Lechenaultias in Sydney
Every year around this time garden lovers, botanists and horticulturists head to Western Australia to see some of the most spectacular displays of wildflowers in the world. Unfortunately, beautiful wildflowers like blue lechenaultia (Lechenaultia biloba) that do so well in the drier areas of the country are difficult to grow in east coast areas, even if they’re in a hanging basket or a well drained pot.
Recently however, there has been something of a break-through. Don created a native garden in the Sydney region using crushed sandstone rubble in raised mounds 1.5-2m (5-6′) high. This material is very cheap, and is sold in many areas as sandstone road base. Plants like Lechenaultia biloba grown in tubes were planted into the rubble less than a year ago, and are now doing really well. If you want to put in a native garden, Don recommends that you don’t use expensive soil mixes, just sandstone rubble or road base.
Further information
Crushed sandstone road base costs approximately $9-$12 per tonne.
