March 2015 – Mandurah Native Gardens

Endemic Australian genus, 66 species, most from the SW of WA (where else?).

Smallish woody shrubs. Very nice flowers. Require excellent drainage. Most easily propagated from seed, although germination can take up to 6 to 8 weeks, so, I’m told, it’s best to not get impatient and throw out the seed trays too early.

Volunteers at King’s Park in Perth have grown a selection of 18 species this year (2015) which are going be on sale on March 22nd. Sounds like a good reason to be in Perth that day.

They’ve written about the genus here, which includes a link to photo’s by an enthusiast in Esperance. And Flikr user Westflora has some pictures here.

Needless to say I’m dreaming about growing some when I get back to WA…well, it’s nice to dream. WA seed supplier Nindethana stocks quite a few species, and by cross-referencing these with Florabase, I’ve come up with a short list that might grow well in the Mandurah (WA) area:

Petrophile biloba – very handsome (according to John Wrigley), if straggly shrub to 2 m, with nice fluffy pink flowers. From the pictures I’ve seen: looks gorgeous! A touch northerly for Mandurah, but very close…

P. brevifolia – erect, multi-stemmed shrub to about 1 m, very nice yellow flower. Originates north and east of Perth.

P. ericifolia – bushy shrub to 1m by 1m, yellow flower. Very handsome too. Occurs naturally way out to the east, but you know, Mandurah is getting hotter and drier, so I’m sure it will be OK.

P. linearis – erect shrub to 50 cm, “outstanding and charming”, native to Mandurah.

P. macrostachya – erect, compact, prickly shrub to about 1 m. Naturally occurs north of Perth. Gorgeous flower.

P. serruriae – erect shrub to 2m by 2m wide, very nice yellow flower. Againa, occurs naturally a bit to the east of Mandurah, but close enough to be interesting.

Images below are all stolen from the internet…

A great Tasmanian specific vegetable gardening book: “Growing Vegetables South of Australia – Year ‘Round Tasmanian Food Gardening” by Steve Solomon.

From the Afterword:

“A successful gardening TV personality who lives near me has strongly urged me to make a heap of money from this book. All I would have to do is to dilute the focus of this book so it suits all the cooler parts of Australia, change its challenging title, eliminate all suggestions that you should buy seeds from abroad and tone down my criticisms of the vegetable garden seed business. Then I might interest a royalty-paying mainland publisher.

But this book is intentionally limited to my 480,000 neighbours who are not well served by mainland gardening writers, seed suppliers and authorities. This book was made for fun and service, not done for profit.”

Yay to that! And, once again (previously: The Clay Fad), “TV personality” gardeners revealed for what they are: money grubbers.

Not that I have a problem with money grubbing per se, more with the way they present themselves as “down-to-earth-save-the-earth-goody-goodies”, when in fact they’re cogs in gardening industry machine that has sweet FA to do with “Saving the Earth” and everything to do with profit…says I who’s been working in a commercial nursery!

Anyway, I was introduced to the marvellously detailed writings of Steve Solomon while WWOOFing in Dover, Tasmania: 5 acres of ferocious gradient in the back of the back of beyond. Lovely people, great work, great food and very nice vege and native gardens too…