5 BEST EVERGREEN SHRUBS

Evergreen Shrubs are crucial in landscape design. They are essential in landscaping and gardening, providing structure, texture, and colour to outdoor spaces. They act as focal points, create privacy, define borders, and offer habitat for wildlife. With their diverse forms and size, shrubs add depth and visual interest, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the landscape design.

 

3d Landscape design Landscaping Kew
Reading corner in rear of a landscaped garden. 3D landscape design render showing photorealistic evergreen shrubs.

Due to their year-round foliage, evergreen shrubs are vital in creating a vibrant and colourful landscape. Their presence ensures a continuous green backdrop, even during winter when deciduous plants lose their leaves. Evergreen shrubs provide structure, texture, and visual interest, creating a more visually appealing and cohesive landscape. They serve as a foundation for other seasonal plants and flowers, providing a consistent backdrop that enhances the overall aesthetics of the garden. Additionally, evergreen shrubs offer privacy, act as windbreaks and provide shelter for wildlife. Their ability to maintain foliage throughout the year makes them essential to creating a vibrant and attractive outdoor space.

Ornamental Plants - Reds Landscaping and Design
The use of these plants can help you design focal points or accent areas in your garden by adding colour, texture, and intrigue. Evergreen plants can be mixed with annuals to great effect.

In Melbourne, Australia, the climate is temperate and favourable for many plants; several exceptional options exist. To help you select the best evergreen shrubs for year-round colour in Melbourne, here are five top choices:

Camellia (Camellia japonica)

Camellia japonica, known as common camellia, is a species of Camellia, a flowering plant genus in the family Theaceae. This evergreen shrub is known for its stunning flowers and lush foliage, making it a popular ornamental plant in the garden across the region. Its elegant, single or double blooms appear in a wide range of colours providing a vibrant burst of colours from late autumn through early spring. The peak blooming period typically occurs during winter, when other plants may be dormant or less colourful.

Pink Camellia pet friendly evergreen
The Camellia is a pet friendly shrub that can be used as a safer alternative to the toxic azalea.

The glossy green foliage of Camellia japonica remains attractive year-round, adding lushness and structure to the garden, even during the colder months. The evergreen nature of this camellia variety ensures that your garden maintains a lush and vibrant appearance throughout the year. The plant’s elegant form and lush foliage make it an excellent choice for hedges, foundation plantings, or as a solitary specimen in the landscape. Additionally, their shrub is relatively low-maintenance, requiring only light pruning after flowering.

Lilly Pilly (Syzygium spp.)

Lilly oily is a versatile group of evergreen shrubs and small trees native to Australia. These evergreen shrubs or small trees offer many attractive features, making them popular for gardens and landscapes. One of the standout features of Lilly Pilly is its glossy green foliage, which remains vibrant throughout the year, providing a lush and dense backdrop to the garden.

Paved courtyard with table and concrete plant pots.
Paved courtyard with table and concrete plant pots. Lilly Pilly helps to hide the fence.

In addition to appealing foliage, Lilly Pilly plants produce small, fluffy and often fragrant flowers in spring and summer. These blooms are attractive to bees and other pollinators, contributing to the overall biodiversity of the garden.

Daphne odora

Daphne odora, winter daphne, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae, native to Chine. This evergreen shrub is highly valued for its charming fragrance and attractive seasonal appearance. During late winter and early spring, Daphne's odora bursts into bloom, producing pale pink to white flowers that emit a powerful and delightful fragrance. These sweet-scented blossoms can fill the garden with their alluring perfume, making it a joy to spend outdoors, even during cooler months.

Variegated Evergreen Daphne Odora in bloom.
Variegated Evergreen Daphne Odora in bloom.

The shiny, deep-green foliage of Daphne odora remains vibrant and lush year-round, providing a beautiful backdrop to other plants in the garden. Gardners in Melbourne can enjoy the evergreen beauty, intoxicating fragrance and seasonal changes that Daphne odora brings to their landscape. Plant it where you can enjoy its wonderful perfume, such as near a doorway, along a path, near your patio or deck etc. It is also great for foundation plantings or as a flowering hedge.

 

Bottlebrush - a colourful evergreen shrub or small tree to attract wildlife.

Bottlebrushes (Callistemon spp.) are evergreen shrubs native to Australia that offer appealing features and standout addition to any garden. One of the most striking attributes of Bottlebrush is their unique, bottlebrush-shaped flowers, which bloom in various colours like red, pink etc. The vibrant flowers appear throughout the year but are particularly abundant in spring and summer, attracting bees, butterflies and nectar-feeding birds, adding a delightful touch of wildlife to the garden.

Rainbow Lorikeet and the bottlebrush flowers
Rainbow Lorikeet in the bottlebrush tree on a rainy day at Woy Woy, NSW, Australia.

Beyond their eye-catching flowers, bottlebrush shrubs feature dense, dark green foliage that remains attractive throughout the seasons. The foliage provides an attractive backdrop to the flowers and adds texture and depth to the landscape. As the seasons change, bottlebrush shrubs continue to captivate. In autumn and winter, the spent flower clusters may produce woody seed capsules that resemble tiny cones, enhancing the shrub’s visual appeal during the cooler months.

With their evergreen nature, stunning flowers, and adaptability, bottlebrush shrubs can provide year-round interest, attracting wildlife and delighting gardeners in Melbourne’s gardens and landscapes.

Rhododendron a small to large evergreen flowering shrub

Rhododendron is a genus of flowering plants that belong to the Ericaceae family. These evergreen shrubs offer a beautiful backdrop throughout the year, adding a touch of elegance and colour to any landscape. Rhododendrons burst into a breathtaking display of large, vibrant flowers in shades of pink, purple, white and red. Their showy flowers attract bees and other pollinators, enhancing the garden's biodiversity. The glossy, deep green foliage remains as the warmer months progress, maintaining a lush and verdant appearance.

Evergreen Pink Rhododendron in bloom.
Evergreen Pink Rhododendron in bloom.

During the autumn, some Rhododendron varieties may exhibit a change in leaf colour, providing an additional layer of interest to the garden. The leaves may turn shades of bronze, burgundy, or copper, further enriching the visual appeal of the shrub. In winter, when many other plants may be dormant or have lost their leaves, Rhododendrons contribute to the garden's beauty. Their evergreen foliage remains vibrant and lively, offering a welcome burst of greenery amidst the colder months.

To see Rhododendrons in Melbourne, why not travel out to Olinda in the Dandenong Ranges? The Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden is home to a staggering 15,000 rhododendrons, 12,000 azaleas, 3,000 camellias and 250,000 daffodils clothed in colour in spring and autumn.

3D Photorealistic Design using Evergreen Shrubs

3D Render Package, will allow you to collaborate your design in real time with one of our experienced and talented landscape designers. Using some advanced software/hardware we can create immediate 3D renders. This allows visual assessment of the design from every viewpoint. It will let you see and understand how all the elements are intended to come together giving an instant serenity.

Our software can create an artificial sun and project light and heat on any given day or time. This ability to replicate the exact angle and temperature of the sun rays projecting on the building prior to construction is  why this package is the peoples favourite. With this amount of influence and control over your future outdoor space, its easy to see how this package will drive confidence, clarity and transparency into the build and assure all trades and parties are moving towards the same goal.

 


Habitus South Melbourne Landscaping

SouthSouth Melbourne Landscaping for Habitus Apartments are located in the heart of South MelbourneMelbourne on 10-16 Boundary Street, South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3205.

South Melbourne Lifestyle

One of the great elements about this location is that it is only a ten-minute stroll to the iconic South Melbourne Market. This market has been going since 1867, when it was established on a license of land in what was then known as Emerald Hill. This marks the market as the oldest and continuously running market in the whole of Melbourne. The original 10 acres of land for the market was in the area bounded by the St Kilda Railway line and Cecil, York and Coventry Street. Having the market nearby was convenient when ordering lunch for the landscapers.

South Melbourne Market
South Melbourne Market - Photo Credit Qantas Travel Insider.

 

In a historically under-used corner of South Melbourne, yet offering a location with brilliant proximity to the Bay and CBD, Habitus offers a new form of urbanism for the area, leading the way in an accelerating gentrification and offering residents a unique, visionary presents lifestyle opportunity.

Habitus invites one to experience the finest inner city living with exceptional quality townhouses in prime locations. Offering a resolutely local neighborhood character and unparalleled access to Melbourne's most treasured landmarks and cultural attractions, Habitus sets a whole new standard in contemporary residential architecture.

The ultimate contemporary lifestyle. Habitus Townhomes showcases handcrafted forms to create a rich, fulfilling and integrated living experience for its residents. A big part of the lifestyle for these residents was our South Melbourne Landscaping.

 

DKO Architecture has built the Habitus Apartments in South Melbourne to deliver quality-crafted contemporary apartments. These apartments are conveniently placed, with just a short stroll to Montague Tram station. This provides effortless access to the Melbourne CBD and tram connections to St Kilda’s Fitzroy St. The rooftop balconies provide views of the Melbourne CBD. The location in South Melbourne is also just an easy walk to the now very fashionable Bay Street in Port Melbourne. The apartments, more precisely known as "townhomes", are available in three different styles, each with their own architectural character. The architects envisage a rich and fully integrated lifestyle for the new residents.

 

South Melbourne Lifestyle

The name Habitus is in fact Latin for "character,” which is something these apartments truly possess, as well as showcasing a determined commitment to quality. Lifestyle in South.

DKO was founded in 2000. Founding partners Koos de Keijzer and Zvonko Orsanic wanted to independently implement their own vision: creating ingenious spaces that are equally appreciated by the eyes, mind and soul. In the space of a decade, the office – with Koos de Keijzer as director – has grown from its humble beginnings into a design powerhouse in the Asia-Pacific region. DKO is a multidisciplinary team of more than 200 professionals working from six offices in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.

One of the great things about this location is that it is only a ten minute walk to the iconic South Melbourne Market. The Market has been going since 1867 when it was established on a grant of land in was was then known as Emerald Hill. This makes the market the oldest continuously running market in the whole of Melbourne. The original 10 acres of the market was in the area bounded by the St Kilda Railway line and Cecil, York and Coventry Street. Having the market nearby was handy when ordering lunch for the landscapers.

Red’s Landscaping and Civil has been contracted to provide extensive landscaping, paving and integrated green spaces. Included in this will be the construction of the people friendly spaces between the buildings. The video below shows the very early stages of landscape construction of the rooftop gardens. We will post some more photos later in the Melbourne Spring. Habitus South Melbourne

Landscaping the Rooftop Gardens

You may have read or seen our recent projects, whether they were about swimming pools or gardens, for which we have received a lot of admiration and respect. Our recent project was something different because it included rooftop gardening, which is getting popular nowadays.

 

Our Distinctive landscape. South Melbourne Landscaping at Habitus

Rooftop gardening is especially popular in cities, where available ground-level space is limited, heat buildup is a concern, and water overflow is an issue. Gardens can really reduce a building's overall heat absorption, lowering energy use and helping to combat smog. But that's not all these tiny environmental superheroes can achieve. They also provide an area for cultivating low-cost, long-term crops, relaxation, and animal migration routes.

Modern rooftop gardening may make a difference in our own future, just as ancient rooftop gardens did for human existence. Roof farming, according to Red's landscape service proponents, might be the answer to urban food insecurity, and environmentalists hope that these green spaces will have a positive impact on climate change and adaptation.

Rooftop gardens, also known as living roofs or green roofs, provide a number of advantages, including increased room for agriculture, aesthetic appeal, and improved air quality. Plants extract carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen that we need to inhale during photosynthesis.

Rooftop gardens may help keep buildings cooler on hot summer days than standard roofs, especially larger buildings with tar and gravel roof surfaces. Traditional rooftops' temperatures tend to increase above the actual air temperature since they remain in direct sunlight for long periods of time. Because this heat radiates back into the environment, metropolitan regions are significantly warmer than rural and suburban locations. You may have noticed the temperature difference if you reside in a big city or have visited a shopping mall with a lot of concrete and buildings during the summer. When heat is reflected back into the environment from rooftops, a region with many buildings, such as a city, can experience a 5 to 7-degree Fahrenheit spike in local air temperatures! The urban heat island effect is the name for this occurrence.

Our South Melbourne Landscaping of Rooftop gardens take plant appreciation to new heights. On the streets below, cars speed by, while gardeners on rooftops and terraces take advantage of the setting's unique perspectives. These gardens have their own distinct atmosphere. Because they are so much smaller than the ordinary backyard, they force gardeners to consider what is truly important, and the results can be surprising and eye-catching.

Plants in rooftop gardens are exposed to more harsh conditions than plants in the ground, but if you choose and care for them wisely, they will thrive. Although a watering can or hose may suffice, drip irrigation should be considered, especially for big rooftop gardens.

 

Landscaping the Rooftop Gardens at Habitus. South Melbourne Landscaping

https://youtu.be/cu0N4ocPxbU

More information about Habitus in South Melbourne

Presenting the townhomes

https://youtu.be/ITdFPHSn62A

 

https://youtu.be/ITdFPHSn62A

 

© 2020 Reds Landscaping – Quality Melbourne Landscaper

 

Red’s Landscaping YouTube Channel


Modern Garden Design and Landscaping - Reds Landscaping and Design

Gabion Wall Landscape Design

 

Retaining Walls, like the gabion wall, are civil engineering marvels that control and retain loads from structures and soil on one side and allow the space on their other side to be used for multiple reasons.

Gabion wall Boulevard Gardens Coburg
Gabion wall Boulevard Gardens Coburg.

In simple terms, it allows to maintain a difference of elevation on either side of the retaining wall. Retaining walls are usually used in heavy infrastructures – such as highways; however, there are multiple usages of small-scale retaining walls in commercial landscaping.

gabion retaining wall
A garden retaining wall using the gabion construction technique.

The best types of retaining walls are already covered in the article ‘3 best types of retaining walls’ where best types of retaining walls are suggested based on their ease of construction and efficiency in the realm of commercial landscaping.  

Gabion Retaining Wall is simply a combination of a Gabion – a basket, cage – and a retaining wall. It would not be wrong to say that it is a type of Gravity Retaining wall that uses a ‘filled’ gabion with rocks and other earthen materials – sometimes even concrete.

gabion wall cage
Curved gabion wall cage

The filling provides the gabion a mass that retains the loads and prevent erosion. Not only gabion walls are used for large-scale structures carrying loads in tons but also smaller structures that are typically used in commercial landscaping. The Gabion retaining wall can be a part of your landscape and can replace your boring retaining wall with an artistic one. The aesthetic can be of your desired colour and texture – depends on the filling material you choose.  

retaining wall with curved seqt
Designed Backyard Garden Patio and Outdoor Party Place. Modern Garden Design and Landscaping. Curved Bench Seat Made from Gabions with Wooden slates.

When constructing a retaining wall, one should always consider consulting a Civil/ Structural engineer for retaining walls are designed to resist multiple actions that are caused due to the lateral loads including sliding, overturning and settling of the retaining wall. Commercial landscaping companies can come handy for they have hands-on experience with constructing similar structures and have the team ready to design such retaining walls with precision.

tapered gabion wall
A curved and tapered gabion wall.

Gabion Retaining wall is no different. It resists the actions due to loads the same way a huge gravity retaining wall would. However, when talking of commercial landscaping, the loads are usually limited and therefore a DIY guide is coming next for people who would want to set an adventure in their backyard.

How to construct a Gabion Retaining Wall

Gabion Retaining wall is easy to construct for it does not require much technical attention apart from designing in its initial stages. Even un-skilled labour or you yourself with your adventurous friends can construct one.

  1. Design of Retaining wall – can be omitted if laws in your country allow you, for personal properties such as backyards. The design does not necessarily mean the architectural look of it – but the size of the wall, which would be enough to resist the loads.
  2. Buying the Gabion: The Gabion can be bought from multiple commercial landing websites and companies. There are difference grades of steel that can be used for the mesh but it is always nice to use galvanized ones to resist weathering action.
  3. Collecting/ buying the filling material: The filling material can be bought or garnered from the nearby area. The filling material can either be timber logs, stones, concrete rubble etc. However, it is always nice to use angular stones for their interlocking property that creates an immovable mass possible due to the friction in between particles.
  4. Placing the gabion
  5. Filling the gabion – proper care should be taken in order to compact the stones. The higher the compaction is, the heavier the gabion wall would be. The heavier the retaining wall, the safer it would be – if the ground conditions are suitable for it.
  6. Geo-Textile fibre should be used on the loading side/ backside of the retaining wall as a filter to allow only water drain out from the gabion retaining wall while preventing the soil erosion.  

Additional: Some lateral ties can be used to hold the gabion sides that might bulge – depending on the grade of the steel – after filling rocks/ filling material. The lateral ties can be provided after every feet of filling.

Advantages of Gabion Retaining Wall

Now that we all know how to make a Gabion Retaining wall, let us try to understand why make one. What makes this retaining wall better than others?

  1. Sustainability: Other retaining walls tend to use Cement in order to produce concrete to be used for the construction. The cement produces around 1 tonne of carbon dioxide for 1 tonne of cement production. Carbon Dioxide being the most popular greenhouse gas causes global warming.
  2. Cost: Gabion walls are cheaper to construct for the filling material can be bought at a cheaper rate or can easily be available in nearby areas. Additionally, unskilled labours can also construct this reducing the cost to hire skilled labours.
  3. Ease of Construction: The construction is easier and faster when compared to conventional retaining walls.
  4. Aesthetic: Gabion retaining wall, for how artistic it is, always gives a better aesthetic value to your property as compared to conventional retaining walls.
  5. Long Lasting: A good Gabion retaining wall can last for 50 to 100 years.

Landscape Design for flood prone areas

A gabion wall, like permeable concrete, can help to protect against erosion and flooding. The ancient Egyptians were using gabions, woven from reeds, and filled with rocks to control the Nile. For flood control the gabion wall can reduce the energy in the flood water. When combined with geotextiles, the wall can be effective in flood prevention and erosion reduction.

Retaining walls to control erosion and flooding on the banks of a fast flowing river to reduce flooding and erosion.
Gabion retaining walls to control erosion and flooding on the banks of a fast flowing river to reduce flooding and erosion.

Conclusion

A Gabion retaining wall is a sustainable, cheaper yet aesthetically pleasing alternative to the conventional retaining walls. Additionally, it can be easily made as Do It Yourself (DIY) project with your friends and family members.

Related Landscape Design Articles from Red's Landscaping and Civil Pty Ltd

Design Packages

 

5 top Landscape Design trends in Melbourne in 2022

 

Landscape Design Melbourne

 

Design

 

References

Retaining walls

 

Standard Wall Design


Jacaranda mimosifolia

13 best plants for commercial landscaping - Red's Landscaping.

The wise selection of plants can save money in commercial landscaping and add value to your business or public space.

A well-done commercial landscape can help create an inviting feel for visitors, a relaxing ambiance for your employees, and convey a level of success to people from outside of your company. A beautiful and elegant landscape can be created from many materials, including plants which are the key feature of any landscape. Several types of plants such as trees, flowers, shrubs, and grasses can be grown in the landscape to make it attractive. Plants brighten up spaces with beauty and warmth.

Ping pong tables and architectural concrete
Architectural concrete at Balwyn Communtiy Centre, concrete walls and stairs, with skate stoppers and tactiles. Fountain grass plantings soften the look of the in-situ concrete walls.

The best plants in the commercial landscape add colours and curb appeal any time of year. You need to take special care of many things before growing plants in your landscape. Thrive those plants which are durable and can withstand a lot of care. Includes those plants that do not require too much water or extra care. Thrive beautiful plants that draw attention. Include those plants that bloom all the year and ensure your commercial landscaping looks great. So here are the thirteen best plants which might be ideal for commercial landscaping.

  1. Fountain Grass (Pennisetum)

Fountain grass is a warm-season perennial ornamental grass native to Eastern Asia (China and Japan) and Australia. In the wind, this plant's swinging leaves and flower spikes provide energy to your landscape. The deep green leaves make a dense but beautiful clump having 30cm - 1 metre in height.

plants for commercial landscaping. fountain Grass Pennisetum alopecuroides
Pennisetum alopecuroides hameln cultivated foxtail fountain grass growing in the park, beautiful ornamental autumnal bunch of fountain grass is a great plant for commercial landscaping.

In the early stages, its growth is straight, but as the leaves mature, they arch like a fountain. The length and width of the long, tapering, lightly edged blade vary substantially among the cultivars. In autumn, the leaves turn orange bronze, eventually fading to a dull beige.

plants for commercial landscaping. fountain grass Pennisetum
Fountain grass (Pennisetum) is also great to grow along fences and near concrete footpaths.

 

The foliage remains fairly upright to provide some winter interest. Due to these qualities, it is also known as ornamental grass and a favourite for gardens. It can be used alone as a specimen plant or on the border alongside other perennials.

  1. Water gum of Kanooka Tristaniopsis laurina

Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina) is a tree species native to Australia that belongs to the family Myrtaceae. These small trees are known for their easy care and slow growth rate. This plant is a very popular ornamental plant commonly used for landscaping.

Kanooka Gum Tristaniopsis laurina
Yellow flowers on a Kanooka Gum (Tristaniopsis laurina) tree growing in a garden

When young, water gum has a smooth bark, which becomes scaly at maturity. The leaves are glossy green above and lighter green on the underside and emerge alternately on the branches. The new branch has dark purple in the early stages, which later changes to tan-grey. The flowers are cream to orange-yellow, produced in short clusters in January and early February, which provide a dramatic effect when the tree is in full bloom.

plants for commercial landscaping. Tristaniopsis laurina luscious or Kanooka as an ornamental feature tree.
Tristaniopsis laurina luscious or Kanooka as an ornamental feature tree.

Naturally, it develops as a multi-trunked tree, but it can easily be trained to have a single trunk. It is useful for placing in narrow spaces. Due to these qualities, this tree is perfect for commercial landscaping.

Tristaniopsis laurina luscious is a new variety of popular water gum. It is a small evergreen tree with beautiful broad, deep green foliage that turns coppery-red when new growth emerges in the spring and summer. During the summer season, it also produces yellow flowers. Due to these brilliant features, Tristaniopsis laurina luscious is separate from other versions of this plant. This plant is an excellent natural alternative to the Magnolia plant because of its bigger leaves. This plant produces golden flowers with lovely fragrances during November and December. The new branches of Tristaniopsis laurina luscious develop a stunning red colour as they grow, which peels back to reveal a patchwork of mottled cream bark beneath the surface of the bark. Due to this character, it creates an excellent attractive point in your landscape. This plant thrives in full sun to partial shade conditions. Even though it can withstand frost and drought, it performs best in moist soil.

  1. Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)

The crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is one of the most beautiful flowering shrubs/trees native to China and Korea.  It is cultivated in warmer climates around the world. Crepe myrtle needs full sun and soil that is well-drained and slightly acidic.

Lagerstroemia indica or crepe myrtle

They have dark green leaves with a red fringe upon opening. In the fall, leaves turn red, yellow or orange. Leaf type is simple, oval in shape, and venation is pinnate. The bark is smooth, thin and light brown. In the summer and autumn, bark peels show patches of new bark in shades of pink, cream, and orange.

crepe myrtle or Lagerstroemia indica
Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) in blossom..

 

Its branches develop an attractive pattern. The crepe myrtle flowers may be white, pink, lavender or red. The first bloom shows in early summer and continues to fall. Crepe myrtle is widely used in gardens and landscapes due to its low maintenance and attraction.

  1. Jacaranda Trees

Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) is deciduous to a semi-evergreen tree that typically grows to around 13 metres tall and spreads up to 9 metres. The main distinguishing feature of the jacaranda is its spectacular lavender-blue fragrant flowers, leading to its popularity as an ornamental tree.

plants for commercial landscaping. Jacaranda mimosifolia
Beautiful purple flower Jacaranda tree lined street in full bloom. Taken in Allinga Street, Glenside, Adelaide, South Australia.

 

The flowers appear in dense 15-25 cm terminal clusters with often the entire tree in flower, and later the ground turns blue as the flowers fall off. It is a fast-growing tree that can re-sprout if damaged. Jacaranda branches are arched, forming a canopy shaped like an upturned umbrella.

Jacaranda Mimosifolia
Close up of flowers of the tree Jacaranda Mimosifolia

 

The fern-like leaves, which can grow up to 20 inches in length, make the jacaranda tree an excellent shade. It is a fast-growing tree in a tropical environment gaining about ten feet a year in its first year of life. Due to these qualities, this lovely tree is best for your commercial landscape garden.

5. Myoporium parvifolium or creeping boobialla

Myoporium parvifolium, also known as creeping myoporum or creeping boobialla, is a quick-growing, sprawling, dense evergreen groundcover that grows 100mm to 300mm inches tall and spreads up to 1.5 metres or more well-branched stems and closely spaced narrow leaves. It produced white star flowers in the clusters at the tips of the branches during late spring and summer.

Myoporium parvifolium Creeping Boobialla Plants for commercial landscaping
Banded Bee Fly (Villini) sipping nectar from Creeping Boobialla.

This species is native to southern Australia's hot and dry interior plains, which need full sun to partial shade. It can be used instead of grass to create the same design effect. It can be grown in a raised bed, on a slope, along with steps or in a landscape bed.

Myoporum parvifolium or creeping boobialla is a ground cover that makes life difficult for weeds.
Myoporum parvifolium, or creeping boobialla, is a ground cover that makes life difficult for weeds.

 

Creeping boobialla will also create blankets of foliage in and around shrubs and trees to unify the landscape. In commercial landscaping as well as residential landscaping, it is a great plant for suppressing weed growth.

Creeping boobialla can tolerate heat and frost and be sustained with low amounts of water.

plants for commercial landscaping.
Myoporum parvifolium is a great plant for saving water and suppressing weeds in commercial landscaping.

 

  1. Lomandra Plants

Lomandra, also known as mat rushes, is an Australian native clumping plant. It is an evergreen perennial plant with long, narrow, medium green coloured strap-shaped leaves that arch over gracefully and have a toothed leaf tip that arises from a central stem-less base and thick woody rhizomes and fibrous roots.

The green lomandra makes a great contrast with this grey stone wall.
The green lomandra mass planting makes a great contrast with this grey stone wall.

 

Lomandra produces interesting small flowers in the spiny cluster during spring into summer. These flowers are pleasantly fragrant, particularly in the late afternoon. They are elegant native grass, growing in large rounded open tufts, like a green fountain or firework. Due to their round, the symmetrical shape it is ideal for single planting, as an accent plant in the centre of the bed or the middle of the lawn.

Lomandra Hume Global Learning
Lomandra Hume Global Learning

They are ideal for preventing erosion and getting a toe held on sloping sites and uneven locations. Lomandra is typically very hardy and will tolerate most growing conditions from extreme wet to drought.

  1. Olive Trees

Olive trees are one of the oldest cultivated trees globally, not only for their flavorsome fruit but also for their many ornamental features. Olive trees make excellent focal points to the Mediterranean style landscape design. The beauty of the olive tree has been praised for thousands of years. The olive tree is a slow-growing evergreen.

 

Landscaping with olives in pots on a white balcony.
Landscaping with olives in pots on a white balcony.

The height of the olive tree ranges from 2 to 12 meters and contains numerous branches. The leaves are small, round-headed, leathery and dark green above and silvery on the base. Olive trees produce small whitish flowers in loose clusters in the axil of leaves during late spring. The olive trees work well-bordering entryways, driveways, pathways, patios, and pools in landscaping design. Due to the unique branching shapes of the olive tree, you can easily create a distinctive landscape.

 

  1. Salvia Plants

Salvias, also known as ornamental sage, better known as salvia, comes in more than 900 varieties of every size and shape, whether as tender annuals or hardy herbaceous perennials. Salvias offer colourful flowers, and some also have attractive foliage.

Blue salvia, blue sage flower, salvia farinacea, mealycup sage,
Blue salvia, blue sage flower, salvia farinacea, mealycup sage,

Most salvias are easy to grow, drought-tolerant, bloom abundantly and look gorgeous in the landscape. The variety of flower colours, sizes and long bloom times make salvias perfect additions to perennial borders. Salvias play well with plants having bolder foliage and larger flowers.

Salvia leucantha purple flowering shrub
Salvia leucantha is a purple flowering shrub growing to around 1 metre tall.

Plant salvias with pleasantly scented foliage near the edge of a path or patio to enjoy the fragrance. Some salvias are late blooming and make a glorious autumn display. The drought-resistant nature and low maintenance of salvia make them a perfect choice for an easy-care landscape.

For commercial landscaping, it is important to avoid toxic plants. Salvias are an excellent choice for both commercial landscaping and landscape design of pet friendly gardens.

  1. Westringia Plants

The Westringia genus includes a broad range of native Australian plants that may be used for various purposes, from ground cover to colourful formal hedges, box gardens, retaining walls, or as an ornamental shrub. For many years, the bushy aspect of Westringia will be retained without the development of a woody appearance.

Close-up of Westringia ‘Wynyabbie Gem’ Coastal Rosemary flower.
Close-up of Westringia ‘Wynyabbie Gem’ (Coastal Rosemary) flower.

 

 

plants for commercial landscaping White flowers of Westringia fruticosa
White flowers of Westringia fruticosa

 

The blue gem is one of the most common flowering westering. It is a beautiful blue and purple flower that will completely change any garden edging or retaining wall with its beauty.

This plant results from controlled breeding activity undertaken by the University of Sydney's plant breeding institute by crossing two hybrids, westringia x2003.9.1 x W. x2003.9.3. This westringia flowers all year, although it is very abundant in the spring. It can withstand cold and drought, but it dislikes damp feet, so ensure the soil is properly drained. It may be trimmed once or twice a year to keep it dense and achieve the desired form, making it suitable for any landscape or flower garden.

  1. Melaleuca Plants

The Melaleuca is a genus of flowering evergreen shrubs and trees native to Australia. It is a member of the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. For screening, Melaleuca spp. are often planted as ornamentals for their interesting bark and their attractive flower.

 

Melaleuca leucadendra
Melaleuca leucadendra is a great screening plant.

The small crown and unique bark have made it a popular ornamental tree. It is also cultivated for erosion control, windbreaks and watershed cover. Its white papery bark resembles birch, and its white flower clusters resemble a bottlebrush.

plants for commercial landscape design
Plants for commercial landscape design. Weeping paperback Melaleuca Leucadendra around a public boardwalk.

 

There are few varieties of Melaleuca that can be grown as a garden plant. Which includes Melaleuca hypericifoliaMelaleuca armillarisMelaleuca thymifoliaMelaleuca leucadendra etc. All these varieties are ideal for your landscape in Australia.

Plants for commercial landscape design. Tea tree. Melaleuca alternifolia
Plants for commercial landscape design. Tea tree. Melaleuca alternifolia.

 

  1. Pink Flowering gum hybrid Plants Corymbia hybrid (summer beauty) 

Corymbia hybrid (summer beauty) flowering gum is a magnificent tiny tree that produces clusters of brilliant pink to apricot coloured flowers throughout the summer, with spot flowering at other times of the year. They are the most appealing and fragrant flowers in the garden, attracting pollinators and animals (birds and parrots), followed by ornamental gum nuts.

Stunning Pink flowering gum.
Stunning Pink flowering gum.

It has huge glossy dark green leaves with a pale green underside and reddish new foliage throughout the spring and summer months. As a result, it has become one of the most often planted landscape and garden trees and is recognized as a fantastic addition to any landscape. It can be multi-trunked but is always pruned early on and encouraged to grow a single trunk. It grows on sandy soil in low-lying areas of upland or woodland.

https://youtu.be/YBOHLbBv8Jk

The grafted hybrid varieties Corymbia Summer Beauty and Corymbia Summer Red. These plants are specially bred for your home garden by crossing the  Corymbia ficifolia with the swamp bloodwood Eucalyptus ptychocarpa. The result is a tree better suited to the wet and humid Melbourne summers.

  1. Plants for commercial landscaping Waterhousea floribunda 

 

It is a medium to a large evergreen tree that originated in the Eastern Australian rainforests and is now frequently planted as an ornamental. It has a thick, round crown and is becoming more popular as an ornamental. It has a lovely weeping habit covered in rich, evergreen leaves. It is a great screening plant for both commercial landscapes and residential landscapes.

 WATERHOUSEA floribunda weeping lillypilly
Waterhousea floribunda - weeping lilly pilly

The older leaves are dark green, lance-shaped, and have a wavy edge, whilst the fresh leaves are lighter in colour and may have a soft pink colour. Clusters of tiny, fluffy, fragrant white flowers occur throughout the spring until mid-summer. They are followed by berries that are light pink or white.

Although it enjoys direct sunlight and wet soils, it can survive mild shade and periods of drought. It can withstand urban environments and thrives like a street or park shade tree. It's also used for informal hedging and screening.

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