‘Burke’s Backyard’ recently visited Kings Park Botanic Gardens in Perth, to look at Australian native plants in flower. Here massed plantings of wildflowers are used to demonstrate the versatility of our native flora in ornamental plantings.
Featured in the plantings are:
- paper or everlasting daisies (see ‘Everlasting Daisies’ Program 31)
- Anigozanthos ‘Big Red’ – a tall, rusty red flowering kangaroo paw which has been used in an impressive mass planting.
- Black kangaroo paw (Macropidia fuliginosa) – The flowers are black with a lime green and yellow colour.
- Darwinia purpurea, the rose darwinia – a rare pink flowering form of darwinia. The genus name Darwinia was selected to honour the grandfather of Charles Darwin, British botanical author Dr Erasmus Darwin.
Research
As well as being a native botanic garden, Kings Park is also a centre for scientific research. Work is underway to develop hybrids of Australian native plants that are suited to home gardens around Australia. Plants developed at Kings Park in the past which may be known to gardens include: Callistemon ‘Kings Park Special’ – a proven Australian cultivar of bottlebrush with deep red flowers.
Researchers, led by garden director Kingsley Dixon, are also looking at improved methods of grafting native plants to provide them with better root systems and ways to have better rates of germination from native seeds for example through exposure to smoke (as in a bush fire).
New cultivars and developments include:
- Lechenaultia ‘True Blue’-This pretty blue flowering new release plant has been developed at Kings Park. It will soon be released Australia wide.
- Geraldton wax (Chamelaucium uncinatum) -This is a mauve Geraldton wax and is well known across Australia as a garden plant or cut flower. A white form, Chamelaucium uncinatum ‘Alba’, which is growing at Kings Park has excellent potential for use in gardens and is long lasting when picked.
Care
Australian native plants have enjoyed waves of popularity among gardeners. At the moment however native plants are not highly favoured by home gardeners. Indeed, for the past two decades there has been a swing away from native plants and native gardens altogether. This has mainly been a reaction against bush gardens that were popularised as low maintenance gardens in the 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately a lack of understanding of how to grow native plants and poor plant selection due to lack of plant breeding saw the early bush gardens becoming overgrown, unsightly and unsatisfactory in a suburban setting.
To get the best results from Australian native plants in a garden they need to be pruned, trimmed, replanted and cared for to the same extent as any other garden plant. The development of hybrids with good vigour, disease resistance and good flowering are also required to make native plants more appealing garden subjects. With the right attention and the right plant choice native plants will reward gardeners and can be used to create exciting gardens in many different styles.
Further information
Kings Park Botanic Garden is at Fraser Avenue, West Perth, WA, 6005. It hosts the Kings Park Wildflower Festival which this year will run from 20-29 September, 1997. Phone: (08) 9480 3600.
Time: 9am-5pm daily.
Entrance fee: Adults $4; concession $3.