Heat resistant
The Age
Friday November 27, 2009
A challenging environment by the sea provides a canvas for drought-tolerant succulents and natives.Apart from the chance of an odd stray golf ball sailing into their garden, lifeisidyllic for semi-retired couple Lois and Peter Marriott. Theirhouse is in the Thirteenth Beach Golf Links Estate, just along the coast from Barwon Heads. Keen golfers, Lois and Peter moved to the estate a couple of years ago; it's a seachange from the five-acre property (and 4000 types of native plants) they had near Ballarat. Most days, they have a hit of golf. They spend only about an hour a week on the garden: pulling out a weed here and there, sweeping paths, mowing the lawn. Bentleigh-based garden designer Paul Grant planted a mix of natives, succulents and coastal plants during stage-four water restrictions (the garden thrives without irrigation). The plants are clustered in three areas, including one overlooking the second tee and a poolside courtyard (above). "Wehave lunch out at that table and chairs, and Peter will sit out there with his breakfast coffee," says Lois. "It's a nice space to be. It's so protected from wind. We have our New Years' Eve parties there as well."Our tipCoastal plants and succulents need sun. Try mixing the burgundy foliage of an Aeonium arboreum (available in 15-centimetre pots for $12.95 from Gill's Nursery) with silver-grey cushion bush (Leucophyta brownie, for prices at right).Create the garden1 This spotted-gum timber deck was red whenit was installed. Two years of seaside lifehas weathered it to this stylish silver. A wider cut - 135 millimetres instead of the standard 90 millimetres - gave thecourtyard an expansive feel. The wood isavailable for about $15 per linear metre fromBowens in North Melbourne.2 You'll find small yellow flowers on these succulents in summer but the blue€‘green foliage provides year-round colour. Known as blue chalk sticks, the variety in the left foreground (Senecio mandraliscae) is bigger than the other clumps (Senecio serpens). All were grown from cuttings. Available in 15€‘centimetrepots for $12.95, fromGill's Nursery in Cheltenham.3 This retaining wall is made from random cut€‘offs of Pyrenees slate (a cheaper option) and was built without mortar. The trick istohave a good base of crushed rock andsand before fitting the flat-faced stones for the front of the wall (off-cuts can have upto three sawn faces, so positioning can be time€‘consuming). Pyrenees random paving off-cuts are available for $22 per square metre (standard random paving starts at $44) fromPyrenees Quarries in Castlemaine. 4 Yellow and red pigface (Lampranthus), alsoknown as "ice plant", deliver striking colour, are hardy and thrive in dry conditions. Therearemore than 180 species of the South African succulent, some creeping and some bushy. Available in 15-centimetre pots for $12.95 from Gill's Nursery.5 They may look spiny but these Albany woollybushes (Adenanthos sericea, silver streak var.) are soft to touch. The Western Australian native grows up to three metres, prefers full sun and does well in sandy soil. They make good native Christmas trees too. Available in 15-centimetre pots for $14.95 fromGill's Nursery.6 Inner-city roundabouts abound with silverbush(Convolvulus cneorum), alsocalled"Bush Morning Glory", chosen for its hardy silver foliage and pretty white flowers in spring and summer. Thevarietycomes from Mediterranean Europe.Availablein15€‘centimetre pots for$10.95 fromGill's Nursery. 7 You might remember jumping on big clumps of these on the beach as a child (it's probably illegal now) but this cushion bush (Leucophyta brownii) makes a good-looking coastal garden addition. Its grey-silver foliage is tough and springy and deals well with sandy, salty soil. Available in 15-centimetre pots for $10.95 fromGill's Nursery.8 A covenant at the Golf Links Estate requiresproperties to use brush fences. It'sapleasing look - and you don't have topaint it. TheMelaleuca brushwood is grown inNewSouth Wales and installed when it'sgreen (itturns this grey colour after about ayear). Available for $200 per linear metre fromANative Brush Fence, inFrankston.StockistsBowens135-173 Macaulay Road, North Melbourne, phone 9329 1041 or see bowens.com.auGill's Nursery390 Balcombe Road, Beaumaris phone 9589 0999gillsnursery.com.au A Native Brush Fence Frankston, phone 0412 384 529 or see nativebrush.com.au Pyrenees Quarries18 Martin Street, Castlemaine, phone 5470 5288 or see pyreneesquarries.com.au
© 2009 The Age
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