Native Speakers The growing interest in Australian plants.

Young landscape designers are talking up the exciting resurgence of Australian native plants, writes gardening expert Helen Young.

The trend towards using native plants was very apparent at this year’s MIFGS, highlighting the growing appreciation for the beauty and benefits of keeping it local. In fact, this was proudly on display from the first step inside the gates.

Visitors were immediately greeted by a new feature of the show, the Welcome Garden, designed by talented young landscape designer Phillip Withers of Phillip Withers Landscape Design (phillipwithers. com) as a place where visitors could sit and meet friends.

The Welcome Garden consisted of massive slices of bluestone set within a dynamic selection of mostly native plants, including iconic grass trees and palms, flowering shrubs and bush-tucker plants. “It’s a place that celebrates nature, the rock, the soil and the rich history connecting people and place,” Phillip explains. Half of the major show gardens featured Australian plants, either on their own or blended with non-native species. H&G’s Australian Case Study Garden, presented in collaboration with Eckersley Garden Architecture (e-ga.com.au), acknowledged our botanical heritage while transitioning into a mixed style of planting. Landscape architect Emmaline Bowman, founder of STEM Landscape Architecture & Design (stemlandscape.com), won silver for her Living Garden design, which made use of plants indigenous to Melbourne’s Western Plains in order to highlight the area’s natural beauty. “I think Australian plants are trending at the moment because people are becoming more aware that they grow better and require less maintenance [than non-native species],” she says. “The range that’s available is getting bigger and better all the time. And the flowers are so unique.” Emmaline’s garden concept demonstrates how diverse Australian habitats can be integrated within a family garden. “We are thinking more about our environment, thinking about wildlife and celebrating these beautiful Australian plants,” she says. The Grow Together garden was designed and built by Melbourne-based landscape

designer Ben Hutchinson of Ben Hutchinson Landscapes( ben hutchinson landscapes. com.au), who specialises in sustainable, native planting schemes. “I’ve seen a big shift towards natives,” he says. “We have a massive range of stunning plants that are totally underutilised.”

Of the five Boutique Gardens, where competition finalists built their winning designs for a 5x5m space, two focused on Australian plants. Olga Blacha’s AusZen entry was a Japanese garden designed with native plants. It’s a novel idea that Olga believes has great potential. “I researched the taxonomy of plants traditionally used in Japanese gardens and found a native alternative for each,” the PhD student explains. Instead of bamboo fencing, she used spent gymea lily ( Doryanthes) stems, while the plants were selected to offer year-round flowering.

Jake Baturynsky of Loco Landscape Design Studio (locolandscapedesign.com. au) called his Boutique Garden design Raw, referencing the appeal of rustic materials such as stone and timber. “Native plants can beautify a space’s character and vibe while being great for the environment,” he says of his Australian plant palette.

Along the inspirational Avenue of Achievable Gardens, where 12 horticulture students each created a tiny 5x3m space, a third chose to showcase native plants. Each plot represented a courtyard or balcony space that could be replicated by home gardeners on a tight budget.

Elinor Beard, Bessie Richards, Sarah Jardine and Nicole Taylor are names to watch.

Their work showed a commitment to sustainability, biodiversity and habitat for wildlife – and demonstrated how simply beautiful Australian plants can be.

In Ben Hutchinson’s design, eucalypts and bottlebrush ( Callistemon ‘Kings Park Special’) create a backdrop for the cottage-style mix of perennials, including everlasting daisy ( Xerochrysum bracteatum ‘Dargan Hill Lemon’) and kangaroo paw ( Anigozanthos ‘Everlasting Amber’).

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‘I USE NATIVE AND INDIGENOUS PLANTS WITH SUSTAIN ABLY SOURCED AND

RE CLAIMED MATERIALS, AND FOSTER HABITATS FOR LOCAL FAUNA .’ Ben Hutchinson