Gardening Australia S36E06
Gardening Australia S36E06
Gardening Australia S36E06
Gardening Australia S36E06
Gardening Australia S36E06
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FunTranscript
00:00Oh
00:30Hello and welcome to Gardening Australia. This week we've got something you've all
00:38been asking for, a whole show on Australian native plants. There's so much
00:44to love about the unique precious flora of this country, so we want to inspire
00:51and motivate you to fill your garden with native plants. Here's what's in store.
00:58My garden is showing signs of ageing, so I'm shopping for fillers, native plants
01:05to fill my garden beds. What could be more special than an abundance of native
01:10blooms? I'm at a flower farm to get tips on growing your own bouquet of beauty. I'm
01:16visiting Goulburn Wetlands, a community and wildlife hub with two stunning
01:22native gardens and we meet an ethnobotanist connecting culture, science
01:28and intellectual property.
01:41I'm visiting a garden in Northcote in Melbourne's north and the location is
01:47outstanding.
01:55I'm in the All Nations Park, it's a large urban green space much loved by the
02:01community and I'm heading for the garden just over that fence. It's a beautiful
02:06garden overlooking this lovely space.
02:12The thing that most interests me about this garden though is the way the
02:16designer has solved a series of classic gardening challenges by using a palette
02:22of interesting native plants that complement the surrounds. This is our
02:27backyard. Oh it's lovely isn't it? This garden is part of Marge Horne's and her
02:32husband's retirement plan, downsizing four years ago to this 400 square metre
02:38block. So we wanted a low-maintenance garden, we wanted something that would be
02:44drought tolerant and would resist in climate change, survive in climate change.
02:50We wanted it to be a natural place that would blend in with the park and the
02:55local surroundings. Generally a place that you could live in and do things in
03:00but wasn't going to be high maintenance on us. Well you've certainly succeeded
03:04because it's, how old is it? Two years. It's done well. It has done well hasn't it?
03:15What made you go for a garden like this? Did you have it landscape designed? In the
03:23past we've always done our own but we're getting elderly and we can't do the
03:29gardening anymore the way we used to. So we decided to get a landscape designer
03:34to help us. When we bought the property there wasn't much here at all in the way
03:39of garden. There was a big bay tree here that dominated the yard and really
03:43stopped other things growing well. So it was pretty dilapidated and scrappy. We
03:50really needed to do something about it. The house was very poor energy. We were
03:58going to renovate but in the end we decided to knock it down which meant we
04:01could bulldoze the whole block. A clean slate. A clean slate meant we could start
04:05on the garden afresh but it also meant that we were able to build an
04:08energy-efficient house that's really low energy. So with the landscape designer
04:14and the architect of the house, how did you work with them so that your house
04:18was part of the surrounds, part of the environment? We chose an architect who
04:23was interested in that. Part of the brief to him was to have a house that fitted
04:27in with the park and the surrounds. The same with the landscape designer. We
04:32wanted a landscape designer who understood the area and we have a
04:36landscape designer who's local. But we also said to them it doesn't have to be
04:41all the plants that are in the park. It's our garden, it's different but we
04:46want it to fit with the environment. I think they did quite a good job of it.
04:50I think they've done very well.
04:55The garden has been completely transformed. The front garden has a
05:00feature Acacia Cognata which is in flower right now. A path lined with a
05:06hedge of Dianella Tasmanica takes you through to the new backyard. Dominated by
05:12a deep bed of native shrubs, trees and grasses with a beautiful large curved
05:17timber bench and a couple of small round steel raised beds for vegetables on one
05:23side. While the garden may look effortless, this site has some challenges.
05:30The garden does get sun in the morning but in the afternoon the big gum trees
05:36in the park next door cast deep shade. So all the plants you see here have proven
05:42they're up to the challenge. So this area here, this is a bit of a problem area
05:48isn't it? Yes, particularly the back corner. Yes. So the ground slopes down to
05:52the back and it's a clay base and that proves a problem with water. Too much
05:57water just collecting. Yes, it dries out at times but other times too much water
06:02collects. We put a sump in to try and help deal with it but that didn't solve
06:06the problem completely. So we've lost a few plants here. We have one fruit tree
06:11there that's growing well but we lost another one. So what have you grown in
06:14the space? Well at the moment we're trying a Pomodoras in the back
06:18corner. Yes, the little one down there. The little one down there. That should do
06:22all right. Well I hope it does. If that doesn't work, have you got any suggestions
06:27for what we might try? Fingers crossed for the Pomodoras. Definitely it's a good one
06:31but I would suggest maybe a Mountain Corrier, the native fuchsia and that's
06:35that's quite nice. Yes, I quite like them. Yes. I hadn't thought of that. So we'll
06:39see how the Pomodoras goes. Fingers crossed. Keep the other one as a backstop.
06:42What about this one? The native Frangipani which I believe is a
06:46rainforest tree. It is. But it grows really, really well here and it's been
06:50really good. We put them in right at the start. They weren't tube stocked. They
06:54were about that high to start off with. And because it's a rainforest they don't
06:58mind that little bit of shade and they don't mind that extra little bit of
07:01water. So obviously a good choice. They're coping very, very well with it and
07:05growing well. The Banksy are there too. That's doing quite well also. And to our
07:09surprise it's shot up. It's given us the height that we really like to have there.
07:13It's good. And you get the contrasting foliages which I really like too. It's
07:18amazing how you can get really good foliage differences. Wow. There's a heap
07:23of them isn't there? Yeah, they're good. Straffy leaf plants are also providing
07:29great texture at ground level. Lomandra longifolia is as tough as nails and
07:35adapts very well to various soil types including heavy clay. Polla is planted in
07:42blocks working well as a ground cover with Dichondra silver falls covering any
07:48gaps around the paths. The shadiest part of the back garden has been mass
07:53planted with kangaroo fern which gives a vibrant contrast to the grey and silver
07:59colours in the rest of the garden. So how does this garden make you feel after
08:04being a gardener for many, many years? Peaceful. It's just a lovely space.
08:12It's just a lovely space to be in. I love the fact that, well, I wake up in the
08:17morning with my bed, look out on this and we didn't need a big space because we've
08:22got the park. It really works for us. I really like Marge's garden. It really
08:30proves that with good design you can have a stunning native garden that is
08:35low-maintenance to suit you at any age.
08:49My garden has had over 10 years to really grow into itself. At the very
08:56beginning I mapped out the design and plant selection very carefully and it's
09:01mostly grown up and out as planned. Now in amongst the mature plantings there
09:08are gaps as some plants have come to the end of their natural lifespan and others
09:13are no longer thriving as changing conditions like increased shade and
09:18drying weather have taken their toll. I'm going to start with the verge garden
09:24which is looking a bit tired. It gets very little water and with some of the
09:30driest weather on record it's time for some love. I put a few of these
09:35ground-cover form of Calathamnus quadrifidus in and initially they did
09:40really well producing masses of bright red bird-attracting flowers but they've
09:45started to struggle. I've already lost one and these last two, well, they're
09:49declining. As a form that's a selection from another region they're clearly not
09:56cutting it.
10:01So it's time to give them a cut and a hard one. They might come back but I've
10:07now got room to put something else in that I'm hoping will perform more
10:11reliably. Calathamnus sanguinus, closely related and locally occurring
10:17throughout this area. These will grow to about a metre and a half with a little
10:24bit of pruning to keep them to shape. They'll also produce loads of bright red
10:29bird-attracting flowers and they'll also take a little bit of shade so it
10:34should do just fine here under this light canopy. I'm going to fill other
10:41gaps with some quick, colourful, low-growing shrubs. Gastrolobium nervosum
10:46is a winner, growing to half a metre and producing yellow pea flowers. And Acacia
10:52lasciocarpa, another native legume which gets festooned with wattle flowers from
10:58late autumn to spring. Both species are magnets for pollinators. It's like
11:04putting out a welcome mat for native bees. Keeping with the habitat theme, I've
11:09chosen a Malaluca called Malaluca sustenna or coastal honey myrtle for
11:14this spot. Now it's a dryland shrub but it will sit nicely alongside this damp
11:18land feature which takes rainwater off the roof. These will grow to around a
11:23metre in these competitive conditions with creamy white flowers in spring and
11:28early summer and will fill out this spot beautifully.
11:35Growing under established trees is tough because of shade and also competition
11:40for water and nutrients. Here are two plants that will tolerate those
11:44conditions. Not deep shade but the type of shade that you'll find around the
11:49edge of a canopy, Dianella revoluta and Conostylis candicans.
11:58Both of these strappy leafed clumping plants will grow to around 40 centimetres
12:04and spread to around the same. Both will attract native insects with the
12:09Conostylis producing masses of yellow flowers and the Dianella delicate blue
12:15flowers. And the beauty of tube stock is they are cheap and easy to plant so you
12:21can put lots in without causing much disturbance. Gardens are never finished.
12:27As they establish some things will last a long time, some won't. Good gardening is
12:34all about responding to changing conditions and taking the opportunity to
12:39try something new and most importantly have fun while you're at it.
12:45I love native flowers. I'm a big fan of their colour, their shape and their
12:56diversity. But if you're someone who needs convincing, Tammy's heading to a
13:02flower farm that will no doubt change your mind.
13:10My assignment for Gardening Australia this week is pretty awesome. I'm
13:15visiting a farm on the New South Wales Central Coast at Mangrove Mountain
13:18growing Australian native flowers and foliage in open fields and polytunnels.
13:25Bess, what a place! Welcome, thanks for coming. As a small enterprise the farm
13:33turns over hundreds of bunches for market each week but to Bess Scott this
13:38place is home. It was such a special place to grow up. I grew up here with my
13:43three younger sisters so we would spend our summers swimming in the dam every
13:48day and riding our bikes around in the bush and in the fields of flowers. My
13:55dad's a grower and wholesaler at the Sydney flower markets. We would do
14:01propagating and weeding and picking in the like school holidays or after school.
14:09One really special time was when dad did the flowers for the Paralympics in 2000.
14:16He set up their warehouse into a big workshop where florists could make the
14:22bouquets for the ceremonies. So one of the first bouquets I made when I was I
14:28think about nine was one of the Paralympic Games bouquets so that was a
14:33very special thing to do. Oh what a great memory! Yeah. These days Bess is a
14:39full-time florist working in Sydney. I'm the fifth generation in flowers in my
14:43family so my dad and my grandpa followed in the footsteps of my great-grandmother
14:50Veronica. She had a flower shop called Scott's Florist in Sutherland in South
14:55Sydney. She took over that in the 1950s from her father who was also a flower
15:02grower. My grandpa was always helping out and then my dad eventually came and
15:09joined my grandpa and started this farm at Mangrove Mountain. At the time they
15:14were growing more softer flowers as well like a lot of dahlias and asters and
15:18things like that baby's breath as well as some native flowers but my dad
15:23developed a real passion for native flowers so he would now solely grows
15:29Australian native wildflowers. So what are you learning from your dad? It's so
15:34great to be able to talk to him as a grower every day. I might be
15:44ordering for a special event or for my shop but I think it's very unique to
15:48have such a close relationship with a grower as a florist. I just can always
15:53get the inside information on how to look after things or what the proper
15:58name for the flowers is. So I'm always giving him multiple phone calls.
16:07We find Bess's dad Craig in amongst one of their staple crops, the kangaroo paws.
16:14Yeah I guess I've been doing it for a long time and over the years as we've
16:19had more varieties come on board the florists have really taken that on. When
16:23I started my shop six years ago some people would come in first off and say I
16:28don't like native flowers but what else do you have and that what's that over
16:33there in the corner and I would say oh that's actually a flannel flower which
16:36is a native Australian flower so they were always learning what natives were
16:42available and now those same customers are coming back particularly for native
16:46flowers. Flannel flowers certainly have a humble flair that's hard to resist and
16:52this cream and green ensemble is one of the many gardeners can try at home.
16:57Their natural range is southeast Queensland and into New South Wales.
17:03So they tend to grow on the coastal regions, high rocky outcrops and but also
17:09they do grow inland in the Piligar so they like that really sandy soils but we
17:15love to grow them here on the farm. So Craig how many bunches of flannel
17:20flowers would you have picked over the years? Look we each year we probably pick
17:24about four to five thousand then we yeah we stop counting. We've developed this
17:30method of growing them in containers in our greenhouse and we grow them quite
17:34well now. And do they need anything special in the container? Just a free
17:38drain soil and they do like water and they do like nutrient and they grow
17:42quite well. They're very susceptible to root diseases need to be very careful
17:47that's why growing them in the ground and in your garden can be a bit
17:51problematic. You might get a few survive and some might die but they'll still grow
17:56okay in your garden but because we want all of them to produce we grow them in
18:01these containers undercover in the greenhouse. Yeah and would full sun be
18:05the best position for them? Full sun probably is the best position they will
18:08grow in part shade. Okay beautiful. What should people start with?
18:13Tube sucks a great way to get started you know go to a specialist native
18:17nursery you can also buy seeds give it a go.
18:23There's a whole lot of native daisies that last a long time when dried. As a
18:28group they're often called everlastings or paper daisies. Craig is showing me a
18:33family favourite. This is a range of everlasting daisies. We've got the tall
18:37rhodanthes here and we've got these ones here they're so soft and delicate we
18:42call them silver bells that's the nickname we use for them. So even though
18:47they're pink? Even though they're pink yeah I think it's probably the silver on
18:50the back that is where the name has come from. A lovely contrast. You can see
18:57this one here we've actually got it marked because we want to collect seed
19:00off it. It was a real vibrant one yep and each year we do collect seed off our
19:06different flowers and particularly with these daisies we're always looking for
19:10something a bit different to take into the next year. And so I know these
19:14flowers come from Western Australia then it must be a bit challenging to grow
19:17them on the East Coast? Yeah because they come from a fairly dry environment in
19:21Western Australia growing them on the East Coast with all our rain and
19:24humidity is a bit tricky. If you have a dry year they grow really well no grade
19:29issues but if you have a bit of a damp year you can get a lot of leaf disease.
19:32So we we grow them in pots under our tunnel house here to keep the moisture
19:39off the plants but if you're growing them outside you grow them in a free
19:43drained soil. Try and water them just on the soil rather than over the plant and
19:49protect them from snails and slugs because snails and slugs just love them.
19:54They do enjoy a little bit of fertilizer, liquid feed is good. Yep just as they're
20:00coming into bud or when's the best time? Even as they're young and starting to grow when
20:04they're about halfway up if you give them too much food early on they can get
20:09really twisty and wonky so I usually like to let them grow a little bit
20:15before adding liquid feed. Yep and when it comes to sunlight? They can probably
20:19handle a little bit of shade but they prefer full sun. Yep. If there's any moisture in the
20:23air they'll close up but then the next day they'll open. Surprise depending on
20:27the day. That's it yeah. When it comes to the range of Australian native flowers
20:33there's endless possibilities. Just on this farm they're growing over 50 varieties
20:38and experimenting with a lot more. I wonder what colors will be popular next
20:43year? Well this one that Robert's picking here is a really strong producer so we'll
20:47probably grow a few more of that it's a nice white. There's plenty to keep Craig
20:50and Bess busy. Me and Bess just did a quick trip to Western Australia and Bess
20:56demonstrated there using native flowers to florist and then we visited some
21:01farms and Kings Park and it was just lovely to see her joy at seeing the
21:06flowers growing on these farms in Western Australia and the different
21:09varieties that there are available and that we could possibly down the track
21:13grow. It was really exciting to see where everything had come from and learning
21:19more about the process of them growing. And it's such a such a beautiful range
21:23of flowers and for her to be an ambassador for native flowers in Sydney
21:26is something wonderful. Such a sweet combo you two. And later in the show Bess will be
21:33sharing tips for arranging a uniquely Australian bouquet.
21:48Today I'm two hours southwest of Sydney heading to a pretty remarkable site, the
21:55Goulburn Wetlands, a chain of pond systems on the Mullwarrie River.
22:06Next to the river here on the eastern edge of the city, an old abandoned brick
22:11works had become a derelict and neglected paddock. But ten years ago a
22:17group of community volunteers collaborated with the council to
22:22regenerate the 13 and a half hectare site and have a look at the
22:27transformation.
22:35The key to this project was constructing rock booms through the old clay pits
22:41which redirected and filtered stormwater back into the river systems. Then the
22:48friends and residents of Goulburn Swampland took over, affectionately known
22:52as the Frogs. Everything that's grown in here is local prominence. Apart from
22:58these gardens at the two entrances, which are Australian natives, the Australian
23:03Plant Society went out looking for remnant vegetation that was all along
23:08the rivers around in this area and started collecting the seeds. Trying to
23:13revegetate it the way it would have been before the first settlers got here 200
23:18years ago. That's quite an achievement. Look at how densely covered it is here.
23:23You'd just think that's existing bush. That's within the last 10 years of
23:28growth. I'm particularly impressed because I'm a big supporter of this
23:35project. I came to help with some of the initial plantings. It's just so rewarding
23:42to see how it's grown. Pauline. Costa. How are you? I'm very pleased to meet you.
23:50Lovely to see you and it's great to be back. Yes. I'm really excited to have a
23:54look around. The first time I came here the thing that really struck me was all
24:00of the labels. Yeah and look that's part of the core thinking of the Australian
24:06Plant Society is to build that education around Australian plants and you know
24:11because these gardens are designed to show the Goulburn public what grows well
24:17here they've got to know what they're looking at. And I noticed there's plenty
24:21of Banksias through here. They play a big role in the garden. Yeah absolutely.
24:25We've named this garden the Banksia Embankment. The Banksia Embankment. I like
24:31that. Yes. It's very well earthed into the hill isn't it? Yeah. I decided to put the
24:37Banksias in because the wetlands itself had lots of Banksias along the fence
24:41line and then I planted these Banksia Cunninghamii. They're quite tall ones
24:46with their big cones. Wow yeah those cones are amazing. Yeah and they're going so
24:51well. Like any garden site you've got to deal with the local conditions. You've
24:55had some challenges up here. Yeah that's right. When the remnant bushland behind
25:00us was cleared that led to flash flooding whenever there was a heavy rain
25:06event. So it did create a lot of damage. Then there was also the introduction of
25:11weed seeds. The mulch was washed away and the silt came down and as soon as the
25:18sun came out then the soil turned like concrete. Rock hard. Yeah it was just it was
25:23really really challenging. So basically we spent most of 2022 putting in
25:29measures to protect the garden from future flash floods. So what do they
25:34include I see on the edge. Heather created these Hessian tubes that are
25:39filled with mulch and that has made a huge difference in terms of the mulch
25:44not moving and redirecting the water. Yeah. Costa come and have a
25:50look at the woodland garden. So what's different about it? The thinking behind
25:56this woodland garden was to have three layers. The canopy obviously and shrubs
26:01and then the ground covers because that really does provide shelter for the
26:06birds and obviously then also food. Can you hear that? Yes. It's one of the
26:17woodland birds that's come down off the Rocky Hill and it comes to these
26:22eucalyptus poliolenta, commonly known as the silver-leafed mountain gum.
26:31These wetlands have become a magnet for birds and someone who has noticed the
26:37increase is field naturalist Frank Antrim who can often be found observing
26:44in his favourite hide. So Frank how many more birds are you seeing here in the
26:50wetlands since the regeneration? I've now recorded 146 species of bird in this
26:57wetland over the last 10 years. You've got two species of cormorant out there
27:01at the moment, the little pied and the little black and you've got a white-faced
27:05heron over there and the great egret. So these are all fish-eating birds.
27:13Oh look Costa, there's a darter. The wetland, woodland and migratory birds
27:18have all been drawn here by the increased biodiversity from all the
27:23native plantings. The brackets are going to be beautiful. Yeah. Everyone can relate to those
27:29and the colour and they're happy. Absolutely and then this is a lovely
27:33grevillea bronze rambler. Yep and this saltbush, it's lovely to think that you
27:39know you can use these native species and shape them. Yep. And give that bit of
27:43a form and you kind of, you know, my thought is what's around the corner here?
27:47Well let's go and find out. Wow look at, you've, Christy, careful of the buttons.
27:53Yeah. They're looking great. They're such a resilient plant. Right throughout the
27:59drought years they'd flower. It was so lovely to have something colourful
28:03during those dry years. Yeah. And then Costa, I'd really like to show you this
28:07swollen bird here, Gloriosa. The Gloriosa is the ACT's floral emblem. Oh really?
28:14Yeah. I didn't know that. But this is a double one so it's even more spectacular.
28:18And then next to it there's the lovely Scaevola. That one's humilious. They too
28:23flower for such a long time and they're surprisingly tough for such a delicate
28:29looking little flower. Yeah. They kind of all run together nicely, the Wollomburgia,
28:34the Scaevola and the Brachioscone. Yeah. They're kind of bringing that
28:38splash of colour and then you drop a couple of the grasses in there and a
28:43couple of kangaroo paw and suddenly it's a really nice composition and with
28:49the granite path you want to keep coming around. The care and enthusiasm in
28:55cultivating this 13 and a half hectare site is inspiring. You two are straight
29:02into it, down and ripping around in it. What's it mean to come and be
29:08part of this group and do this kind of work? It's fresh air, it's natural
29:14environment and it's a community. It's giving back to the community too.
29:19That's very important. How do you feel at the end of the day when you come in and
29:24done a few hours and spend a bit of energy? What's the feeling like when you
29:27walk out? Good. You've achieved a little bit to help the planet. It's important at this time.
29:34What an amazing example of the power of collaboration, bringing community
29:40together to revitalise the natural environment. I love these projects.
29:52Still to come on Gardening Australia, Clarence gets the scoop on natives grown from seed,
30:00Millie does some much-needed maintenance, and we meet a traditional custodian and ethnobotanist.
30:14At a flower farm on the New South Wales central coast, Craig Scott is growing
30:18native flowers and foliage for market, and daughter Bess is following the
30:22family's footsteps, working with flowers. Bess is sharing her design tips for
30:29building a beautiful bouquet. They're a Thai lotus. So is there the best time of day to pick them?
30:35Early in the morning is a really good time to pick them before the heat of the day,
30:39and then also getting them into really deep water really quickly is good.
30:44And do you have to remove the lower foliage? It is good to remove some of the lower foliage,
30:49just so that more water can go straight to the flower.
30:52I'm going to start with this piece of tea tree, because it's got a nice V-shape,
30:57it can be a good base for my arrangement, start creating a shape in my vase for me to work into.
31:04So I've got a few pieces of that, which I'm going to pop in. I'm going to put this other
31:10piece of tea tree in. My next biggest ingredient are waratahs. Next I'm going to work with some
31:17paimelia. So this is really beautiful, it's really kind of like beautiful and field-like,
31:25rather than big and sculptural. I've also got a piece that's got a little bit of a trail to it.
31:32So I'm going to pop that down the front. So do you just let the flowers sort of tell you
31:39how to arrange them, rather than you trying to force them? Yeah, definitely.
31:44I love smelling these. So you can scrunch it up, it smells amazing. Some people make tea out of it,
31:51it always reminds me of my childhood. So I'm going to pop some of this in, and that's going
31:56to provide a little bit of support for some more delicate paper daisies that we're going to add.
32:02The flowers are everlasting, but they're greener in the summer, so I'm going to add a little bit
32:07of greenery to them. So I'm going to add a little bit of greenery to my tea tree,
32:12everlasting, but their greenery normally goes a bit dark or black and dries up quite quickly,
32:18so I'm just going to pull off a bit of that green. They kind of give a nice punch of
32:25colour and shape in the arrangement. And it's got this beautiful blush colour.
32:30They've got a beautiful colour, but also a really pointy shape. We've got them hanging
32:34on the roof in the shed. We like to dry them out to use them in dried bouquets as well.
32:40Next, I'm going to use this Able Style Mola Mola.
32:42It's like little pom-poms.
32:44That is going to add to my wild garden-like bouquet and give me a bit more structure.
32:53Okay, next I'm going to put in some flannel flowers. So they've got some really nice white,
32:58bright white colour.
33:00Would it be too heavy just to put them all in one spot?
33:03It's good to just pop them in a few at a time, just so you can make sure that
33:07they're all drinking water and they all aren't getting too tangled amongst the other stems.
33:13It's also good if there's no leaves going under the water in the vase,
33:18because it will just make the bacteria grow in the water faster if there's more foliage.
33:25Flannel flowers are one that you really work with the natural shape of the flowers as well.
33:29You can see they're like quite...
33:32Do their own thing. You just have to let them...
33:34Like you're not forcing me to go a certain way.
33:36No, there's no hope. So you just have to let them do their thing,
33:40which is a really nice part of arranging flowers.
33:45Okay, next we'll put in this beautiful Thai Lotus.
33:49It's got such nice, tall, straight stems.
33:53So that's going to give us some nice straight height in the bouquet.
33:57Once your bouquet is coming to the end of its life,
34:01you can pull out some of the elements that will dry nicely,
34:04like the paper daisies or the mullah mullah and hang it upside down.
34:09It will dry nice and straight for you.
34:10Yeah, nice.
34:11So you can put it back in a vase after that or make a wreath out of it.
34:16And then, yeah, it can have a second life.
34:19The last thing I'm going to put in are these really huge lily buttons.
34:25So they've got really nice long stems and really vibrant yellow colour.
34:29These dry really beautifully as well.
34:31So all the other stems can hold these fine stems up in the vase.
34:38So they're all just leaning on each other for support.
34:41Yeah.
34:42This is stunning.
34:44Yeah, it's a little bit garden-y, a little bit wild,
34:47but then it's got some focal, bigger flowers that help to give it a bit of structure.
34:54Australian native plants are to be celebrated.
34:56And after today, I'm inspired to grow a field of flowers in my garden.
35:08If you've ever been into a native plant nursery,
35:10you'll know the huge variety on offer to grow in your garden.
35:15Clarence is checking out a nursery that grows it all and does it from seed.
35:27I'm meeting someone today who is completely obsessed with collecting and propagating native seeds.
35:37Forty years ago, she worked as a typist for a seed company,
35:41but quickly became hooked on the plants, and now she has a booming business of her own.
35:47Marina Grasica is the propagator-in-chief.
35:50Hey, Marina, how are you?
35:51Hello, Clarence.
35:52Hi.
35:53Shall we have a look around?
35:54Oh, please. I'd love to have a look around.
35:55All right.
35:57And this is her world, a nursery to the north of Sydney in Terry Hills.
36:03So, Marina, what got you so obsessed with native plants?
36:07We live in Australia, and I didn't see that many native plants around.
36:12And they give off beautiful scents where exotic species do not.
36:17I became quite interested in where they grew.
36:21You can really tell where you have a native community.
36:25It's a different sense of being rather than being in a forest full of exotics.
36:30All these species are food for the animalia and the insects, etc.
36:35And we need more of these habitat areas so these critters can live like we live.
36:41And that's part of the whole system here,
36:44is making sure there's enough natives in Australia being planted and being cared for.
36:51Because every plant needs to be cared for just like every human being needs to be cared for.
36:56And we're not doing that enough because we think we're better than plants, and we're not.
37:01And we can't live without plants.
37:03No.
37:14What's the process you go through here?
37:16We collect the seed, then you put them into flats.
37:20With a mixture of, let's say, sand and perlite or whatever, depending on the species.
37:25When they're ready, you look underneath, see all the little,
37:28hello, all the little roots coming out.
37:32Then you dibble them out of here, and then you put them into these forestry tube stock.
37:38And they live in here for three, four months until they grow up.
37:43And then they need to go outside to acclimatise before they go into anyone's gardens.
37:49Because the little buggers have got a really hard time out there sometimes.
37:53So they have to be hardy to be able to tolerate what people do to them.
38:12This is a really impressive array of different grass species.
38:15Isn't it gorgeous?
38:17It's lovely.
38:17And how can people use this in their own gardens?
38:20These are all common native grass species.
38:24They can make little meadowlands, grass meadowlands,
38:27where you put your grasses in and then you put in your beautiful little wildflowers.
38:32The best thing about our native grasses is what gets fed from them, you know?
38:37You've got your little moths nesting in all the grasses.
38:40The microlina, they love.
38:42Every time I clean up a microlina patch,
38:45all the little moths are coming out saying,
38:47''Bugger off, this is our house.''
38:49So I do.
38:50So you're doing yourself a favour, you're doing the environment a favour.
38:54It's all about if we don't look after them, they won't look after us.
38:58We've got to look after each other.
39:00What are some of your favourites?
39:03The one in front of us for a start.
39:05This is Aerogostis brownii.
39:08She loves a bit of moisture.
39:09So you do see her on swales, out in the bushlands, in the swales, etc.
39:15And when she's in the ground, she lays flat with purple, purple, purple flowers.
39:20So beautiful.
39:22Such a gorgeous plant for any garden.
39:24And that's one of the things with our native grasses.
39:26If you let them seed, you'll continue that regeneration in your own garden.
39:30That's right.
39:30And that's where your native lawns come into play.
39:33If you've got the tiniest budget, you can still make a native lawn.
39:37You put in one per square metre, you let that seed,
39:40and then you dibble the seed around.
39:42So you can do it on any budget whatsoever.
39:45All you need is one plant.
39:47And patience.
39:48And patience.
39:49If you've got more money, more plants and less patience.
39:54That's something really interesting over there.
39:56This grass is called a Plisminus amulis, the basket grass.
40:01And it makes a beautiful lawn, or you can let it shush up like that.
40:05And the butterflies love it.
40:07The moths love it.
40:08She's such a good coloniser as well.
40:10So you can use it as a ground cover that high, or as a lawn.
40:14And that's why so many of these are so versatile.
40:17They'll do what they're told.
40:20Can we step in and have a closer look at this?
40:21Yeah.
40:27She doesn't take a lot of care, except just keep her mowed.
40:32She's a stunner.
40:33But I don't want to, I don't want to cut her.
40:36Because look at that.
40:37Look at that sound.
40:39It's beautiful.
40:40It's gorgeous.
40:45Look at this one.
40:47Mr Neanderthal.
40:50He's so beautiful.
40:51And the form, when those seed heads start to form, they're just beautiful, aren't they?
40:55Absolutely stunning.
40:56His botanical name is called Ficinian medosa.
41:00He'll grow sand dunes, inland, water, no water, hills, valleys.
41:07He doesn't care.
41:10Yeah.
41:12See that?
41:13It's all seed in there.
41:16So if you don't want them to keep perpetuating,
41:19cut off the seed heads before they fall on the ground.
41:24Tell me about one of the workstations that you have here.
41:27Well, we have Ross in one of the potting sheds,
41:30and he pots up from tube stock to bigger pots.
41:34And then he has to take them up to a separate area
41:38where he has Rollo and Lexi helping him.
41:42They take the front of the trolley up to the area he needs to go.
41:46So they're very helpful as well.
41:51What are some of your recommendations for using meadow species?
41:55This is your Brachycombe species.
41:58I love these.
41:59They're such happy plants.
42:01They flower continuously for like six, seven months of the year.
42:06And she'll wiggle in amongst your other plants,
42:09wiggle in amongst your grasses,
42:12and make herself a very happy home.
42:14And these are gorgeous.
42:15The paper daisies called Brachyantha brachyata.
42:20I love it dearly because if you're a little bit down,
42:23just go out and look at your daisies and you'll be like...
42:27And Wallenbergia here as well.
42:28Now Wallenbergia, she looks tatty and scatty,
42:31but all these little dead little buds here,
42:34they're the actual seed heads.
42:36So those seed heads have dispersed because they do go...
42:40But I tell you what, you cut her back, she just blooms,
42:44and then she'll pop up everywhere in your garden,
42:47which is what you want.
42:49This one I use a lot, the fringe lily.
42:51It's just so stunning.
42:53How could you not love that?
42:54How could you not love that?
42:58And if everybody grew a few of these in every single garden,
43:03we'd be out of trouble.
43:04We won't be losing these species.
43:06This is Australia.
43:08Australian animals need Australian plants.
43:29Of all the ambitious ideas I had for this little garden,
43:33this was probably the most important.
43:36A beautiful sculptural, almost like a giant bonsai gum tree
43:40to form the centrepiece of the garden.
43:43And I bought this little tiny seedling
43:45of a Walgan snow gum, Eucalyptus grexoniana,
43:47before I was anywhere near being ready to plant.
43:51I potted it up and grew it on into a beautiful,
43:53mature specimen, one that I thought was going to be
43:56and then as soon as I had a chance, it went in the ground.
44:09The growth of the tree was absolutely booming,
44:13but after a couple of wet winters, a problem set in.
44:16I started to see spots and damage on the foliage.
44:19At first, just a few leaves, but then it spread to the whole tree.
44:24So I did what every gardener should do when they're in a predicament.
44:28I phoned a friend. Actually, I phoned two.
44:31One who's an expert in Australian plants
44:32and another who specialises in native bonsai.
44:36They both pretty much told me the same thing,
44:38that I might have an insect attack, but I definitely had fungi.
44:42There's about 500 different fungi
44:44that might choose to attack some eucalypt leaves.
44:48In nature, when this happens, the tree does have a defence.
44:52They shed the leaves and with it, they shed the problem.
44:56So as a gardener, I needed to do the same thing
44:59and that was remove all the foliage.
45:05So about six weeks ago, I took the plunge,
45:07removing all the foliage and affected stems
45:10back to a maximum of pencil thickness.
45:13It was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do,
45:16but it had to happen.
45:18Watching the tree's response has been truly astounding.
45:22Within about 10 days, I started to see these tiny little dots
45:25all up and down these beautiful stems
45:28and they were these little epicormic buds.
45:30They lie just underneath the bark.
45:32You wouldn't know they were there until something happens.
45:35In nature, often it's the trauma of a tree, maybe a bushfire,
45:39a big storm or even insect attack that destroys the canopy.
45:43And these buds are lying there, waiting to burst open
45:46The buds are lying there, waiting to burst out from that bark
45:49really, really quickly, produce leaves and start to photosynthesise.
45:53They're designed as that safety net to get the tree
45:56manufacturing food straight away to aid its recovery.
46:06The other place that has been extraordinary to watch
46:09is this lignituba.
46:11Now that is a storage organ that many eucalypts
46:14and some other plants have at the base.
46:16And again, they're designed to respond to trauma with lots of growth.
46:21You can see it's like a forest of shoots down here
46:24and it is, you know, again, really trying to photosynthesise and grow.
46:29But today I want to start to thin these out.
46:32I want to encourage a few really strong stems
46:35because eventually these are going to form a nice framework
46:38in this area of the tree.
46:40It seems a little bit brutal, but it's time to get shaving.
46:45Today, I'm going to choose about a dozen of the strongest shoots to leave
46:51and then over time, I'll thin to the best.
47:05As for that epicormic growth, I'm going to leave that pretty much intact.
47:09For now, I want it to do that job of photosynthesising
47:11and building strength for the tree.
47:13I have been giving it a regular spray of an organic fungicide,
47:17alternating with a little bit of horticultural oil
47:19to try and stop any reinfestation of that fungus.
47:25Truly, I don't know if this is going to work.
47:27From the start, I didn't know that this tree
47:30would be the right one for my climate and conditions.
47:33And ultimately, it may not work.
47:36But in gardening, you've got to risk it for the biscuit.
47:38You've got to try anything that is in your heart
47:42because no matter what happens in the end, you'll learn along the way.
48:04First Nations people have been curating, caring for
48:09and learning about the plants native to this country for thousands of years.
48:14Our next story is with a traditional custodian, an ethnobotanist and his team
48:20who are working across the country,
48:22recording cultural plant knowledge to keep it safe.
48:27They're also working to ensure that Western science
48:31recognises, acknowledges and accepts this vital resource.
48:39We're in far north Queensland, near Cairns at a little town called Smithfield.
48:52And that's where the James Cook University campus is.
48:59The James Cook University campus is situated on Irukandji land.
49:03So they're the traditional custodians of this area.
49:06And we have Jabugai to the west up the range.
49:10And further to the north is eastern Yalandji.
49:13And toward Cairns is Gimai Adindji.
49:18I'm Gerry Turpin.
49:20I'm a local traditional custodian from the Atherton Tablelands.
49:24My tribal nation is Mbarbaram.
49:28But also have familial links to Wajinbata Adindji and Nudgin
49:33and Cookatipan on Cape York Peninsula.
49:39I am employed as a ethnobotanist.
49:42Ethno means people and culture, botany the study of plants.
49:47So it's the relationship of people and culture
49:52and the use of plants in regards to bush tucker, bush medicine or whatever.
49:58The Australian Tropical Herbarium is pretty much a plant library
50:02that's sorted into families, genus and species.
50:08And within that, I lead the Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre.
50:13When I arrived about 15 years ago,
50:16we just didn't want to start it without the consent and input from custodians.
50:21So we held a workshop,
50:22basically asked them what they would like to see in the centre.
50:24Basically asked them what they would like to see in the centre.
50:27So that's how the Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre was established.
50:32The main aim of the centre, as the custodians wanted,
50:36was to record the knowledge and document it and keep it in a safe place.
50:43A lot of groups have been, you know, reconnecting with country
50:46and wanting assistance in recording their knowledge again and storing it.
50:51But also look at how they can use their own knowledge to manage country.
50:59We have three assistants working with us, very interested in ethnobotany.
51:05Young, strong females that are very strong in their culture as well.
51:10You know, it is very significant for me to be working where I am.
51:14It's not only in the wet tropics, but also my homelands.
51:17I'm a Yirrakandji woman, part of the coast between Cairns to Port Douglas.
51:22And we're sitting in a creek right now.
51:24It's called Attica, named after my great-grandfather,
51:27not too far from the Australian Tropical Herbarium.
51:32You know, going out in the field, working with traditional owners,
51:37and then coming back and using the western side of science as well
51:43and trying to create that bridge and that link
51:47and combining them, I think that's really important.
51:53Naika is studying a science degree at the moment
51:57and Siobhan will be starting in a couple of months or so.
52:03So their intention is to become ethnobotanists.
52:08When we go out in the field, tribal group or clan group will invite us out.
52:14Do we have plenty in the fridge?
52:17Yep.
52:19The plant presses?
52:20Yes.
52:21And we do plant collection.
52:24And if they're comfortable enough and we've built enough trust,
52:28they will give us information on their traditional knowledge
52:33associated to that plant or those species.
52:36And then we will take notes or we do video recording or audio recording.
52:44Oval shape, black fruit, leaves are linear.
52:47Climbing over an Eremopolis species.
52:51And then we bring it back and put it into our system here,
52:57so our big database system.
52:59We keep it until they request it back, but we always give it back to them.
53:05A lot of communities, they are still connected culturally,
53:08but then there's also many more that have lost a lot of knowledge.
53:13So, you know, their language is almost extinct or endangered.
53:17The cultural knowledge is lost.
53:20And that came about as a result of being shifted off country.
53:28A lot of the groups are coming back to country through native title and other means
53:34and just familiarising themselves again with country and re-learning there
53:39and reinvigorating that knowledge back into their lives.
53:43And when we go out with them, it's always with family groups or clan groups.
53:50And while we use the modern technology,
53:53the elders are still transferring knowledge the traditional way
53:58by showing and teaching their clan groups.
54:02In the fields, we collect the plants and we press them straight away,
54:07so using paper and cardboard in between plant presses.
54:13Once we bring them in, we put them in the dryer for seven days,
54:20regulated about 40 degrees.
54:22They will then go into the freezer, minus 20 degrees, and that's in there for a week.
54:28That's because we want to manage if there's any insects or anything like that,
54:34and just to make sure that it's all clear before we bring them up into the herbarium.
54:40So we have a permission form that states that it's not going to be used for any commercial purpose,
54:48mainly for scientific purposes.
54:51If someone else wanted to study that plant,
54:53then we advised them to come back to the original owners of that plant
54:58and to contact them and to engage with them.
55:01And that's about access and benefit sharing,
55:04particularly, you know, to genetic samples and resources.
55:10My interest is Western science and Indigenous biocultural knowledge working together.
55:15So bringing those two knowledges together,
55:18and accept biocultural knowledge as well.
55:22It's a hidden resource towards providing those solutions,
55:27such as climate change or food security, any water problems, things like that.
55:33So in every area, biocultural knowledge has a part to play within that.
55:39We have some major projects with bush tucker, with a couple of communities,
55:43and a couple of medicinal plant projects as well.
55:46The bush tucker industry is worth, you know, 70, 80 million a year.
55:50Less than 3% of Indigenous people are engaged in that industry,
55:55you know, and they're missing out, you know, on the benefits.
55:58And so we've got a lot of work to do to make sure that we're doing the right thing.
56:04So our project is about providing funds to kickstart a proposal.
56:09So it's about just putting Indigenous people in a place where they can be established as a nursery,
56:18and then they can find further funding to go into the commercial operation.
56:24Feels pretty amazing.
56:25Yeah, it's a really good thing.
56:26It's a really good thing.
56:27Feels pretty amazing.
56:29That I know that I'm doing something, you know, not just for myself, but also for my people,
56:37and also giving back to them, and it's really rewarding.
56:41It's the continuation of traditional knowledge and culture.
56:46It's thriving and still going.
56:50It's a strong foundation for me.
56:53And it's, you know, the foundation to keep my family going.
56:57It gets me, you know, wanting to do what I do in protecting the plant knowledge
57:03and most importantly to make sure it's there for the next generation.
57:09My knowledge comes from the Terrestrial Custodians themselves.
57:12You know, it took four years to complete my studies.
57:17But a custodian's education starts from birth, you know, and just continues on.
57:28That's all the native plants we could squeeze in for this week.
57:38I hope it's inspired you to find room for some more at your place.
57:43There's always a bit of space.
57:45And look, if you want some more native plant specials, contact us on our socials.
57:50We'll be back next week with something for everyone,
57:53from veggie patch know-how to stunning designer gardens.
57:57Here's what's in store.
58:01I've come to beautiful Bruny Island off Tasmania's southeast coast
58:05to visit a market gardener who's created a thriving veggie patch.
58:09I'm at the home of an internet sensation.
58:12You could call him a plant influencer,
58:15whose passion for growing tropical plants on vertical poles
58:19has shot him to worldwide popularity.
58:23And I'm visiting a property where the lay of the land
58:26has made the unexpected possible.
58:28A tropical garden in the Perth Hills.