Amazing Australian native garden designs

Australia has an array of native plants - roughly 24,000 species in fact! Distinct and diverse, some of these plants have been a source of food, medicine and aesthetic appeal for millennia.

Today, many of these plants are used for native garden design ideas, from sustainable pioneers to patriotic horticulturists, green thumb wizards experimenting with different plants to botanical gardens keen to promote Australia’s beautiful trees, shrubs and flowers.

For upwards of 40,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have used the land and resources at their disposal, including the plants. According to Beth Gott, at least half of food eaten by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples came from plants – fruits, grains, greens and roots.

However, Australian native plants have many common uses beyond food too. Grasses and sedges make baskets, mats and nets; tree bark makes buckets, dishes, even canoes; the gum from the eponymous eucalyptus trees aids burns and ailments; native mints act as remedies for colds and coughs. 

As the Australian population and culture has evolved, so too has our landscape, which has unfortunately brought about the destruction of many native species. Luckily, though, conservation efforts and greater awareness have helped combat this. Your choice to plant native plants can help to keep these species thriving, as well as helping to create safe havens for Australian animals and insects.

We Aussies are spoilt for choice when it comes to picking native species to include in our garden designs. Often known for their resilience and beautiful looks, Australia’s plants can bring your native garden alive with colour, awash with lush greens or bathed in a canopy of rich foliage. And, like Australia’s landscapes and communities, Australia’s flora can change drastically drastically depending on their location. Like most plants, each Aussie native favours certain garden conditions. For example, the climate, soil and tropical conditions in Queensland assist the growth of tropical, fruit-bearing trees, and lush ferns and leafy green plants can thrive in the consistently warm, humid conditions. Whereas South Australia is conducive to root vegetables, and hardy arid plants that will thrive even in the scorching, dry summers and frosty, freezing winters. 

Whatever your garden design ideas, native plants can certainly add another dimension - anything is possible! And the choice of utilising native plants in your garden’s landscaping does not mean your garden has to take on a desert appearance. The enormous range of beautiful native plants available to use can create a tropical oasis, a colourful cottage garden, or a low maintenance urban courtyard.

Native plants can create a sense of depth in your garden, working perfectly as native ground cover, or to separate your borders with a line of shrubs, create a centrepiece of majestic orchids, fashion a tree-lined grove for a shady reprieve or perfect a vibrant flower bed. 

No matter the size or scope of your garden, whether it has developed a rustic patina over time or is manicured, modern and pristine, you’ll be sure to find some truly stunning Aussie plants waiting for you.

We’ve picked some of our favourite native gardens to help inspire you in your native garden journey. Just remember, you can use a combination of native plants among your favourite introduced species too - your garden is a reflection of yourself and your home, and can be as complex or simple as you desire!