• Home
    Home
  • Main Portfolio
    Main Portfolio
  • About Us
    About Us
  • Our Process
    Our Process
  • Services
    Services
    • Custom Design
      Custom Design
      • Feng Shui Garden Design
        Feng Shui Garden Design
    • Design Implementation
      Design Implementation
    • Construction & Maintenance
      Construction & Maintenance
    • DIY – DesignedBliss4U
      DIY – DesignedBliss4U
    • Other Services
      Other Services
      • Staging for sale
        Staging for sale
      • Productive gardens
        Productive gardens
      • Rejuvenation projects
        Rejuvenation projects
  • Design Fees & Packages
    Design Fees & Packages
  • Media Publications
    Media Publications
  • Design Resources
    Design Resources
    • FAQs
      FAQs
    • Why use a designer?
      Why use a designer?
    • Ebooks & Videos
      Ebooks & Videos
    • Blog
      Blog
    • Before & After – Glen Waverley Garden Design
      Before & After – Glen Waverley Garden Design
    • Before & After – Blackburn Garden Design
      Before & After – Blackburn Garden Design
    • Before & After – Hawthorn Garden Design
      Before & After – Hawthorn Garden Design
    • Case study – Water Features
      Case study – Water Features
    • Case Study – Productive Garden Design
      Case Study – Productive Garden Design
    • Case study – Vertical Gardens
      Case study – Vertical Gardens
    • Case Study – Vegetable patches
      Case Study – Vegetable patches
    • Case Study – Soil testing
      Case Study – Soil testing
  • Contact Us
    Contact Us
  • Home
    Home
  • Main Portfolio
    Main Portfolio
  • About Us
    About Us
  • Our Process
    Our Process
  • Services
    Services
    • Custom Design
      Custom Design
      • Feng Shui Garden Design
        Feng Shui Garden Design
    • Design Implementation
      Design Implementation
    • Construction & Maintenance
      Construction & Maintenance
    • DIY – DesignedBliss4U
      DIY – DesignedBliss4U
    • Other Services
      Other Services
      • Staging for sale
        Staging for sale
      • Productive gardens
        Productive gardens
      • Rejuvenation projects
        Rejuvenation projects
  • Design Fees & Packages
    Design Fees & Packages
  • Media Publications
    Media Publications
  • Design Resources
    Design Resources
    • FAQs
      FAQs
    • Why use a designer?
      Why use a designer?
    • Ebooks & Videos
      Ebooks & Videos
    • Blog
      Blog
    • Before & After – Glen Waverley Garden Design
      Before & After – Glen Waverley Garden Design
    • Before & After – Blackburn Garden Design
      Before & After – Blackburn Garden Design
    • Before & After – Hawthorn Garden Design
      Before & After – Hawthorn Garden Design
    • Case study – Water Features
      Case study – Water Features
    • Case Study – Productive Garden Design
      Case Study – Productive Garden Design
    • Case study – Vertical Gardens
      Case study – Vertical Gardens
    • Case Study – Vegetable patches
      Case Study – Vegetable patches
    • Case Study – Soil testing
      Case Study – Soil testing
  • Contact Us
    Contact Us
To Blog
Close up of purple shrub in Burwood landscape design by Parveen Dhaliwal

Choosing plants for your garden

May 3, 2020
-
Biophilia, Gardens for Life, Landscape Design, Landscaping, Maintenance, Plants, Seasonal tips
-
Posted by Parveen

Creating a Planting Plan

So you’ve landed upon a theme for your dream garden and it’s got you so excited that you’ve already decided on the hard materials, accessories, and layout for this oasis.

The next step is – many would say – the most fun part. Choosing your plants! But how do you work out what plants to put in and where they should go?

You’ve come to the right person!

Here are my best-kept secrets.

Do your research

Before making a trip to the nearest nursery and grabbing the most beautiful plant you see, it’s important to take certain things into consideration. Most notably, these include:

  1. Your needs
  2. Your family’s and pet’s needs
  3. Your site conditions
  4. The plant’s requirements – what it needs to thrive
  5. Any potential allergies affecting your family or pets
  6. The effect you want to create!

Balcony garden

Image Not Found On Media Library

Burwood

Image Not Found On Media Library

Burwood

Image Not Found On Media Library

Vermont South A

Image Not Found On Media Library

Hawthorn East Rear Courtyard

Image Not Found On Media Library

Chinese Star Jasmine - Vermont South

Image Not Found On Media Library

All of these considerations may seem daunting to go through but I assure you that all the time and effort that goes into it will pay off dividends!

Now, what do I mean by your needs?  Think aesthetically and functionally.  Consider whether you’re able to maintain the plant and whether you’ll like the look of the plant when it is mature.

Do you have pets that dig or children that still put things into their mouths?  If so, then consider how toxic the plants are to them if ingested or if the sap gets onto their skin or eyes.  There are resources available on this topic from various pet welfare websites and also from some local government agencies.  If you are unsure, give me a call and I can pop over and discuss!

Site conditions.  Refer to the next section too for some tips.

Plant’s requirements.  This is probably the trickiest bit if you’re not comfortable or familiar with many plants.  Spend more time on this aspect and thoroughly research the plant and its needs to thrive!

Allergies are a tricky one.  I get asked a lot whether a particular plant will cause hayfever/asthma or dermatitis.  There is little guidance out there but it is good to have a go and read up on this.  An example would be to research the grass you are buying, if you are intending to roll around in it with your kids or your pet dogs!  From experience, I’ve had a few clients to to suppliers I have suggested to them and have confirmed that they are sensitive to many of the grasses in the market!

Effect.  Well, think garden style.  Do you want a tropical garden?  Or something whimsical?  Better still, you need all your favourite plants in your garden so think about how you place them next to each other and how they are going to look like all grown up!

Vermont South A

Image Not Found On Media Library

Doncaster East

Image Not Found On Media Library

Ashburton B

Image Not Found On Media Library

Kew

Image Not Found On Media Library

Kew

Image Not Found On Media Library

Kew

Image Not Found On Media Library

Survey the site conditions

What do I mean by this? You need to look at your garden areas and perform what we in the industry call a site analysis.

Indoors or outdoors.  Even if indoors, you need to consider how much sun that aspect in your home has.  I’ve had my own plants burnt only because I totally forgot that particular window sill gets too much sun for the plant type I’ve bought.  And yup, you know what happened to that poor plant in the end!

Outdoors.  Work out the shady spots and where the sun impacts the garden beds the most.  Do you have a large tree that impacts the amount of sun that your understorey plants get? (That will also impact how the understorey plants get their nutrition and whether they are tough enough to withstand the root competition from the tree!)

Also, look at the composition of your soil. That may involve doing some digging and getting dirty – but that’s half the joy of being outdoors! Check whether your soil is clay. Test the pH levels – learn how by visiting the Soil Testing case study on my website.

The list goes on but this will be a good starting point. My Create the Garden of Your Dreams  workbook will help you collect this information and put it into a plan.

Conduct plant profiling

You’re nearly there. You’ve already chosen a theme or style for your garden (if you haven’t, consult my website, magazines, books, Houzz, or Pinterest for inspiration).

This is not where you start looking at specific plants. This is where you profile the best plants for your garden by thinking about characteristics like height and growth patterns.

Have some fun and sketch it all out to visualise what you want to create.  Get dreamy with colours and textures, shapes and forms, and evaluate how comfortable you are putting them all together.

Camberwell

Image Not Found On Media Library

Camberwell

Image Not Found On Media Library

Vermont South B

Image Not Found On Media Library

Doncaster East

Image Not Found On Media Library

Doncaster

Image Not Found On Media Library

Vermont South A

Image Not Found On Media Library

Head to the nursery

Combining all the above information, you can finally head to that nursery! You’re equipped with the perfect plant profile so you can go about choosing plant species that match your needs.

Don’t just rely on the plant tags but ask the nursery staff about their experiences with the plant and whether there’s anything else you need to know. Be particularly mindful of any allergies within the family. It’s even a good idea to consult Google to make sure the plant suits your needs.

If you’re overwhelmed by options, listen to your heart – the garden is your baby so make it about what you’d like to see in it!

Give me a call if all the above seems daunting. I’ll be happy to book in a garden consult to chat about your specific plant choices or even make a trip to the nursery with you to discuss your options!

If you’re after a professionally-designed planting plan, we can whip one up to suit your budget, area size, and needs!

Remember, spending the time and money now to think through the steps above properly will lead to a better outcome for you and your family. Plus it will keep your garden looking great when the plants mature and will save you money and time in the long term!

Other resources

Hungry for more information on choosing plants that are right for your space and just learning about them in general?

Then check out the following write-ups which could assist!

Guide to picking landscaping plants

How to chose plants for your garden

How to choose plants for a garden

In the meantime, visit my past projects below which also squeezed in some beautiful succulents!

Vermont South A

Image Not Found On Media Library

Blackburn

Image Not Found On Media Library

Glen Waverley

Image Not Found On Media Library

Kew

Image Not Found On Media Library

Vermont South B

Image Not Found On Media Library

If you need further suggestions or design or plantscaping both indoors and outdoors, please contact us for an onsite 90 minute consultation. 

Refer to our packages for further detail on how we can help you in the consults and subsequently throughout your garden implementation process.

Our passion your garden! xx

Follow us on social media
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Houzz
PREVIOUS POST
Vegetable patches & fruit orchards in Autumn
NEXT POST
The lovely Proteas

Parveen

Recent Posts
  • Design Workshop: How to Analyse Your Outdoor Site
  • Hidden gems – do you have to have a proper vege patch?
  • Modern cottage gardens in Melbourne
  • Gardening with passion! The story behind Sophie and Daniel’s garden
  • Gardens for life – the story of Cate’s garden
Instagram

ilandscapesolns

🎶The long and winding road, that leads, to your 🎶The long and winding road, that leads, to your door⁠⁠
Will never disappear, I've seen that road before⁠⁠
It always leads me here, lead me to your door⁠⁠
- The Beatles⁠ 🎶⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Your front yard is one of the first things visitors see when they arrive at your house – so you want to make it stand out. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Should you dress it up with colourful flowers, or keep it stripped back and simple? ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Should you add fancy garden edging, or create a pretty stone path? ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
There are so many options and that’s why I’ve put all of these wonderful front garden ideas in the one spot for you.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
This path for our Burwood is clean, simple and low maintenance. Paths don't need to be complicated.  They need to look welcome and inviting. 💚
Who ... who ... who ... 🦉⁠⁠
⁠⁠
💚⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Did you know that owls represent wisdom, knowledge, change, transformation, intuitive development, and trusting the mystery?⁠⁠
⁠⁠
They are tied to the spiritual symbolism of “death” which brings about new beginnings with a higher understanding and an evolved perspective. Owls can show up when you are being asked to listen to your intuition. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
They have been around for a long time and feature in many cultures. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Archaeologists have found owl fossils as old as 58 million years!  Images of owls have been found on cave walls in France, among Egyptian hieroglyphs, and also in Mayan paintings.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
If you're into Feng Shui as I am, you can use a figurine in the form of an owl to improve the energy flow of your home.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
For example, if the flow of traffic is perpendicular to your home, it creates a poison arrow that could lead to a loss of health or prosperity. Positioning the owl figurine facing the traffic outside your home will deflect the poison arrow energy, clearing the way for only good energy - positive chi - to reach the entry of your home! 💚
The lovely Bougainvillea 💚⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ A star The lovely Bougainvillea 💚⁠⁠
⁠⁠
A star plant in my view!  Stunning Colour - Climber - Feature Plant - Good screening⁠!⁠⁠
⁠⁠
I grew up with this plant as it was pretty much in every garden I've experienced, in Malaysian suburbia. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Its an easygoing plant being drought-tolerant and well suited to most soil types (with good drainage). It's easily propagated too, something I learned from my mum who admittedly went a little berserk trying to get all colours of this plant into her garden and those with unusual leaf characteristics (spotted, variegated etc). She became quite the collector!! ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
What I love most about this plant is how intense they flower and how spectacular they look smothered in them.  Good specimens are breathtaking with their colours so vivid that you can see it in the distance!⁠⁠
⁠⁠
To be honest and to my dismay, planting schemes in KL have become quite boring with a heavy handed emphasis on foliage over flowers.  In my humble view, I miss the gardens of the past where even the not so greened thumbed person would have their bougainvillea's at the front of their house, proudly on display.  On my recent trip to KL. there were only few houses in my own area left that had these plants and they definitely stood out!⁠⁠
⁠⁠
If you'd like to try these, here's some tips to try:⁠⁠
⁠⁠
🌼They prefer all day sun but will also thrive even with half a day of sun. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
🌼Fertilisers - use those with a low nitrogen count (encourages leafy growth) and a higher potassium count (to encourage flowering). ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
🌼Bougainvilleas may produce more thorns if they are growing strongly. Over fertilisation can cause this as can hard pruning. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
🌼They love a long deep watering but don't overwater as their roots with rot out. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Let me know what your favourite Bougainvillea plant or colour is!!!💚
Construction about to start on this design done fo Construction about to start on this design done for my lovely Murrumbeena clients! ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Relatively low maintenance, this garden focuses on a number of architectural plants that will differentiate itself from its surrounds!  It will have a Cloud pruned feature tree which I've been dying to include in my designs and the clients have been willing to take up the challenge! ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
The garden beds have an unusual layout to it to enable my lovely clients to walk through and maintain the garden themselves with ease.  I can't wait to see it all eventuate in person, soon!⁠⁠
⁠⁠
I went for a softer look this time rather than my usual pops of bright colours so the rest of the planting focuses on soft whites and pinks with complimentary materials that would bring it all together.  Pssttt... the rocks will have pinks in it too💚!! ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Three little penguins 🐧🐧🐧⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Ga Three little penguins 🐧🐧🐧⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Garage art murals are a great idea to freshen up or add interest to a dull looking garage door. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
You can either paint it your self if you have a steady hand or there are many websites that sell stick on ones. Change for each season. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
This one was for our lovely client in Hawthorn.  Designed and painted by us to reflect the view of her garden past the doors! 💚
When the world wearies and society ceases to satis When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumonier⁠⁠
⁠⁠
This weekend, plan your escape to your garden.  Grab a book and your sun bed and enjoy. ⁠⁠I know I did all that today and loved every minute of it! 💚🥂
⁠⁠
Have a wonderful Easter and long weekend everyone!💚
Stepping stones can make a great design statement Stepping stones can make a great design statement in your garden and they are a way to minimise wear and tear on your lawn.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
You can use them to help create a fun pattern and if you have a lot of space and gardens on your property, you can use them to create a multitude of pathways. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Stepping stones can also be a great way to lead people to a hidden area, such as a secret garden, courtyard, or a water feature. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Be sure to add visual interest around the stones by framing the pathway with colorful blooms and lush greenery.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Where will your stepping stones lead to? 💚
Excited to share that we won Best of Houzz 2021 fo Excited to share that we won Best of Houzz 2021 for Service!⁠⁠
⁠⁠
It's a warm feeling when your clients know that you really care about them and want to get the right results for them. ⁣⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Feeling grateful for the beautiful words received from our clients in their reviews and very appreciative of their time and effort in doing that for us!⁠⁠
⁣⁠⁠
Thank you, @houzzau! ⁣⁠⁠
⁠⁠
@houzzpro_anz ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
#BestofHouzz2021
Bird of Paradise - Strelizia reginae ⁠😎⁠⁠ Bird of Paradise - Strelizia reginae ⁠😎⁠⁠
⁠⁠
This distinctive plant is one of the best known of all the tropical flowers and is also a cousin to the banana! 🍌. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Surprisingly, the Bird of Paradise is easier to grow than many tropical plants and makes for a vigorous, rapidly growing indoor plant. It can be moved outside in the summer, and in warmer climes, it thrives for half the year outside. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
The Bird of Paradise typically flowers in the late winter or early spring, but under optimal conditions, it flowers at other times and they can grow to 5 to 6 feet tall. So pick a spot with this in mind. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Plant type: evergreen, forms a trunkless clump⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Height: to around 1.2m tall by 2–3m wide with age⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Foliage: similar to a small banana leaf but on a stem, very rigid, green to grey-blue.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Climate: tropics, sub-tropics, warm temperate and sheltered areas of cold temperate.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Soil: light, free-draining with additional compost at planting time.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Position: warm and sunny with protection from harsh or cold winds, will tolerate some shade.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Feeding: annual application of controlled-release fertiliser.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Watering: must have reliable moisture during hot, dry weather. 💚
Load More…
Archives
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
Categories
  • Balcony Gardens
  • Biophilia
  • Blog
  • Budgeting
  • Construction
  • Feng Shui
  • Gardens for Life
  • Home office
  • Irrigation
  • Landscape Design
  • Landscaping
  • Maintenance
  • Materials
  • Paving
  • Plants
  • Productive gardening
  • Productive gardens
  • Propagation
  • Pruning
  • Scented gardens
  • Seasonal tips
  • Staging for sale
  • Structures
  • Sustainable Gardening
  • Uncategorized
  • Water Features

Related News

Other posts that you should not miss
Beautiful elm tree showing its yellow winter leaves in Burwood landscape design

The art of pruning

July 31, 2017
-
Posted by Parveen
Follow us on social media
Read More →
Maintenance, Pruning
4 MIN READ
Urban food garden in productive part of Bundoora landscape design

Vegetable patches in Spring

August 1, 2020
-
Posted by Parveen
Follow us on social media
Read More →
Gardens for Life, Landscape Design, Landscaping, Plants, Productive gardening, Productive gardens, Seasonal tips
3 MIN READ
Cottage garden planting in Blackburn front garden design

Before & After – Blackburn Garden Design

April 4, 2020
-
Posted by Parveen
Follow us on social media
Read More →
Landscape Design, Landscaping, Plants
3 MIN READ

Follow us on social media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Houzz

ACN: 617 529 914

contact +614 0332 9128

contact@inspiringlandscapes.com.au

 
Choosing plants for your garden | Inspiring Landscape Solutions