NPP: What are your favourite native plants to grow or ones you particularly enjoy in your garden?
GH: I am lucky to be involved in the stewardship of a magnificent Phillip Johnson billabong garden on a private estate in country Victoria.
His ideology is a celebration of a particular aspect of the essential Australian environment, and is reflected in the design and sustainability of the garden.
As for the plants, I can’t believe how tough Correasare: minus 8 degrees, waterlogged clay in Winter, porcelain hard clay in Summer, and they are thriving. Also, Myoporum: hasn’t missed a beat over the three years I have been interacting with this garden. Brachyscombe multifida, dies off a bit in the frost, but comes back enthusiastically, as does the Chrysocephalum.Eucalyptus pulverulenta severely wind pruned, but starting to mature into their compact spreading forms, and so intricate when they start to bud up between the unique foliage. And because of the water element, there is some runaway Marsilea (Nardoo). Such a simple geometry to its light green foliage, and it gets a shimmering silver sheen when submerged in the pond.
NPP: Are there any public or private gardens featuring native plants you like to visit for inspiration?
GH: My favourite is King’s Park Botanical Garden in Perth, Western Australia.
When I lived in Perth I’d regularly stop at Kings Park on the way to work for a walk around the mainly natural bush site and I never miss an opportunity to visit this garden every time I visit the city. Almost half of Australia’s 25,000 plant species are represented there. It is such an overwhelming experience to visit the gardens in Spring, when most plants are starting to flower. They also have an exhaustive living collection of Banksias!
Horse Island in Bodalla. I was fortunate to visit the site with Landscape Architect, Jela Ivankovic-Waters, for a private tour early last year. Owner Christina Kennedy has informed her understanding and appreciation of Australian plants over the last 25 or so years, and created a truly unique Australian garden, balancing the formal and informal garden spaces on a such a grand and dramatic site. The sheer scale of the clipped ‘Agonis flexuosa’ on the main drive indicate what a new way of expressing traditional garden styles can achieve.
And finally, Banksia Gardens in Mt Barker, is still on the ‘to do’ list, where they have the world’s only complete collection of Banksias.