Ornamental Plants are the backbone of garden maintenance, landscaping, parks management and nursery management. There is a system to the way plants are both classified, and also how they are treated.
If you can learn to identify characteristics which are common to different plant families, you will have a basis upon which to identify any unknown plant.
In a very general sense, plants within the same family also tend to share similar cultural requirements as well; so when you can place a plant in a particular familiy, you can often also determine how to treat it
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WHAT TO PLANT WHERE
Just about every gardener, has come across a place in their garden where plants are difficult to grow. For some gardeners this could be their entire garden! There are many reasons why this might occur, with most resulting from a combination of local climate and soil conditions. Some common problems include:
· Alkaline soils – these are soils with a pH greater than 7.
· Waterlogged soils – where drainage is poor, generally due to the site being in a low lying area, or because of poorly structured soils, such as heavy clays.
· Salinity – a problem in many parts of Australia, not just in agricultural areas, but increasingly in urban fringe areas.
· Strong winds, poor soils and salty conditions associated with coastal areas.
· Windy areas.
· Hot, dry areas.
How To Cope With Problem Areas
There are two main ways to overcome such problem areas in the garden. These are to:
Modify local conditions to better suit the plants you wish to grow, such as providing irrigation in hot, dry areas; or growing or building a windbreak in windy areas, improving drainage, or lowering soil pH in alkaline soils. Such remedies can often be very difficult to achieve, time consuming, or expensive.
Grow plants which suit, or will cope with the conditions present in your garden. If you choose your plants carefully you can often have a garden that is very rewarding in terms of its appearance, and its hardiness.
SOME PLANTS FOR SOME PROBLEM AREAS
Grow Well In Wet, Shaded Places
Kalmia latifolia, Cornus (Dogwood), Tree Fern (Dicksonia antarctica), Blechnum sp., Nephrolepis (Fishbone Fern), Vaccinium sp. (Blueberry), Iris versicolor, Lilium canadense, Mentha (Mints), Myosotis (Forget-Me-Not), Oxalis montana (Wood Sorrel)
Tolerates Wet and Polluted Areas (Where sullage/household waste, etc accumulates)
Carex fascicularis, Crassula helmsii, Melaleuca ericifolia, Acacia melanoxylon, Eucalyptus ovata, Callistemon citrinus, Callistemon viminalis
Very Tolerant to Wet soils (will withstand soil being submerged in water for 3 months or more at a time)
Acer negundo, A. rubrum, A. saccharinum, Carya aquatica, C. illinoensis, C. ovata, Cretagus mollis, Diospyros virginiana (Persimmon), Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Gleditsia aquatica, G. triacanthos, Liquidambar styraciflua, Platanus acerifolia, P. occidentalis, Populus delatoides, Quercus bicolor, Q. macrocarpa, Q. palustris, Salix alba, S. nigra, Washingtonia robusta (Mexican Fan Palm)
Ferns particularly tolerant to wet soils
Bechnum indicum, B. minus, B. wattsii, Cyathea australis, C. smithii, Cyclosorus interuptus, Dennstaedtia davallioides, Dicksonia antarctica, Diplazium dietrichianum, D. Esculentum, Nephrolepis sp., Osmunda regalis, Pteris comans, P. umbrosa, Thelypteris confluens, Todea barbara
DROUGHT TOLERANT PLANTS
(Tolerate dry periods but grow best with some wet periods)
Acacia pendula, A. spectabilis, A. stenophylla, Allocasuarina (most), Artemisia (Wormwood, Southernwoods, Mugwort etc), Bauhinia, Buddleia, Callistemon (most varieties once established), Callitris columellaris, Cassia (Most types), Dodonaea (most species), Doryanthes excelsa, Eucalyptus calycogona, E. Campaspe, E. Crucis, E. Globulus, E. Macrocarpa, E. Radiata, E. Stricklandii, E. Tetraptera, Ficus (Common fig), Grevillea aspera, G. Lavandulaceae, G. Steiglitziana, G. Wilsonii, Hakea elliptica, H. laurina, H. Sericea, Indigofera australis, Melaleuca densa, M. decussata, M. elliptica, M. heugelii, M. lanceolata, Melia azederach, Nerium oleander, Prostanthera aspalathoides, Punica (Pomegranate), Scholtzia capitata, Solanum brownii, Tamararix, Tecomaria capensis (Tecoma)
PLANTS FOR DRY PLACES (Grow well in soils which are normally dry)
Acacia aneura (Mulga), Atriplex (Saltbush), Banksia (most West Aust. varieties), Brachychiton populneus, B. Rupestris, Cacti, Eucalyptus calycogona, E. Eremphila, E. forrestiana, E. Spathulata, E. tetraptera, E. torquata, E. viridis, Myoporum (most), Succulents (most).
PERENNIALS SUITED TO DRIER SOILS
Acanthus spinosus, Achillea (Yarrow), Ajuga reptans, Alstroemeria, Alchemilla mollis, Anaphalis sp., Anemone japonica, Bergenia sp., Brunnera macrophylla, Centaurea dealbata, Centranthus ruber, Dianthus sp., Doronicum plantagineum, Echinops ritro, Epimedium sp., Euphorbia sp., Geranium sp., Iris foetidissima, Kniphofia, Limonium, Liriope muscari, Nepeta mussinii, Oenothera sp. (Evening Primrose), Papaver orientale, Physalis franchetii, Pelargonium, Polygonum, Potentilla, Pulmonaria sp., Salvia superba, Sedum, Stachys, Tradescantia, Verbascum.
DECIDUOUS TREES SUITED TO HOT DRY CLIMATES (such as South Aust & Inland areas)
Cercis siliqustrum (Judas Tree), Gleditsia triacanthos, Koelreuteria paniculata, Sophora japonica, Robinia pseudoacacia
SHRUBS WHICH GROW IN ALKALINE SOILS
Arbutus unedo, Atriplex nummularia (Saltbush), Aucuba japonica, Banksia ashbyi, B. Ornata, Berberis, Brachyscome iberidifolia, Brachysema lanceolatum, Buxus, Callistemon “Harkness Hybrid”, Calocephalus brownii (Cushion Bush), Calothamnus quadrifidus, Caryopteris (Blue Spirea), Casuarina humilis, Ceonothus, Chamaelaucium uncinatum (Geraldton wax), Argyranthemum frutescens, Choisya ternata, Cistus cultivars, Clianthus formosus (Sturt's Desert Pea), Correa alba, C. decumbens, C. mannii, Cotoneaster sp., Deutzia, Diplolaena (most), Echium candicans, Elaeagnus sp., Epacris impressa, Eremophila glabra, Escallonia, Euonymus, Forsythia, Fuchsia, Garrya, Grevillea ilicifolia (Note: Most Grevilleas are not suited), G. leucopteris, G. pauciflora, G. vestita, Hebe, Helianthemum, Hibiscus syriacus, Hypericum, Juniperus horizontalis, Juniperus Pfitzerana group varieties, Juniperus sargentii, Kerria, Kolkwitzia, Lavandula, Leptospermum lavaegatum, Ligustrum, Melaleuca hypericifolia, M. nesophila, M. wilsonii, Myoporum insulare (Boobialla), Olearia, Photinia, Pittosporum, Plumbago, Pyracantha, Rhagodia, Rhus, Ribes, Rosmarinus, Sambucus, Santolina, Senecio, Solanum rantonnetii, Symphoricarpos, Syringa, Tamarix, Tecomaria capensis, Vinca, Weigela, Yucca
TREES WHICH GROW IN ALKALINE SOILS
Acer, Araucaria heterophylla, Banksias (Most W.A. types), Bauhinia, Betula, Brachychiton populneus, B. Rupestris, Cercis siliquastrum, Crataegus, Eriobotrya japonica (Loquat), Erythrina (Coral Tree), Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. cladocalyx ‘Nana’, E. lehmannii, E. forrestiana, E. gomphocephala, E. leucoxylon ‘Rosea’, Juniperus chinensis, J. communis, Feijoa selloana (Guava), Malus sp., Fraxinus oxycarpa, Melia azederach, Pittosporum phillyraeoides, Platanus, Populus sp., Prunus sp., Punica (pomegranate), Pyrus, Quercus, Salix,
PLANTS FOR COASTAL AREAS
A. floribunda*, A. iteaphylla*, A. myrtifolia*, A. pravissima*, A. longifolia var. sophorae, Agonis flexuosa*, Anigozanthos flavidus*, Angophora costata, A. floribunda, Araucaria heterophylla, Arbutus unedo*, Arctotis, Artemisia, Atriplex cinerea (saltbush), Banksia ericifolia*, B. marginata, B. Media, B. integrifolia, Bracteantha bracteata*, Callistemon ‘Harkness’, C. ‘Kings Park Special’, C. macropunctatus, Coprosma kirkii, Correa decumbens*, C. reflexa*, C. alba, Escallonia rubra var. macrantha*, Eucalyptus calophylla*, E. citriodora*, E. ficifolia*, E. leucoxylon, E. robusta, Grevillea banksii*, H. bucculenta*, H. sericea, H. suaveolens, H. victoriae*, Hebe*, Hardenbergia violacea, Hydrangea macrophylla*, Kunzea baxteri, Lavandula angustifolia*, Leptospermum lavaegatum, Leucadendron (various)*, Melaleuca armillaris, M. ericifolia, M. diosmifolia, M. hypericifolia, M. nesophila, Melaleuca incana*, Metrosideros excelsa, Myoporum parvifolium, Pandorea sp*, Prostanthera ovalifolia*, Protea cynaroides*, Protea longifolia*, Rosmarinus officianalis*, Santolina chamaecyparissus, Tamarix parvifolia, Westringia fruticosa.
Those marked with an asterix * require moderate protection.