make a garden from scratch
PART 4: CHOOSE & BUY YOUR PLANTS
The planning is done, and there’s a bit of hardscaping in place… Let the planting begin! SOPHIE THOMSON shares her tips for selecting trees, lawn, border plants, and everything in between
Finally, it’s time to get some plants. How exciting! However, just when you thought all the hard decisions were behind you, it starts all over again. Which plants? How big? Where do you get them from? You’ll no doubt find everyone, from your friends and relatives, to the staff at your local garden centre, ready to give you their suggestions! So, let’s break down the process, from plant selection to the best order for planting.
PLANT SELECTION
1 consider your climate
I would suggest that the bulk of the plants you choose are compatible with the climate and microclimate of your garden. How do you know what’s climate compatible? Well, an obvious way is to choose local indigenous plants, sometimes referred to as endemic plants.
These are native plants that either grow or once would have grown in your local area.
Beyond that, choose native plants from similar climatic conditions, but not necessarily your area. For example, do you get summer rains or are you in a summer dry zone? Look for plants from similar regions. Just because a plant is native to Australia, doesn’t mean it will grow well in every part of the country, as we have such variable conditions across the continent.
Looking further afield, consider exotics – plants from other countries – but still be mindful of how the preferred conditions for that plant match up with your climate.
None of this means you can’t grow the plants you want to grow. If you want to grow, say, fuchsias in a hot, harsh climate like South Australia’s, you’ll need to grow them in a shadehouse and give them some extra water through summer. It’s doable, but you won’t want to have to give all your plants that kind of special care.
2 get local inspiration
Another great option is to take a look around your local area and observe plants you like that are growing well, and appear to be thriving without too much care or attention. If you aren’t sure what the plants are, take a photo of them and ask at your local nursery or garden centre. There are some helpful plant ID apps out there, but garden centre staff are likely to be more accurate and give you better information about how the plants grow in your neighbourhood. If they don’t have the plants in stock, ask if they could order them in for you.
KNOW YOUR NURSERY
Get to know the gardeners at your local nursery or garden centre. Having grown up in a nursery (literally), I’m a huge promoter of people developing a relationship with their local nursery. Tapping into that special knowledge makes gardening easier and more successful, with fewer failures. Check with the staff about every purchase, and listen to them when they are cautious about a plant choice. They won’t want you to kill a plant – they don’t want the plant to die, and they don’t want you to be put off gardening!
WHAT TO DO WHEN
1 choose a tree
The first thing I like to do is plant trees and set up other structural elements, such as hedges, screens and windbreaks. If the timing isn’t right to put your trees in, say, because you’d like to wait until winter when they’re available as bare-rooted stock (making them more affordable), simply put stakes in the positions where you want the trees to go, then work around them as if they were already planted.
Some people are scared to add a tree to a small courtyard-sized garden, but
I’d suggest there’s one to suit any garden space (see page 24 for some examples). Trees can add structure, shade, habitat and produce. If you’re not sure what to choose, wander or drive around your local area, make a note of the trees you like, then take a leaf or photo to your local nursery or garden centre for identification.
Be aware of how long it takes a tree to grow to that size – generally, I make a judgment based on how big a tree will be in 10 or 20 years. Again, I would be guided by your local nursery person, or do some research in books or online. The size of the tree you purchase may have a lot to do with what’s available and what you can afford. However, don’t be sucked into buying the biggest, as often a larger tree takes longer to get established in the ground, by which time a smaller tree that’s quicker to establish, and costs less, may have outgrown a larger ‘instant’ specimen.
2 add screening plants
After the trees are in, I like to plant hedges, screening plants or windbreaks. These all add structure to the garden, while providing some definition, privacy and shelter from prevailing winds. Again, don’t think that you need to buy extra large specimens, as the smaller plant sizes often take off quicker and grow better.
Get local advice on how far apart they should be planted to get the best effect, and how far away to position them from fences. Often, I see hedge plants planted too closely, and this can cause them to become stressed in the long term. Varieties such as lillypilly, photinia and viburnum are often planted 1m apart. Plant them too far apart and they’ll take forever to join up; too close, and you’ll have wasted money, and the plants may stress each other.
3 decide on a focal point
This is a good time to place a focal point in the garden to create impact and draw the eye into the space. There are so many possibilities, from urns and pots, to water features, sculptures or benches, and they can transform a good garden into a great one. Even if you haven’t yet decided what specific feature you’d like, use a stake or other object to mark its position and approximate size until you find the right one.
4 lay a lawn
Lawns can also go in at this stage, transforming your garden almost instantly. However, the options here can be a bit overwhelming: what turf variety should you go for, and should you plant seed, plugs or instant roll-out turf?
Ask your local turf supplier which turf variety grows best in your area, but be aware of the weedy, invasive potential of the running varieties, such as couch and kikuyu, which are almost impossible to get out of garden beds once they get in. I need a tough running grass to survive my harsh, summer-dry climate, but I choose to grow soft-leaf buffalo, as it only invades above the ground, not below. If it gets into my garden beds, I simply pull it out. I tend to use instant roll-out turf, as it beds down very quickly and forms a dense mat, which limits the opportunity for weeds to seed in. While growing from seed or plugs (roll-out turf cut into little squares) is cheaper, you need to be vigilant to keep the weeds out until the grass forms a cover.
5 add structure & form
Structural plants, such as roses, shrubs or strappy-leafed plants, go in next and take up permanent space in beds. Aim for a combination that flowers at different times of the year, with varied, interesting foliage, and contrasting forms. Again, I’d suggest purchasing small plants, as they will establish better. If you plan to use several roses, you could wait for bare-rooted roses in winter when they are half the price. As a general rule, I allow about one plant per square metre for roses and dwarf shrubs, and one plant per 1.5–2 square metres for medium to tall shrubs. I like things to grow into each other, so the plants cover the ground when established.
6 de ne your borders
If you like definition in a garden, add border plants to the front of beds. Use the same plant repeated for extra impact, or a complementary mix to create a finished effect. To save money, look for seedling punnets or six-packs of low-growing plants, or larger, fuller pots of plants that can be divided, such as dwarf Peruvian lilies (Alstroemeria cv., including princess lilies) or catmint. If you’re on a limited budget, you could complete borders of special plants that cost more by planting one plant every few metres, then dividing them every year (or when big enough) to fill the gaps in between. In the interim, you could use low-cost annuals, such as alyssum, or short-lived perennials to fill the gaps and add some cheer. GA