Natives for rock garden

[Peter Jones]

Hi,
I am not well versed in the art of gardening so please bear with me. I out of nessecity work away from home,during my last work stint my reticulation controller went on the fritz, so SWMBO decided in her infinite wisdom to just switch it off. Consequently no water to plants for 4 weeks = dead plants, so am looking to replace all the dead stuff with colourful ,max height 1meterish, bulletproof, bushy natives. Anybody got any suggestions ???
Thanks in anticipation
Peter

[Wizened of Oz]

Yes, I have some advice.
Don't ask for advice here.

Seriously though, most of us are on the east coast with different conditions. You have many many WA natives that we can only envy.
Look around your suburb at what others are successfully growing and get advice at one of your good specialist garden centres. And I don't mean one attached to a supermarket or large hardware store if you get my drift.

[Bluegum]

Yep some of the flowers that grow over there in WA are amazing. I've seen clips of the desert country after the rains have been through the place looks spectacular. Quite often I have wanted to grow kangaroo paws over here but the climate isn't right and they just don't seem to do any good for me. Brian is right I reckon have a look at some specialty nurseries for your answers. Maybe a few pics after you have finished so as we can have a bot of a butchers at what you've done.

[macca2]

Peter, I have just planted these in our reworked front yard and all (according to the nursery) are drought resistent.

Acacia Limelight
Banksia Birthday candles
Banksia Rubens "Creeping banksia"
Conostylis Canidcans
Dianella little rev
Grevillea crithmifolia
Grevillea Robyn Gordon
Hemiandra pungens
Isolepis nodosa
Leptospermum Pink Cascade
Liriope Evergreen Giant
Lomandra Longifolia
Melaleuca Little Nessie
Orthrosanthus Multiflorus
Orthrosanthus Polystachys
Verticordia plumosa
Westringia Jervis Gem
Westringia Morning Light
Westringia Wynyabbie Gem


Good luck

Macca

[Peter Jones]

Thanks Macc2,Bluegum,Wiz,
Will go thro the list you supplied Macca and if everything turns out ok I'll post some pics.
Peter

[Ramps]

Peter
Macca2 has a good selection there
A few others I would look for are the Corea (very drought resistant) the scrambling grevilleas (maaca has mentioned a couple of excellent bushy ones) and one I saw the other day was a dwarf variety of the comment peppermint (agonis flexosa) I think the cultivar was "nana" (also called the sweet or dwarf willow myrtle).
Other things to look out for which will survive the summer is some of the grasses and there's a good variety there, some silvery, bluish, redish and the like.
cheers

[Bluegum]

No worries Peter, gald to be able to help you. With the drought over here giving us all a hard time i started to plant a few more natives a few years ago. Glad I did as they are still going strong og the minimal amounts of water. I have even started looking into bush tucker as well just to have something a bit different. might be worth a look into as well.

[Poly]

I understand that we're talking natives here...but the plants that I have found to be most drought hardy are roses...we often have to leave our gardens for weeks at a time & the roses never seem to miss a beat...

[Tonyz]

Iam glad others have spoken I was wondering how you'd keep the 'natives' in your yard? Tie their feet together or have a good supply of cheap plonk on hand

I'll probobly go off air for that one Tony

[Planned LScape]

There are plenty of west aussie natives that are available and have been successfully cultivated to be suited for garden use. The advantage with yourself is that west aussie natives are amongst the most colourful and showy of all natives, and are also indigenous to your general area.

They are also suited to rock gardens as most are of smaller size and wont become troublesome later. The list that macca2 posted looks like a great start. Make sure you look at the tags, or ask at thge nursery about sizes and place them in the garden accordingly. Smaller plants and grasses at the front, and larger ones up the back. Throw in a pinch of saturaid while you plant them, give them a good water the 1st fortnight and they will survive for years without much fuss, obviously with watering when they need them

cheers, Rod

[Tonyz]

I'll have another go. Yothie Yindo(sp?) great group of natives ....whens the rock concert..........yeah yeah Iyou told us its in the garden ..shesh some people really
Tonz