Like most gardeners, I go through phases where my garden bores me and I dream of grand visions with unlimited budgets and endless possibilities. Then reality hits with the costs, and I am back to hard labour, an ageing body, and little time. After a full day working in the garden, my body feels like a pair of secateurs left out in the rain during a rainy winter—rusted, weary, and creaking at the joints. Many of my clients these days are people who want to stay in their gardens but need guidance to make them more manageable.
I feel deeply disappointed with many of the landscapes being installed around Perth. They lack good design, interesting plants, rhythm, and playfulness. Gardens should celebrate the joy of nature. They should draw people in, inviting them to explore what lies beyond.
I see the same palette of 10 plants used over and over again. The three main reasons for this are:
- Everyone wants a low-maintenance garden and is unaware of the important role gardens play in increasing biodiversity in urban spaces.
- Landscapers have very limited knowledge of plants, particularly natives, and where they grow.
- There is a drastic shortage of plant supply in general. Plant availability is at an all-time low.
If you are lucky enough to stay in the same garden for many years, you will evolve with it. Trees will provide more shade, kids will have grown up, you may be over chooks, the dog is too old to eat all your retic and dig large holes, and your body feels older.
The trend towards smaller gardens has become the new standard as block sizes decrease. However, this does not mean you cannot have an imaginative and vibrant garden space. Designs that focus primarily on hard landscaping miss the point of a garden.
In the 35 years I have been doing private garden consultations, climate change has been the most significant factor in changing attitudes towards gardening. A drier, hotter climate has shifted the focus to more sustainable gardening practices, and hallelujah to that.
Tip of the week: Engage a horticultural consultant to help make the most of your green space and bring diversity and colour into the plant palette.
Three jobs to do now:
- Liquid feed Streptocarpus (cape primrose) and control snails with Eco-Shield Organic Snail and Slug Killer.
- Plant out native trees, but do the research to ensure you get the right tree for your purposes.
- Collect seeds from zinnia flowers that are dying down, and reseed next summer.
Sabrina Hahn is available for garden consultations. Contact admin@sabrinahahn.com.au.
Do you have a question for Sabrina? To submit a question to Green With Envy, inside Saturday’s The West Australian, write to Ask Sabrina, GPO Box D162, Perth, 6001 or email home@wanews.com.au. Please include your full name and suburb. Due to the volume of questions, not all will be answered.
