Indigenous Gardens
Welcome, this page is dedicated to indigenous gardens everywhere.
- Indigenous gardens are beautiful and interesting.
- Indigenous gardens celebrate nature.
- Indigenous gardens are sacred.
- Indigenous gardening is secular nature worship.
Nature is local biodiversity summed over the whole planet.
Every indigenous garden is part of nature.
An indigenous garden is composed of plants that are indigenous to the garden area.
Indigenous gardens around the world are known by various names such as natural gardens, wildflower gardens, bush gardens and ecological gardens. All indigenous gardens are based on the local natural flora.
All gardens are created vegetation with structural elements such as trees, lawns, shrubberies and flower beds. An indigenous garden has the same managed forms so is not natural vegetation. The difference with conventional gardening is that the natural flora is used, which in turn provides habitat for natural fauna.
Just as the natural flora and vegetation undergo constant change, an indigenous garden displays rapid change with climatic events and can even accommodate climate change by assisting the migration of species.
Creating and managing an indigenous garden involves many gardening techniques, many of which, such as burning for weed control or regeneration, cannot be found in conventional gardening guides. An indigenous garden can be created almost anywhere, either from scratch or by modifying existing natural vegetation.
Indigenous gardens can be stable, with the plants set apart as ornamental specimens or as landscaping. Many indigenous plants show superb growth when free from competition in such situations.
Some indigenous gardens are dynamic, where plant recruitment as seedlings or vegetative spread makes the garden come even more alive. Seedlings are an integral part of the garden and add interest to every square metre. An indigenous garden can be looked at extremely closely when seedlings, lichens, mosses and insects are included. There is studied informality and amazing detail in an established indigenous garden.
Please add your garden by either clicking here or on "add child page" below.
Brian Bainbridge's Garden
Stormwater from the roof is directed through the garden along a shallow drainage line and many moisture loving plants grow here. This small footbridge is made from recycled timbers.
The garden has attracted a range of wildlife since it was established in 2004, helped by it's location, mostly surrounded by the parklands of the Merri Creek in outer-urban Fawkner.
Invertebrates that make use of the long grassland habitat include purple-winged mantids, several cricket species, butterflies including the Dispar skipper, Saltbush (Chequered) Blue and White-brand Grass Dart Skipper, several types of native bee and grasshoppers.
At left is a pair of tiny, spiny Hispellinus beetles. The larvae feed inside the stems of Kangaroo Grass and Mat Grass (Hemarthria uncinata). Adults emerge in summer, often perching on the flowering culms of the food plant.
After windstorms blew out the top of an ill-placed Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta), I killed the tree by stem injection. The tree has been more attractive to wildlife dead than it ever was when alive, becoming a powerful magnet for birdlife. It is a a lookout, basking spot and even a hunting ground for birds incessantly inspecting the peeling bark and crevices.
A water dish is maintained near the dead tree which is kept full and clean at all times in summer. Several young Blackwoods and Lightwoods planted nearby have rapidly grown, creating shelter needed by small birds to feel comfortable when bathing. Some pruning was needed to ensure the flight path and view lines remained open.
Constant garden residents include Red Wattlebirds, White-plumed Honey-eaters, Australian Magpie, Willie Wagtail and Crested Pigeons along with the exotic Indian Mynahs, Starlings, House Sparrows and Spotted Turtle Doves. Less common visitors are the New Holland Honey-eaters, Grey Shrike-thrush (love areas of fallen leaves, bark and twigs, Spotted and Striated Pardalote , Eastern Rosella (methodically ate all the pods of the Golden Spray (Viminaria juncea) this year and the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (a special visitor from inland Australia which has over-wintered in the area for several years).
The Tufted Bluebell, Wahlenbergia communis and Native Pelargoium, Pelargonium australe, make a beautiful, hardy combination amongst rocks, flowering throughout summer.
Winter perfume, the Tree Violet
I am reminded each year at this time to celebrate that quiet achiever, the Tree Violet. This shrub is found in many situations around Melbourne from harsh escarpments and exposed Grasslands to sheltered river valleys where it may reach the size of a small tree (eg. along the Yarra at Ivanhoe). It recently had a name change from Hymenanthera dentata to Melicytus dentatus, placing it firmly within the generic fold of a cluster of New Zealandish rainforest cousins.
Unlikely as it seems, the Tree Violet is in the same family as the familiar Violet. One of the few family resemblances is the strong, sweet odour of the flowers. These are all the more welcome for perfuming the frigid late winter/early spring air.
A beaut little bush under established trees, even if a trifle slow to begin with. It is among the most shade tolerant species around but is equally hardy in full sun.
The pretty bluish berries are relished by small birds such as Silver-eyes, which ensure the plant pops up all over the place, even in the gardens of those who wouldn't dream of planting an 'indigenous' plant.
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Indigenous Garden Links
Australia: Using indigenous plants to conserve indigenous fauna
http://farrer.riv.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/APOL17/mar00-1.html
Australia: Importance of Australia's Indigenous Plants
http://farrer.riv.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/indig.html
Australia: Flora for Fauna
http://www.floraforfauna.com.au/links.asp?id=82
Australia: Sustainable Gardening Australia
http://www.sgaonline.org.au
Australia: Wildscape
http://www.wildscape.com.au/about/
Australia: Global Garden
http://www.global-garden.com.au/burnley/nov99dte.htm
Australia: Bush garden
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/2003/archives/2003/in_the_garden/gardening_tips,_books,_techniques_and_tools?p=3671
Australia: Flora Victoria
http://www.floravictoria.com
Australia (Victoria): Indigenous nurseries
http://www.greeningaustralia.org.au/GA/VIC/HotTopics/nurserylists.htm
Australia (Black Hill): Wildflower garden
http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/blackhill/wildflower.html
Australia (Clarence): Biodiversity garden
http://www.unley.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=377
Australia (Kur-ring-gai): Wildflower garden
http://www.anbg.gov.au/chabg/bg-dir/066.html
Australia (Melbourne): Grow your own indigenous plants
http://www.homes1.com.au/Mag_Indigenous.html
Australia (Melbourne): Indigenous Garden
http://www.acfonline.org.au/asp/pages/document.asp?IdDoc=1929
Australia (Melbourne): Urban bushland parks
http://www.global-garden.com.au/burnley/oct97dte.htm
Australia (Sydney): Indigenous Landscape Design Australia
http://ilda.sitesuite.ws/
Australia (Townsville): Gardening for butterflies
http://farrer.riv.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/APOL14/jun99-1.html
Britain: Wild flower garden
http://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/wild_flowers.htm
Cameroon: Indigenous garden
http://www.bgci.org.uk/botanic_gardens/Bafut_BG_new_Cameroon_garden.html
Germany (Herberstein Castle): Ecological Garden
http://www.herberstein.co.at/en/gaerten/oeko.php
India: Beauty With Indigenous Species
http://ezinearticles.com/?Beauty-With-Indigenous-Species&id=7873
Israel: Ecological garden
http://techunix.technion.ac.il/~greenweb/en_eco.html
Korea: Ecological garden
http://www.unesco.or.kr/unescokorea/past_no1/focus_3.html
Madeira: Garden of indigenous plants of São Vicente
http://www.madeira-web.com/PagesUK/gardens/garden-sao-vicente.html
Malta: Indigenous and protected trees
http://schoolnet.gov.mt/hands.on.farming.gozo/indigenous%20trees.htm
New Zealand: Otari-Wilton’s Bush
http://www.wellington.govt.nz/services/gardens/otariwiltonsbush/otariwiltonsbush.html
Phillipines: Indigenous bonsai trees
http://www.upd.edu.ph/~updinfo/archives/NovDec2002/Bonsai%20Garden.htm
South Africa: The value of an indigenous garden
http://www.gisa.co.za/article.php?AID=88&artcatid=12&CID=5
South Africa: Greening South Africa’s schools
http://www.nbi.ac.za/education/pret4.htm
South Africa: The indigenous movement
http://www.graemark.co.za/The%20Gardener/2005%20February/the_indigenous_movement.htm
United States: Natural gardening
http://www.nearctica.com/family/garden/natgard.htm
United States: Beautiful wildflower gardens
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/outdoors/37
United States: Ecological sensitivity in landscape gardening
http://www.nutrition4health.org/NOHAnews/NNF00EcolLandscape.htm
United States (Brooklyn): Wildflower gardening
http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/wildflower/
http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/ecology/
United States (Brooklyn): Going Native (book)
http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/wildflower/handbooks/going_native/3.html
United States (California): Ecological garden design
http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/freeform/slosson/documents/1993-19942141.pdf
United States (California): Bay Nature
http://www.baynature.com/2003janmarch/resources_2003janmarch.html
United States (California): Earthwise garden
http://www.drsociety.bc.ca/garden.htm
United States (Connecticut): Wildflower garden
http://www.conncoll.edu/ccrec/greennet/arbo/wfg/wfgmain.html
United States (Hawaii): How to plant a native Hawaiian garden
http://www.state.hi.us/health/oeqc/garden/index.html
United States (Minneapolis): Wildflower Garden
http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=340
United States (New England): Garden in the Woods
http://www.newfs.org/garden.htm
United States (New England): Ecological garden
http://www.ela-ecolandscapingassn.org/wint_conf_sponsors.htm
United States (Okefenokee): Okefenokee Natural Garden
http://www.innatfolkston.com/nec/garden.htm
Indigenous Garden examples from Chris Findlay
The following examples were provided by Chris Findlay.
These photos show the Burnley Indigenous Garden at its peak when I worked on it from 1997 to 2000. It had a great framework of trees and shrubs when I started, so I re-developed the ground layer. Within my three years I managed to introduce over 100 species of ground flora to this “Bush” style garden.
After Burnley I started Flora Victoria. These are indigenous grassland landscapes we designed and developed for Brimbank City Council.
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Jeff Yugovic's Indigenous Garden
This is a terrific garden that makes use of lots of interesting local plants.
Here are some pictures from Jeff's garden.
Monash Uni Indigenous Food Garden
I am truly blessed. For, although I work in the light-industrial heartland of Melbourne’s South Eastern suburbs, it is also home of the Clayton campus of Monash University.
In the midst of the grounds is a small oasis. Located near the Halls of Residence and the Lake, lies the indigenous garden. It is here that it is my privilege to walk each day. I like the early morning best. As the students pass me, they are seemingly oblivious to the natural wonder and beauty of their surroundings.
The garden itself is pleasantly laid out on the hill between the Loop Road and the Lake. It has a wonderful collection of indigenous plants, neatly labelled with their name and the purpose to which they were put by the local Aboriginal people.
Some examples include:
- KABIN: Running Postman. Flower-honey; stem tying. Kennedia prostrata R Br
- WARPUR: Native Willow. Seed and gum eaten. Pittosporum phillyreoides D C
- GURGUDJ: Ruby Saltbush. Fruit eaten. Enchylaena tormentosa
To the west, at the top of the hill, lies a huge tree trunk on it side. There is an interesting shape cut into it. The nearby sign says “The scar on this tree was created a long time ago by the Wurundjeri balluk people of the Yarra Valley when they cut out a piece of the bark to make a shield. The tree was recently donated by the Wurundjeri people.”
Aside from the plants, the area is a magnet for a variety of birds. Recently there have been Little Pied Cormorants, Straw-Necked Ibis, a White Faced Heron as well as the usual quota of common ducks etc. The last week has seen a flock of Rainbow Lorikeets making a cacophony in the trees above the lake.
If you are in the area and have a spare moment I invite you to come and take a look and enjoy the sights and sounds of this little piece of heaven. (Melways 575).
Perhaps other members would care to share their favourite spot?
Finally I would like to thank Beth Gott for all her efforts in making this garden happen.
- Lawrie Hanson
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