Episode: # 28 08/12/07
Presenter: Melissa King

After weeks of planning and preparation, we've reached the exciting phase of our water wise makeover on the King families backyard. It’s time to do some planting, so we took Andy to some Water Saver Garden Centres to do some serious shopping!

Our landscape designer, Mark from the Garden Company has put together a planting plan that features some tough beautiful plants. our first stop is Bulleen Art and Garden because when it comes to Sustainable gardening advice they’re up there with the best.

These are the plants we looked at in more detail.

Banksia Birthday Candles (Banksia spinulosa ‘Birthday Candles’)

• A compact, dwarf shrub - 35cm x 50-60cm
• Nectar-rich golden-orange flower in late summer to winter.
• Gardens or pots – Group for more impact.
• Very attractive to honey-eating birds.

Acacia Mini Cog (Acacia cognata ‘Mini Cog’)

• Low growing, compact, mounding form
• Lime green new growth maturing to a rich emerald green.
• Requires little maintenance other than the occasional tip prune, tough in dry conditions.
• Lime foliage – you get that lush look even in a water-wise garden.
• Mini Cog makes a lush border plant, rockery feature, embankment cover or tub specimen.
• Prefers full sun to part shade, is frost tolerant and will tolerate second line coastal conditions.

Edna Walling Native Rosemary (Westringia linifolia x glabra ‘Edna Walling™’)

• Shrub 80cm - 1.2m with soft grey-green foliage.
• Dainty violet-lilac flowers from winter to summer.
• Attractive to butterflies and harmless little native bees.
• Dry gardens coast and will tolerate light to moderate frosts.
• Ideal for formal hedging and for mid level screening.
• If used as a hedge, prune lightly in first year to develop dense growth. Trim lightly as required to maintain preferred height and width.
• Fertilise in early spring or late summer with controlled release low phosphorus fertiliser.

Leucadendron Safari Gold Strike™ (Leucodendron gandogeri Hybrid, ‘Safari Gold Strike’)

• Brilliant Yellow Flower-heads during winter and spring.
• Compact evergreen shrub 1 x 1 m.
• Prefers sunny position in well-drained soil. Will tolerate frost, coastal and dry conditions.
• Prune as desired and fertilise with a slow release fertiliser in late winter.
• Great as cut flowers.
• Very low water needs once established.

You can rely on Bulleen Art and Garden for all the latest sustainable gardening trends and you’ll always find low water use gems like the wonderful range of Kangaroo Paws.

One of the great paws is the Pussy Paws Scarlet Lady, it has a colourful name for a colourful plant and the birds just love it. Pussy Paws Galore says it all with masses of red and gold blooms. For something slightly taller try Cross of Gold with large golden yellow flowers on stems to 90 cm tall.

Featured Plants:
Banksia Birthday Candles (Banksia spinulosa ‘Birthday Candles’)
Acacia Mini Cog (Acacia cognata ‘Mini Cog’)
Edna Walling Native Rosemary (Westringia linifolia x glabra ‘Edna Walling™’)
Leucadendron Safari Gold Strike™ (Leucodendron gandogeri Hybrid, ‘Safari Gold Strike’)
Pussy Paws™ (Anigozanthos preissii Hybrid, ‘Galore’)
Gold Cross™ (Anigozanthos pulcherrimus x flavidus ‘Sunrise’)