

I just love the Waterhousea floribunda, it's a beautiful tree. Does it get any psyllid problems in your area?

Cheers,
Frank

Havent had any psyllids at my current garden, but they did attack the WF at my previous abode. One treatment (Confidor, from memory) and they never bothered that plant again. Like most pests, psyllids seem to relish plants that have been neglected/stressed or badly positioned - they tried to establish a foothold in my LillyPilly Elite hedge at one stage, and I'm convinced that they were attracted to the foliage which had started to suffer from too much density. Keep your plants well watered and allow plenty of airflow around them, and I believe that many pests will be picked off by the birds and other predatory insects. (Note to the environmentalists: I realise that Confidor isnt as discerning as it could be, but I was young and naive then :) )

I really do need to get some 'before and after' photos together, but L. (my GF) is really making me work for this. Like most of us, she wants it all but doesnt want to pay a great deal for it, and I still cant seem to get it through to her that it wont look like a Blitz garden when the plants are in - maybe I'll point her to the numbers that they flash up at the end of each show.

Cheers,

Artie