A native is not always a native
Whatever flavour of garden you choose its a great idea to have a small area for native plants to encourage local bird and animal life back into your garden.
However native plants come in two main groups.
- Those that are local to your particular area.
- Those that are imported from somewhere else.
Local
Provenance plants (as local plants are called) have adapted over time to your local environments.
Using provenance plants attracts local fauna (insects, lizards + birds) back into your local neighbourhood.
Wherever you can, choose native plants that are local to your particular area rather than from interstate.
Modern
Native and veggie gardens can be tidy and organised.
It's probably a hangover from the 70's that native gardens are messy.
The old idea of a native garden was that you would simply plant the natives and let them go.
Modern native gardens are managed just like a formal garden would be and planned and designed in a similar fashion.
Did you know that there are wild gardens in Holland that look totally natural and yet are completely designed and managed to look that way ?