Popular garden designs for Perth and the South West As our state experiences the effects of a drying climate, more Western Australians are embracing fresh water thinking and switching to waterwise plants and gardening practices. This guide will help you to take a fresh look at your garden garden uses more than 40 per cent of all the water used by and make it more waterwise, lower maintenance and more households. Waterwise gardeners reduce watering times in beautiful. spring and autumn (switch irrigation systems off in winter/wet season) and select sprinklers and drippers that deliver water to Improving your soil the plant roots and not across paths. The first and most important step to achieving a waterwise garden is to create healthy soil by adding compost, soil Mulching improver and soil wetting agents as you do your planting and Applying a chunky coarse mulch to your garden can greatly maintenance. reduce evaporation loss, improve the soil, reduce plant stress and weed growth, as well as improve the appearance of your garden. Hydrozoning Combine these principles with our waterwise designs and Hydrozoning is grouping plants with similar watering needs. plants and you will be on your way to creating a functional, It’s an effective tactic to conserve water in the garden, and attractive garden that will thrive in our climatic conditions. should be considered when adding new plants. Please refer to Your guide to a waterwise garden brochure for Irrigation more detail. Irrigation is a key consideration because on average the Coastal Garden Often rugged and relaxed a coastal garden is full of hardy plants that can withstand strong winds. Screening shrubs & Raised planters with Mulch Plant Species small trees for privacy herbs & vegetables only ABRV COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME GROUND COVERS Garage Eg Emu Bush Eremophila glabra * Residence Grps Grevillea ‘Seaspray’ Grevillea preissii * Porch Kc Kennedia ‘Coastal Carpet’ Kennedia coccinaea * Grps Ci SHRUBS Ads Adenanthos ‘Pencil Perfect’ Adenanthos sericeus * Cora Coastal Correa Correa alba * Ads Driveway Lawn Ls Ls Coastal Tea Tree Leptospermum sericum * Lb Cushion Bush Leucophyta brownii * Wd Native Rosemary Westringia dampieri * Al Al Acacia lasiocarpa Acacia lasiocarpa * Wd Ba Ci Holly Flame Pea Chorizema ilicifolium * Cora Council footpath Dr GRASSES/STRAPPY LEAF PLANTS Kc Anfb Kangaroo Paw Anigozanthos flavidus * Lb Anfb Eg (Dwarf) Bush Gem Series Street tree. Refer to your Front verge Dr Dianella ‘Little Rev’ Dianella revoluta * local council verge policy TREES LEGEND Ba Ashby’s Banksia Banksia ashbyi * Hydrozone Hydrozone Lawn MI Rottnest Tea Tree Melaleuca lancelota * ∆ Hydrozone (including vegetables, herbs & fruit trees) * These species are endemic to WA ∆ Optional species (not included in illustration) Cottage Garden Often informal in layout, a cottage garden usually contains a combination of annuals, perennials, brightly flowering shrubs and herbaceous plants. English in origin (yet waterwise through modern plant choices) cottage gardens burst with colour and fragrance. Plant Species Screening shrubs & Residence ABRV COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME Herbs Low wall small trees for privacy GROUND COVERS Cop Ap Fruit tree Bb Southern Blechnum Banksia Banksia blechnifolia * Steps Dg Darwinia (Prostrate Form) Darwinia grandiflora * Dg Path Ornamental Sca Purple Fanfare Scaevola aemula * Sals Sca flowering Lawn fruit tree SHRUBS Ah Pb Ah Blue Hibiscus Alyogyne huegelii * Lm Cop Diosma Coleonema pulchellum Af Council footpath Crow Crowea Crowea exalata ∆ Sant Cotton Lavender Santolina chamaecyparissus Sals Salvia ‘Electric Blue’ Salvia sinaloensis Sant GRASSES/STRAPPY LEAF PLANTS Bb Ap Dwarf Agapantha Agapanthus praecox ∆ Informal planting Street tree. Refer to your Front verge Arc NZ Rock Lily Arthropodium cirratum arrangement local council verge policy Lm Lilyturf Liriope muscari TREES LEGEND Af Jervis Bay Afterdark Agonis flexuosa * Hydrozone Hydrozone Lawn L Bay Tree Laurus nobilis ∆ Hydrozone (including vegetables, Pb Ornamental Plum Prunus blireiana herbs & fruit trees) * These species are endemic to WA ∆ Optional species (not included in illustration) Mediterranean Garden Creating pleasures for all the senses, a Mediterranean garden has a combination of colours, productive plants, interesting foliage and flowering plants. Complete this look by incorporating design elements such as paths and rustic benches. Plant Species Garage ABRV COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME Ct Ld Residence GROUND COVERS By Ct Snow in Summer Cerastium tomentosum High wall Salg Fruit trees Leh Red Lechenaultia Lechenaultia hirsuta * Path Ar underplanted Leb Leb Blue Lechenaultia Lechenaultia biloba * with herbs Courtyard SHRUBS Coc Blue Smoke Bush (prostate form) Conospermum caeruleum * Ec Driveway Lag Ar Wormwood Artemesia absinthium Ec Pride of Madeira Echium candicans Sals Sis Council footpath Ld Upside-down Bush Leptosema davesioides Leh Salg Salvia ‘ Crimson and Black’ Salvia greggi Ery Lawn Sals Salvia ‘Electric Blue’ Salvia sinaloensis Front verge GRASSES/STRAPPY LEAF PLANTS Street tree. Refer to your By Mexican Lily Beschorneria yuccoides local council verge policy Sis Devon Skies Sisyrinchium ‘Devon Skies’ * TREES LEGEND Ery Coral Tree Erythrina indica Hydrozone Hydrozone Lawn Lag Crepe Myrtle Lagerstromia indica Hydrozone (including vegetables, herbs & fruit trees) * These species are endemic to WA Native Garden The ideal garden for our Western Australian climate, a native garden will look attractive, can provide year round flowering and will attract birds and wildlife. Plant Species Grt Anm ABRV COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME Dm Residence GROUND COVERS Bb Southern Blechnum Banksia Banksia blechnifolia * Alh Dd Dampiera Dampiera diversifolia * Po Dm Mondorup Bell Darwinia macrostegia * Eucv Grs Grevillea ‘Star Burst’ Grevillea saccata * Cv Herbs Path Driveway Ba Grt Grevillea tenuiloba Grevillea tenuiloba * Screening SHRUBS Dd shrubs & Lawn small trees Af Dwarf Agonis Agonis flexuosa * ∆ Formal Mh Eut for privacy native Af Alh Native Hibiscus Alyogyne hakeifolia * hedge Bb Cv Bottlebrush ‘Little John’ Callistemon viminalis Grs Eut Egg and Bacon Plant Eutaxia myrtifolia * Mh Chenille Honey Myrtle Melaleuca huegelii * Front Council footpath verge GRASSES/STRAPPY LEAF PLANTS Anm Kangaroo Paw Anigozanthos manglesii * Po Native Iris or Purple Flag Pattersonia occidentalis * LEGEND TREES Hydrozone Hydrozone Lawn Ba Ashby’s Banksia Banksia ashbyi * Hydrozone (including vegetables, herbs & fruit trees) Eucv Eucalyptus ‘Snow Queen’ Eucalyptus victrix * * These species are endemic to WA ∆ Optional species (not included in illustration) Vegetable Garden Having your own vegetable garden is a great way to enjoy If you have plenty of space a garden bed can be established in fresh and healthy produce. It is possible regardless of your the ground, as it involves less set up but can’t be moved. garden size and using waterwise gardening techniques will Deciding what to grow and planting seasonal vegetables will minimise your water use. ensure the best results and minimise water use. By planting The location of your garden and what you create it in from seeds you can stagger when the vegetables are ready are important decisions when establishing your garden. and planting from seedlings will see them mature at once. Vegetables need a good source of sunlight; somewhere not too Whichever you choose, make sure you plant vegetables that sunny in summer with sufficient sunlight in winter is ideal. A will be eaten and put to good use. spot protected from wind by a building or hedge will keep your Hand watering twice a week or installing sub-irrigation or vegetables happy. drippers will see the best results in your garden. When choosing where to establish your garden, if space is For more details on waterwise gardening techniques for your limited, a raised container is ideal as they keep the garden vegetable garden please refer to the Your guide to a waterwise contained and can be moved to suit the weather conditions. garden brochure. Verge Garden Informal Contemporary–modern Informal planting arrangement Stepper path with mulch surround Kp Lc Po Property boundary By transforming your verge into a waterwise garden you Property Driveway Oa Myp Grcu Hp boundary will create an attractive hassle-free garden that requires less Driveway Gro maintenance. Myp Front Before planning your verge check with your local council for Anm Bn Bj verge Fn Front Dr D any guidelines or restrictions in place. verge Formal Coastal To transform your lawned verge firstly apply a herbicide with Informal planting arrangement glyphosate as the active ingredient. After a few months, the Property boundary Front verge Conc Anm Al Egc lawn will breakdown and act as a source of nutrients for new Council Footpath Driveway Oa Path Egk plants. There is no need to remove the lawn, just plot out the Hp Gra Dr Grcu Gro design and dig holes for the new plants and watch your new Adc Lc Front Ega waterwise verge come to life. verge Council footpath Property boundary Verge Garden cont’d Plant Species ABRV COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME ABRV COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME LOW SHRUBS GRASSES/STRAPPY LEAF PLANTS Bn Honeypot Dryandra Banksia nivea Conc Grey Cottonheads Conostylis candicans Al Acacia lasiocarpa Acacia lasiocarpa Myp Creeping Boobialla Myoporum parvifolium Oa Olearia ‘Little Smokie’ Olearia axillaris Anm Kangaroo Paw Angiozanthus manglesii Wd Westringia ‘Jervis Gem’ Westringia dampieri Po Native Iris or Purple Flag Pattersonia occidentalis D Dianella ‘Silver