1 week Ago By Yahoo News Australia
Aussies are being encouraged to take part in a quiet shift that is taking place in backyards across the country , with some arguing it's a cause for celebration for both people and the planet. Native plants are "showing up more and in bigger numbers" in gardens nationwide, according to environmental educator Clancy Lester . The self-professed bee enthusiast was delighted, after visiting Melbourne's International Flower and Garden Show earlier this month, to notice such a monumental shift in the preferences of green-thumbed Aussies .
It's a big shift away from traditional English ornamental plants like Ivy and lantana , which are now deemed significant invasive weeds , causing detrimental effects on Australia's ecosystem. Now, these plants are being replaced with those that better suit the environment where they are being planted. "There is a massive rise in native plants and a trend in appreciating our native plants and going away from our more traditional colonialist themes and trends," he told Yahoo News.
"It’s really exciting, I love it," he said, encouraging others to get involved too. Why is it a good thing to have native plants in the garden? Clancy, who helps people set up bee hotels in gardens, believes there are "so many" positives that come out of ditching traditional gardens and replacing them with natives. "A lot of native plants have adapted to the harsh Australian climate and these unique evolutions mean they can survive in drought and poor quality soils," he said.
"If we're putting them in our gardens, they are going to be lower maintenance and you can forget about them. They don't have the water demands like some of our lawns and English plants do." What's more, it will have a positive impact on local biodiversity.
"Birds, butterflies, bees, beetles and everything in between is adapted to pollinate these plants. They'll be loving it and it'll be restoring those populations," he said. Simple change to incorporate native plants in the garden "The simplest change would be going to a local native nursery," Clancy said, adding that staff are usually very knowledgable about the best plants to put in your garden.
"Fill up your trolley and just find a spot for them." For Aussies who don't have a garden but still want native plants in their home, Clancy believes they're "great" in raised garden beds and pot plants too. According to event organisers, tulips were the most popular bloom of the season, followed closely by native Australian flowers.
It comes after a landscaping company left millions stunned after a four-week project in Nuriootpa, a town 80 kilometres away from Adelaide , which involved digging a large bond in a backyard 30 metres long. Within weeks, it has enticed an array of wildlife including dragonflies, damselflies, native bees, flocks of bird species and three different types of frogs. The winner of the City of Melbourne Award of Excellence for Best in Show went to Rob Cooper from Distinctive Gardens with his design, called ‘ə’skāp’, which incorporated native species.
‘ə’skāp’ also took the Horticultural Media Association Award for Best Use of Plant Life. Do you have a story tip? Email: [email protected] .
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