Native plants for courtyard gardens
There are so many beautiful Australian Native Plants readily available to enhance your Courtyard Garden. Native plants are produced in a variety of form and colors, many responding well to pruning to control shape and size, As with any garden design, the placement of the complementary but contrasting plants will determine the garden lasting aesthetic. .
Ideally courtyard gardens should contain tree(s) for vertical scale and shade, whilst the garden walls can be softened by the use of a climber or hedge. Thereafter the garden design should encourage plant layering and textural variation to create a personally satisfying experience whenever you are in your garden or admiring it from an adjoining window.
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Backhousia citriodora (Lemon Scented Myrtle) is a wonderful small tree for any courtyard. Crunch a leaf and enjoy the delightful aroma.
The leaf of the Lemon Scented Myr
Syzygium australe (Lilly Pilly) can be clipped as shown here or maintained as a loose shrub.
The white flowered Pandora jasminoides (Bower Vine) shown here in both pics to the left,will climb up your fence or wall with wire supports forming a wonderful green perimeter backdrop to the courtyard.
Westringia fruticosa (Coastal Rosemary) above comes in a variety of species. This is Blue Heaven, closely clipped to provide further variety to the plant palette texture and form.
Dianella pruninia Utopia (Native Flax) below provides an exciting textural variation with its architectural blue green leaf structure.
The lush greenery of the garden will be highlighted by the contrasting grey tones and lemon flowers of Leucophyta brownii (Cushion Bush) shown here to the right. It can also be clipped to shape.
For something to cascade over a wall or rock form, or use as a ground cover Russelia Lemon Falls (Lemon Falls) is perfect. It’s fine leaf structure adding further excitement to the garden.
An Australian garden invariably includes a grass, in this case Lomandra hystrix Katie Belles (Mat Rush). Plant it amongst the others for a sense of organised randomness.
Scleranthus biflorus (also known as Cushion Bush) is moss like, but survives well in our conditions to soften the look of any space it occupies.
Dainty Pratia pedunculatia (Trailing Pratia) forms a green carpet to the floor of the garden as shown above.
For more inspiration and advice on designing your Courtyard garden. contact Brian, he would love to help.
