Native plants are not just beautiful; they are sustainable, water-saving, cost-effective, and are perfectly suited to the unique local Perth climate. This means you don’t have to spend as much time or effort to maintain them and they are ideal for people wanting low-maintenance gardens who might not have a green thumb. Native plants occur naturally in the area that they have evolved. But they are not just ornamental; they serve an ecological function.
They help preserve biodiversity because, without native plants, the wildlife, local birds, and insects that have evolved with them can’t survive.
Here is a list of the 7 best native plants that grow in Perth that you should consider choosing while making your landscaping decisions.
1. Coastal Wattle – ‘Acacia lasiocarpa.’
This is a small and dense plant with ornamental golden flowers which blossom in the winter and spring.
They’re a low-spreading species and grow around 0.3 to 0.5 m with a 1 to 1.5 m spread.
They’re versatile and can withstand drought and coastal conditions. Since they don’t require much water, they are ideal for the hot or dry spots you may have in your garden.
If you have a small garden or are looking for potted plant options, the coastal wattle is an excellent choice.
They can grow happily in full sun as well as part-shade conditions
This species gets its name because of its exceptional, wine red and ‘toothbrush-like’ appearance.
Its flowers flourish throughout the year with a mass display in spring.
Be it drought or frost, this tough native shrub can withstand the harshest climatic conditions of Perth.
It can spread up to 2 to 3 meters and grow up to 50 cm.
Toothbrush Grevillea is ideal for mass planting, rockeries, slopes, and banks.
Plant it in a full sun region in your garden and water regularly for the first 12 weeks until it reaches its drought-tolerant stage.
This plant grows fast and will attract native wildlife like frogs and lizards, bees, nectar-sucking birds, and butterflies.
3. Bottlebrush – ‘Callistemon Kings Park Special.’
Callistemon Kings Park is an extremely popular and fast-growing bottlebrush with deep red bottle-brush flowers.
Like the Toothbrush Grevillea, Callistemon Kings Park is drought tolerant once established. But while you need to water it regularly, let the soil dry out between watering because this plant, like us, doesn’t like having wet ‘feet’.
They are usually bunched together and create a brilliant display during the spring and autumn.
It will brighten up your garden with its abundant flowers and is ideal for windbreaks, screens, small hedges, and erosion control.
It can cover around 3 to 4 meters and grow up to 5 meters. It is frost sensitive and can grow in full sun or part shade.
4. Common Everlasting – ‘Chrysocephalum apiculatum.’
This is a fast-growing perennial herb with golden-yellow button flowers that grow from late spring to early summer.
It ranges from a sparse erect plant that can grow up to 60 m high with narrow leaves to a much lower ground-level sprawling plant with fleshy leaves.
If you have a garden full of rockeries, this is your best choice since the Chrysocephalum apiculatum loves living amongst the rocks.
While it prefers full sun, it will grow well in light shade, though there may be fewer flowers.
It prefers well-drained soils.
5. NSW Christmas Bush – ‘Ceratopetalum gummiferum.’
This is an evergreen native shrub with small star-shaped creamy flowers in spring that turn a stunning rusty red around Christmas.
While they are easy to grow, the NSW Christmas Bush can be slow to establish.
Ceratopetalum gummiferum truly thrives in full sunlight, but it can grow in semi-shade, too.
The Christmas Bush can achieve a height of 5 m and spread up to 1.5 m.
6. Bower Plant – ‘Pandorea jasminoides.’
Pandorea Jasminoides is a frilly climber Vine that is extremely easy to grow.
It has clusters of small trumpet shaped flowers with petals whose shade ranges from white to pale pink. It also has a striking dark pink throat that makes it stand out beautifully.
Under warm frost-free conditions, the heaviest blooming takes place during the spring and summer.
While it is adaptable to most soil types, they thrive in full sunlight, growing up to 20 to 30 feet long.
This Bower plant is a popular choice for wall gardens, pergolas, and archways.
7. Aniseed Boronia – ‘Boronia crenulata.’
It is a small ornamental shrub with ball-shaped or cup-shaped lilac-pink flowers.
It flowers from late winter to spring and can tolerate a light frost. Boronia Crenulata has small and uniquely aromatic leaves.
It likes moist but well-drained soils and is suited to Perth’s climates all year long.
It grows well in containers and can grow up to one meter with a similar spread. You can also plant this along the borders and shady rockeries.
One important thing to note is that Aniseed Boronia doesn’t tolerate root disturbances very well. So you have to be extra careful when choosing its final location and transplanting.
Those are our top 7 recommendations for native plants for Perth gardens.
But while we have given you some of the best native plants in Perth to choose from, you still have to decide which plants can grow well together and which are best suited for your specific location and garden design.
If you’re not sure how to choose the right native plants for your garden, and would like advice on what to choose, along with professional help when it comes to planting them, we are just a phone call away!
Find out more about our planting services, give our team a call now on (08) 6263 4645.
If you are wondering what you should do in your garden this month to help it thrive and prepare it for the winter season, read on.May is the last month of Autumn here in Perth, the weather is cooling down and as gardeners, we’re getting ready for the winter months. In this blog, we will cover what needs to be done this month to get your garden ready for winter…
What to do for lawn care in May.
1. Now is a great time to apply foliar fertiliser to your lawn to give it the boost it needs to thicken up and help it combat any weed growth and invasion.
2. It is also a good time to start mowing your lawn at a ‘longer’ or taller setting to help it catch as much light as possible during the winter months.
3. Weed removal. During winter, lawn growth slows right down but, unfortunately for gardeners everywhere, weeds start to sprout and increase thanks to the increased moisture. To keep on top of weeds, the winning strategy is to manually pull them out by their roots or mow them before they have a chance to seed. Of course, an alternative (that we prefer to avoid) is to use a chemical weed killer. If you do choose the chemical path, contact professionals or make sure to wear protective clothing and equipment.
Yes, the ‘by hand’ method will always be more time-consuming but it is effective – along with being much better for the health of the soil and planet.
What tasks you should do in your garden in May.
For all you green thumbs out there, now is the time to take cuttings from your natives to propagate them, planting your cuttings directly into some quality propagating mix for best results.
Some other garden tasks are:
Prune spent flowers in ornamental plants such as roses, salvia, buddleia, etc.
Prune hydrangeas back
Prune trees and taller shrubs. It is a great time to prune them back to open the foliage so the winter rain can penetrate the soil more evenly – this will also make them less prone to winter storm damage with less foliage and branches able to be affected by wind.
What should you plant in your garden in May?
May in Perth is a great time to plant new natives and trees to give them a chance to establish during the rainy season. With the increased and more consistent watering, they will be stronger and more able to resist the heat and drought come summer. We all know the extra time and care it takes to keep new plants healthy and growing during the Perth summer heat! You can also plant dormant stocks, bulbs and trees during this month.
For those with edible gardens, some ideal vegetables to plant in May are:
Strawberries
Potatoes
Leeks
Onions
Chives
May is a great time to get out in the garden with the cooler days, so grab a hat and some gardening tools and spend some time preparing your garden to thrive during winter.
If finding time to garden is too hard right now, have a look at our Garden Maintenance Packages to see how our expert gardening team can help you out – and you can enjoy a happy healthy garden without picking up a single gardening tool in May!
The temperature has dropped and the colder months are coming – here are some autumn lawn care tips for Perth that you can use to make sure your lawn comes out on the other side of winter happy, healthy and ready for you and your family to enjoy!
Fertilising Tips for Autumn:
If you have chosen to fertilise your lawn once a year, the best time to apply fertiliser is in spring – but as landscape gardeners, we recommend fertilising your lawn twice a year, and spring and autumn are the best seasons.
Giving your lawn a boost in autumn is a great way to prepare it for the colder, harsher months of winter, keeping it in the best condition to resist damage due to frost, cold and sudden temperature changes.
Choose a liquid fertiliser that contains seaweed, fish, organic compounds and amino acids – it might not smell great but your lawn will love it!
Mowing Tips for Autumn:
The colder months mean you don’t have to mow your lawns as frequently, as the growth rate slows down significantly – less work for you or your gardener!
Mow your lawn every 3-5 weeks during autumn and winter, and do not cut the grass lower than 2.5 cm. If you cut it too short in the colder months, you can damage your lawns, resulting in browning and ‘scalping’. Repeatedly cutting your lawns too short can weaken your grass and leave it open to disease and weeds. If you aren’t sure how often to mow your lawn, just mow whenever your grass is longer than 6cm.
While leaving leaves and grass clippings on your lawns during summer can help provide nutrients, we recommend removing them during colder months to allow your grass to get as much access to sunlight and air as possible. If you have trees that are blocking all the sun, you may also want to prune them more in the colder months for the sake of your lawn.
Watering Tips for Autumn:
Turn off your sprinklers! Keep an eye on the rainfall, but unless your grass looks and feels very dry and it hasn’t rained in a while, you do not need to water it in late autumn or winter. And if you do water it – only do so in the early morning so it has all day to absorb the water it needs and let the rest evaporate. If your lawn is too wet, it can become vulnerable to fungi or disease.
Don’t Neglect Your Lawn Care in Autumn
Perth has such hot, dry summers that autumn and winter are great opportunities for your lawns to regenerate, soaking up the extra water and growing stronger, healthier root systems that will keep them in better shape when the temperatures rise again.
Weeds are annoying and controlling their growth and spread in your lawns and gardens can be frustrating. But, at Perth Gardening Experts, we believe in killing weeds naturally using natural or low-tox alternatives when it comes to weed control for our clients.
How to Get Rid of Weeds Naturally
Keeping our soils free from chemicals is better for us, our families, our food and our planet – so here are our favourite ways to get rid of weeds naturally in your lawns and gardens – rather than filling them with toxic chemicals. Next time you spot those pesky weeds in your garden, try some of our natural weed killing and prevention tips first.
1. Use Ground Covers to Prevent Weed Growth in the First Place
When it comes to killing weeds naturally, prevention is better than cure!
If you have empty or unplanted areas of your gardens – weeds are always happy to fill in those spaces for you, so instead, fill them with beautiful and green ground covers to make the areas look lovely while preventing weeds.
Planting ground covers, such as natives, flowering plants, succulents, or even herbs, is a great way to prevent weeds from growing while creating lush, beautiful gardens. These can also be great for planting between pavers and other gaps that usually fill with weeds – use ground covers to make sure you get there first.
Some great, fast-growing ground covers for Perth soils for preventing weed growth are:
Prostrate grevilleas
Mondo grass
Creeping boobialla
Thyme
Pig Face – this is especially invasive so best not to plant if it’s an area you don’t want it to take over!
Australian Harebell (Isotoma)
Australian violet
Make sure to stay on top of any weed growth while the ground cover plants grow and establish to reduce their competition for space and nutrients. That way they can spread out and grow thick and lush as soon as possible – then you won’t need to weed much, if at all!
2. Mulch to Prevent Weeds and Create Healthier Gardens
Another method of preventing weeds in the first place is to use mulch. Mulch is an ideal way to fill gaps if you want a more spaced-out plating style to feature your favourite plants. Mulching prevents weeds from seeding, as well as preventing them from accessing the sunlight they need to thrive and grow.
One way of naturally killing weeds is to mulch right over them and smother them while preventing new weeds from growing. This is great for a fast, easy garden makeover. The best way to do this is by using a layer of cardboard or newspaper over the weeds and gardens, then adding a thick layer of mulch on top (we recommend using 50 to 100mm).
This also creates healthy soils and increases water retention for a more water-wise garden. You will still get a few weeds, but these will be much quicker and easier to remove as their roots can’t grip into mulch as they do in soil (providing that you use a chunky mulch and none of those useless fine black mulch)
3. Use Natural Weed Killer Sprays
As much as possible, we recommend you avoid using even natural weed-killing sprays in your gardens, as any product that is acidic or has high amounts of dissolved salts will, in time adversely affect your soil’s microbiology, and any acids, such as vinegar, can burn and damage plants and your lawn.
However, for those annoying weeds that spring up between pavers which are hard to pull out, using a natural weed-killing alternative is better than chemicals. Just keep in mind that a spray is more often a temporary solution as it’s less likely to kill the roots – so hand-pulling, mulching or using a ground cover or filler between your pavers (such as gravel) are still the best chemical-free, long-term solutions.
Lawn weeds are especially annoying as they usually cover such a large area – so it’s even more important to know the best methods for weeding lawns. Some of these do include identifying the specific weed and finding a weed killer that is formulated specifically for killing that weed and not your lawn. While this might sometimes be your only option, remember that all pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides are toxic on some level – so always take the precautions described on the label!
4. Use Solarisation
What is that you might ask? It’s a fancy way of saying use the power of the sun to kill those weeds! Solarisation is when you cover weed-infested areas with a material like clear plastic sheeting to trap heat from the sun – and prevent the weeds from using the sun for growth. By covering the areas, it raises the soil temperature, killing weed seeds and young weeds. Leave the plastic in place for several weeks during hot weather to maximise effectiveness.
If you don’t want to us plastic, instead you can use sheets of cardboard or other material which will prevent the weeds from being able to reach the sun – best used in conjunction with mulching as you’ve read in tip 2 above.
5. Remove Weeds by Hand
Yes – that old fashioned method can be time consuming but is one of the best ways to reduce overall weed growth in the long term! Removing weeds by the roots, make sure it’s before they have a chance to flower or go to seed, is one of the best weed control methods for small areas. Use tools to help break up the soil around the weed for the best chance of removing the entire root system.
Get into the habit of wandering outside next time you are on the phone, either to a friend or on hold with the bank, and pull out some weeds. It’s not just good for weed control, but more time is the garden is always beneficial to the gardener!
And if you don’t want to do this yourself, give us a call to book a weeding service so we can do the biggest initial weed removal for you so then you can stay on top of it – our weeding is always done by hand or tool, never using chemical sprays.
6. Boiling Water
This isn’t 100% effective but if you have weeds growing in your hardscaping, it can be a good one to try – as it won’t have the risk of scalding your lawn or plants… and might even clean the area around the weeds too. This is best poured directly on the weed to scald and kill it – doing this while the area is in full sun can add a bit of extra burning power too. Use this on hardscape areas for weeds that are growing in gaps between bricks or cracks in paving and be careful not to accidentally pour on any plants or flowers you care about!
7. Book Regular Garden Maintenance
Nothing beats a regular, consistent approach to weed control – and that is where booking a regular garden maintenance service can make all the difference. Don’t wait until everything is totally out of control and have to pay a lot all in one go for a huge garden cleanup, and have to put up with living in a messy property in the meantime. Having professional gardeners visit regularly but for a short time keeps your weeds under control, your garden looking tidy year-round and ensures you always have a lovely outdoor space to enjoy.
Weed control is just one of the ways we can help with your garden care. We can also keep an eye on your garden’s health in every season and make suggestions like the best time to mulch, and then supply and install it for you! We can even trim and train your shrubs and climbing plants to grow how you like them, and so much more! If you are garden proud, we’ll make sure you have a garden to be proud of!
Use these tips to kill weeds naturally in your garden
While weeds are annoying and weeding is seen as a boring chore, any garden-proud homeowner wants to have a weed-free landscape. So before you resort to covering your lawns and gardens with toxic chemicals, consider if one of our suggested methods for killing weeds naturally with a chemical-free option would be the better solution for the health of your home and gardens.
In our goal to provide exceptional Gardening, Landscaping, and Reticulation services for our customers in Perth, we at Perth Landscaping Group have always exerted efforts to contribute in nurturing our environment.
Perth Gardening Experts has recently been recognized for its efforts to offset our carbon emissions and plant trees to support the Australian Native Reforestation. Perth Landscaping Group has successfully offset more than 46 tonnes of carbon emissions.
