by Peter Green
When I am asked by customers to give advice and suggestions regarding the choosing of drought tolerant plants, they are often surprised by the wide range on offer. Some are natives. Some are not. There is a good variety of native plants that do well in and around Melbourne. There is also a huge range of environmentally friendly exotics (non-natives) that do better than some natives. Usually because their place of origin is a lot more similar to Melbourne's climate than, say, a Sturt Desert Pea which although native, comes from a climate much different to ours, and does not grow well here.
The plants I've chosen demonstrate the potential for combining native plants with non native plants in the SAME garden. The result is a tough garden that combines well.
Back row from left to right:
Berberis thunbergii 'Ruby Carousel' (China)
Berberis thunbergii 'Jade Carousel' (China)
Choisya ternata (Mexican)
Adenanthos 'Silver Streak' (Australia)
Front row from left to right:
Acacia 'Lime LIght' (Australia)
Leucophyta 'Silver Cloud' (Australia)
Coprosma 'Tequila Sunrise' (New Zealand
Comments