Coastal Gardening - Planting for the birds

by Peter McGain Native Flower

Even if you are married this is the time to start chatting up new "birds".

Nearly all of the indigenous plants on the Surfcoast flower in the winter and spring. As summer approaches they shut up shop and prepare to survive the hot dry summers. That's fine, unless you are a bird or a bee and are hanging around looking for some nectar.

Fortunately, we have planted many non-indigenous native plants, eg. Grevilleas, callistemons, etc. that have saved the day for the birds, and now they can enjoy summer on the Surfcoast just as much as we can.

Summer flowering plants that you can plant now
Small shrubs to 1 metre	Ericas Grevilleas Croweas Kangaroo Paw Hibbertia Callistemon Captain Cook
Medium shrubs to 2 metre	Grevillea Ispogon Westringia Chamellucium
Large shrubs to 4 metre	Myoporum Banksia Kunzea Callistemon - Dawson River Wattle, Kings Park Special
Small Trees	Eucalyptus Caesia Eucalyptus Torquata Eucalyptus Forrestiana Callistemon Salignus Melaleuca Linarifolia

Suitable container plants for large tubs in hot spots include olives, bay trees, bamboo and roses. Ideal fruit trees are avocado, coffee, paw paw, lemon scented myrtle. Plants for large tubs in shady spots include Japanese Maple, Weeping Birch, palms, tree ferns and camellias.

Watering tips:

Reduce summer watering by reassessing your watering methods.
Install a watering system that can soak your plants a couple of times a week rather than rely on hand watering. An automatic system can start say at 4am and increase the effectiveness of the watering. You will only use 20 per cent of the water with an automatic system compared to conventional methods.
Retain water by trapping the available moisture under mulch and protecting the surface roots from drying out.
Water storage granules look like sugar in the packet. Simply add one teaspoon in the hole as you plant. When you add the water each granule swells to the size of a jelly bean and holds the water in suspension. When the plant has no other source of moisture it draws on the water crystals. When you water the plant the crystals rehydrate. For about $7 per packet they are an essential part of planting during summer on our coast.

Little critters:

Forget about the caterpillars on eucalypts, don't spray. The tree will quickly recover from this natural pruning.
For aphids on roses, spray with pyrethrum or confidor or blast them off with the hose. My mum used to use soapy water.