Bloomin' Blooms
WHEN Aboriginal people migrated to Australia 40,000 years ago they became custodians of the land, with its unique animals and plants.
Once Europeans took possession the dynamics changed, which was inevitable. The building of towns and cities and the development of the land for farming and agriculture meant the amount of land available for native plants and animals was significantly reduced.
What can we do today to try to reverse this? Well, not a lot but we can do something.
About 24 million people live inAustralia. Assuming there are on average four people to every dwelling, that makes six million homes.
If every residence grew at least one native plant, that would be six million more grown in the country.
Native plants attract and help to sustain native animals, insects and birds. It is wonderful to have these creatures in your garden or even feathered friends visiting your balcony.
Human nature being what it is, people prefer to grow and nurture the plants they love. There are purists who will only grow one particular type of plant and that is great for them but not necessarily for everyone.
It is better to grow some plants than none. Fortunately, all plants are beautiful in their own way so there is something for everyone.
What can you grow in your own environment? This depends on your growing conditions, where you live, the size of your property, how much sun or shade you get, the quality of the soil and so on. If you have two hectares you have much more scope than if you live on the tenth floor of a city apartment block. If your soil doesn’t suit, think about growing plants in pots. Your local nursery is the place to go for information and inspiration.
Don’t forget indoor plants as well.
Some of my favourite native plants are grevilleas, correas, native orchids, flowering gums (some miniature varieties are now available), kangaroo paws, Swan River daisies, native grass trees, bursaria spinosa, waratah, brachychiton rupestris (Queensland bottle tree), Geraldton wax, wattles, native violet, Clematis aristata, hardenbergia violacea, pandorea pandorana, and epacris impressa.
Give some thought to growing more natives – even better if you can include some of those that might be indigenous to your area to help restore the balance.
