My garden is looking a bit bare so I’m hoping to head to Bunnings in the next few weeks and pick up some plants.
I am considering fruit trees, natives, and some flowering plants.
I’ve read a few articles that warn against growing palms and bougainvilleas so I was wondering:
What is the best and worst plant in your garden? Anything you would recommend or warn against? Specifically in VIC?
Stay away from Ivy and bougainvillea.
Also, if you have a pool, avoid magnolias trees and any palms. Everything these trees drop will stuff up the skimmer, filters.
When I was travelling overseas, Bougainvillea were growing everywhere and they were quite beautiful. Why do you warn against them?
I love my Weeping Acacia. Copper tipped, looks amazing. Also like the various Eremophilas. Try a herb garden. Be aware some will seed and spread so best in contained beds.
Plant I hate - Periwinkle. Neighbour refuses to clear it and it spreads. Noxious weed.
I just looked Weeping Acacia up - it looks amazing.
We went native in the front garden and have never regretted it. Full of bees, dragonflies, butterflies, resident magpies and wattlebirds. Today I had a pair of Adelaide Rosellas in my Grevillea (normally I have Rainbow Lorikeets).
Full of bees
Sounds sub par
Bromeliads fall into both the best / worst categories. Best - they will fill a bare spot quickly. Worst - they keep going.
Look for native bushy shrubs which provide food and shelter for native birds, and give them a respite from noisy miners. Grevilleas are prolific bloomers once they're established.
rock garden. zero maintenance.
Lantana
Lantana is a weed and should be avoided. Is declared in some states.
Concrete requires pressure washing
Best - tomatoes, but as far as longer lasting non edibles we have many grevillea from ground cover to trees
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Nearly every of my neighbours has that white tree that smells like cum… blows all over my backyard (that’s what she said)
Photinia? I hate those too
Maybe it's a Canberra thing. Seems to be more planted here than anywhere else!
Ornamental pears… they really stink when they’re in flower (right now)
Gross - our neighbours all have Photinia as hedges. It reeks when it flowers - and the smell is exactly as you described! ;)
My neighbours also have that growing!
Take into account the shade/no shade tolerance of the plant, frost tolerant & water usage when deciding.
Don't forget to mulch.
Best: Grumichama - it's a small, pretty tree with delicious fruit. May struggle with the cold winter in Vic though. I'd recommend a coffee tree too - also pretty and not too big or fussy about sun/shade position (and you can make your own coffee). Having had lots of palms at previous houses I'd also recommend against them. They drop a lot of fronds and depending on the type can be difficult to chop up for the green waste (I used to use a recip saw).
Which bit of victoria? Difference between coastal and rural and mountains
The easiest to grow/hardest to kill non natives are daisies. All the varieties, the sea side daisy is fantastic as ground cover, survives all conditions and all temperatures, but many other varieties as well
In terms of shrubbery, local natives are probably the way to go. If you have the right location then camellias or roses etc are worthwhile, but they will only thrive in the right conditions; natives pretty much work anywhere so long as there is sun and generally not to much phosphorus. Obviously there are heaps of options
Other very hardy bushes are lavender, rosemary and thyme
Best in my garden have been the conostylus.
Tough, quick-growing, zero maintenance, and always put on a good show.
Heliconia - not sure how well they grow in VIC
I like my black mulberry tree a lot. Some varieties are evergreen. The fruit is great and ripens at different times , not all at once. Down side is that they can be messy, so you have to be careful about where you place them. Also get them in dwarf varieties that can be potted or put in the ground
Surprised no one has mentioned Yuccas - stay away, they will stuff you and your foundations etc right up
Ok to plant in the middle of nowhere next to nothing but that's about it
I'd have to say the worst is the weeds. They have taken over the whole garden and ruined everything.