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West Australian Garden on East Coast
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Posted by scott_d Newc, NSW, Aust (My Page) on Tue, Sep 12, 06 at 4:03
Hi,
I have always had a love for some of the western australian plants and have grown some in pots in the past.
I Have recently had the thought of building a garden bed and filling with banksias, kangaroo paw, lechenaultias, grevillea, and mallee, mostly all coming from the west.
I understand that this will be incredibly difficult. But something tells me that some of my choices could succeed if given the right microclimate.
The main query I have at the moment is soil. Im reading all my books on bansksias etc and they say that they mostly grow in sand or gravel.
Would a garden bed, mounded to become effectively a big pile, be able to support these plants?
I was thinking of a thick layer of gravel as a help for drainage, then on top of that a pile of sand or sandy loam.
I live in Newcastle, which is on the coast and about 150km north of Sydney.
The garden will be on the north side of my house and basically in full sun. It is an open situation, with a lot of air movement.
At the moment the plants I am considering are:
Eucalyptus macrocarpa (grown before in a clay loam to flowering stage)
Banksia coccinea (do not expect it to survive but willing to try, its only $12)
Banksia mensiezii? ( grown before in pot culture)
grevillia magnifica
various hybrid Paws
Various lechenaultia colours
so does anyone have any suggestion or thoughts that I might find useful?
Thanks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: West Australian Garden on East Coast
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- Posted by roysta Gosford NSW (My Page) on
Tue, Sep 12, 06 at 20:49
Scott, what you're trying to do has merit, but I doubt you'll get too many survivors out of it.
Forget about Banksia coccinea, I tried it and thought I'd won until after about 10 months it just turned its toes up.
What you're suggesting with gravel and sand is probably the right way to go, but what nails it all in the end is the weather in this neck of the woods.
I think the humidity is the thing that brings it all unstuck, remember WA is dry.
What you could do is carry out the plan with just two of three plants initially, but it may well be 10-12 months before you know whether you've succeeded or failed.
Paws should be right in very well drained primarily sandy soil.
If you've got the time give it a shot. Roy |
RE: West Australian Garden on East Coast
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| As for lechenaultia, keep them in pots and learn to propagate them. Once you can grow them from cutting easily, then try planting them in the ground. Treat them like 3 year cut flowers in eastern states. We have lots of WA species here, but I grow many in pots, as experience is that whilst you can keep something alive in a 50cm pot nearly indefinitely, in the ground they mostly die within a year. |
RE: West Australian Garden on East Coast
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| I garden about 5 kms west of Tweed heads on loose to clayey volcanic soil and I am having success with a few WA natives, eg. kangaroo paws (except for a small bit of inkspot) hakea buccalenta, eremophylias, banksia occidentalis and so far (after 2 years) banksia coccinea 'Wait's Flame'. This has it's first flower after 2 years in the soil. Area is north and windy with a glimpse of acean in the distance. |
RE: West Australian Garden on East Coast
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- Posted by scott_d Newc, NSW, Aust (My Page) on
Wed, Oct 11, 06 at 4:48
| Thanks for all the replies. Im still going to give it a shot though. However after doing further research I now need a source for limestone, not lime, but limestone. Apparently there has been much success with certain wa banksias growing in sand over limestone. So does anyone know where I can get limestone gravel or boulders, whatever, in the hunter area of NSW? Thanks. |
RE: West Australian Garden on East Coast
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- Posted by roysta Gosford NSW (My Page) on
Wed, Oct 11, 06 at 21:26
Scott
I don't think you're going to have an easy time getting hold of limestone gravel, but check these people, they're not far out of Newcastle.
Exotic Trends, Unit 8/19 Balook Drive, Beresfield
4966 8122
If you do get this going I'll be interested to hear about the results. Roy |
RE: West Australian Garden on East Coast
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Perhaps you could have a trip to Mount Annas(Correct Name?)
which I beleive has native plants from all over and discover what they do with the WA natives. I thought Kangaroo paw like it a bit damp and sandy. We had a man from Strathmerton,Vic.speak at APS the other night who ripped up his clay fairly deeply, mulched, hilled and swailed, and had good results.
Yes it has to do with microclimate and soil . Research to learn about the plants' natural habitat. After all some WA plants do not grow in sand. Don Burke has a good native garden. But Mount Annas National gardens would be your best bet. |
RE: West Australian Garden on East Coast
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| I wouldn't pin your hopes on limestone. There are lots of ways you can kill a WA plant with or without limestone. I think you should learn to grow a few well first. |
RE: West Australian Garden on East Coast
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| W.A. plants will grow in other places other than W.A. You won't know what you're missing if you don't try them in Newcastle. |
RE: West Australian Garden on East Coast
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- Posted by scott_d Newc, NSW, Aust (My Page) on
Tue, Oct 17, 06 at 6:56
| Well I have grown Banksia baueri, B. coccinea, kangaroo paws, lechenaultias, B. baxteri, B. blenchnifolia (to flower), B. repens(to flower), B. gardneri(to flower). However all were in pots. And mostly they all died because I ended up neglecting them. Its a terrible habit I have with my pot plants. lol. I have no problems with trying to grow them in the ground and all dropping dead. I would rather try then give up immediatly after thinking of it. And if everything does die time and time again, I will turn my sandy garden bed into a cactus garden. lol. |
RE: West Australian Garden on East Coast
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| Angus Stewart from the ABC show Gardening Australia did a segment last weekend on Western Australian plants, grown by Phil Vaughan, south of Geelong on the Bellarine Peninsula here in Victoria. You'd have got some good ideas on what garden bed preparation was used on this garden. The link below is for the fact sheet from the show. |
Here is a link that might be useful: W.A. Plants - Gardening Australia
RE: West Australian Garden on East Coast
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- Posted by scott_d Newc, NSW, Aust (My Page) on
Thu, Oct 19, 06 at 4:20
Yeah I saw that program.
I will undoubtedly get some grafted plants. At the moment, the garden soil will consist of a course sand on the bottom and then a white sand on top to increase the amount of light that the plants get. And I will mix some compost into the lower sand to help retain some moisture down below. The garden will be mounded to form a big pile, with a few undulations, and the most sensitive plants towards the top of the pile. |
RE: West Australian Garden on East Coast
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- Posted by gonow NSW AUST (My Page) on
Thu, Nov 23, 06 at 5:07
| I agree with your approach, I've done much the same except I use a small white gravel as an inorganic mulch hostile to fungal spores. Plenty of wind and sun and you're at least in with a chance although most of the species you've chosen are a tough call. As long as you use one flowering as a success you may not be disappointed. Phos acid I find is helpful. |
RE: West Australian Garden on East Coast
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| A number of WA plants that I have tried, including Banksia coccinea, are doing very nicely in granitic sand with a little garden lime mixed through it. I have also planted some Lechenautias in Melbourne clay (slightly raised position), with a little garden lime, and so far they are doing fine. Darwinia and Boronia etc you will have to look to grafted plants and I can either get you some of these for you or direct you to the grower. |
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