Plant your own wildflower wonderland

This colourful border at Boongala Gardens in Kenthurst, Sydney, ticks all the boxes. Fine-leaved eucalypts provide a light canopy, while flowering grevilleas and wattles fill the middle layer. Sculptural grass trees (Xanthorrhoea) punctuate the planting, as native violet and deep pink and orange kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos) bring colour and texture to the front of the border.

You can grow a garden of exquisite Aussie natives to pick, while feeding birds, bees and butterflies. So c’mon Aussie... you’ll love it!

Australian wildflowers offer far more than a spectacular spring display,

taking your breath away each time you enjoy them, because their vibrant flowers, graceful grasses and unique textures create naturalistic gardens that attract birds, bees and butterflies while using less water and requiring less maintenance than traditional gardens. The most successful designs combine plants of different heights, textures and flowering seasons to create a garden that's colourful and alive all year round. Here’s how to grow yours.

Plant in layers

The secret to a beautiful wildflower garden is creating layers. Start with trees to provide canopy, follow with shrubs to provide structure, then weave ornamental grasses through the planting formovement. Finish with flowering annual sand perennials that spill between the larger plants, creating a natural meadow effect. Rather than planting in rows, repeat groups of the same species in drifts to ensure rhythm and a more cohesive display.

 

"Plant in layers and drifts, rather than in stiff rows, allowing plants to mingle and self-seed for a naturalistic vibe."

• Anigozanthos 'Bush Pearl'

Kangaroo paws are a riot of colour in spring

Our favourite nine for you to grow

1. KANGAROO PAW (Anigozanthos) Velvety kangaroo paw flowers add bold colour and height from spring into summer. Grow in full sun with well-drained soil.

2. PINK MIST CORREA (Correa 'Pink Mist') This compact shrub thrives in semi-shade or morning sun. Prune after flowering to keep it below 1m and expect plenty of nectar-feeding bird visitors.

3. FLANNEL FLOWER (Actinotushelianthi) Loved for its velvety white blooms, flannel flower thrives in sandy, free-draining soil. It also. performs well in pots, making it a great choice where drainage is less than ideal.

4. DWARF BANKSIA (Banksiaspp.) Dwarf banksia delivers spectacular flower spikes from autumn into winter, feeding birds when little else is flowering. Grow in full sun and well-drained soil and avoid heavy pruning into old wood.

5. NATIVE DAISY (Brachyscome) Native daisy flowers for months and is perfect for rockeries, borders and pots. Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. And give them a light trim after flowering.

6. EVERLASTING DAISY These iconic paper daisies are among the easiest Australian wildflowers to grow from seed. Sow directly into a sunny, well-drained position from autumn to spring, then enjoy colourful displays in thegarden.

7. BOTTLEBRUSH (Callistemon) Bottlebrush are tough, colourful shrubs that thrive in a wide range of soils. Tip prune after flowering to maintain a dense habit.

8. BILLY BUTTONS (Pycnosorusglobosus) Golden globe-shaped flowers bring texture and contrast to wildflower plantings. Grow in full sun with moist, well-drained soil and pick the blooms fresh to enjoy indoors.

9. NATIVE HIBISCUS (Alyogyne huegelii)Fast-growingandlong-flowering, this hardy shrub makes an excellent informal hedge or screen. Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. Prune after spring flowering to maintain a dense,rounded shape

Varieties you'll love

• Correa'Pink Mist'

•  Flannel flower

•  Banksia'Cherry Candles'

• Brachyscome'Brasco Violet'

• Everlasting daisy

•  Callistemon 'Pink Champagne'

•  Billy buttons

• Alyogyne' West Coast Gem

Plan for year-round

colour A successful wildflower garden will offer you something to enjoy in every season. Combine annuals, perennials and flowering shrubs so as one plant finishes another begins. Everlasting daisies and kangaroo paws provide spectacular spring and summer colour, while grevilleas, banksias and croweas continue the display through the cooler months, keeping your garden alive with birds and pollinators.

Welcome in the wildlife

One of the pleasures of wild flower gardens is inviting in wild life with nectar-rich flowers for birds, bees and butterflies, leaving spent flower heads to go to seed for seed-eating birds and giving plants the chance to self-seed annually. Plant dense prickly shrubs as habitat, nesting sites and safe havens for small birds.Try sweet bursaria or black thorn (Bursaria spinosa),silky hakea (Hakea sericea) and Prickly Moses (Acacia verticillata).All welcome!







 

Grevilleas are fabulous additions to wildflower gardens. Grevillea ‘Peaches and Cream’ lives up to its name, with flowers that open with soft yellows before developing shades of peach, pink and orange as they mature.

Where to buy

SYDNEY WILDFLOWER NURSERY, HEATHCOTE, NSW INDIGIGROW, LA PEROUSE, NSW KURANGA NATIVE NURSERY, MT EVELYN, VICPATEN PARK NATIVE NURSERY, THE GAP, QLD ZANTHORREA NURSERY, MAIDA VALE, WA AUSTRALIAN PLANTS ONLINE (ONLINE)