‘Burke’s Backyard’ recently visited the superb Fairhill Native Nursery at Yandina on the Sunshine Coast, one and half hours north from Brisbane. Here can be found a large and comprehensive range of native plants including grevilleas, flannel flowers, grafted eucalypts, thryptomene and kangaroo paws. As well as shopping for potted plants, books and giftware are also sold in the nursery shop.
Visitors can wander through an extensive native botanic garden at the nursery to see how plants grow. The botanic garden is also a place to experience the beauty and fragrance of native plants and the spectacle of visiting native birds that feed among the flowers.
Extensive range of plants
More than 1500 species of Australian native plants are stocked in the nursery including:
Austromyrtus ‘Aurora’ – a recently released variety of a native rainforest shrub with red new growth. Grows 3-5m (around 10-15′) but with dense growth. Suited to hedging and screening.
Eucalyptus ‘Summer Beauty’ (pink flowered) and Eucalyptus ‘Summer Red’ (red flowered) – until recently all pink or red flowering gums were grown from seed, which meant remarkable variation in flower colour. These hybrid gums are a cross between two red-flowered species from opposite ends of Australia, Eucalyptus ficifolia and Eucalyptus ptychocarpa. Eucalyptus ficifolia is from the south of Western Australia while Eucalyptus ptychocarpa is from the northern part of the Northern Territory. The new varieties have been selected for their flower colour and growth habit.
Grevillea banksii – many of the grevilleas grown by Fairhill Native Nursery are grafted for better performance in the garden. Plants are also grown as grafted specimens to create weeping standards. A prostrate form of the red-flowered Grevillea banksii is available at the nursery grafted onto a tall, vigorous understock, silky oak, (Grevillea robusta).
Stenanthemum scortechinii ‘White Mischief’ – a small, compact shrub, less than a metre (3′) in height and width with balls of creamy white woolly flowers in late winter and spring. An interesting plant for a cottage-style garden.
Further information
Fairhill Native Nursery is one and a half hours from Brisbane on Fairhill Road, Yandina, 4561 (take the Bruce Highway to the Sunshine Coast and exit on the Yandina by-pass, follow signs to nursery). It is open from 8.30am to 5pm every day, except Christmas Day. A restaurant is located at the nursery.
There is a comprehensive colour catalogue available from the nursery for $16 (including postage). The nursery, through its catalogue also offers a mail order service. Phone: (07) 5446 7088.
Good native nurseries in other states: For those who can’t get to Fairhill in Queensland, visit a good native plant nursery in your local area to seek inspiration and advice about gardening with Australian native plants. Two that are worth visiting are:
Victoria
Kuranga Native Nursery
393 Maroondah Highway
Ringwood 3134
Phone: (03) 9879 4076
Western Australia
Zanthorrea Nursery
155 Watsonia Road
Maida Vale 6057
Phone: (08) 9454 6260
