Good natural soils are important!Australia has a wide range of soils and drainage systems, and each type of soil structure hosts different plant (and animal) communities. Most of our coastal regions have a sandy soil from former sand dunes, and in some places like Sydney for instance, soils have eroded from sandstone rocks. Further inland, soils have often derived from alluvial plans, inland seas, or mountain ridges.In each Australian region, soils are derived from different breakdown sources and different processes. Weather plays a big part in the development of natural soils, as does climate. Depth, as well as the content and quality of the soil, also plays big role in how our native plants have developed. On the Sydney sandstone escarpments, for instance, the soil is shallow but rich, and plants in the Syney area evolved to suit those conditions. In Western Australia the plants near the coastal strip developed in isolation, and to suit the ancient sand dunes that they grow in. Further inland, the soils change to a courser granite erodment. Western Australia has some of the most intriguing plant species on the Planet.
The best way to successfully grow native plants is to try to grow those from your own local area. Ask at your local native plant nursery which local plants are suitable. Think about where they grow in Nature, and try to mimic those conditions. Of course, in these days of water scarcity, some people like a desert type garden, based around native succulents and other plants that do not require much water. Your local soil is an important indicator of which native plants will grow in your backyard. Unfortunately, many urban homes nowadays are built in hollows or wetlands which have been filled with waste soil and rocks from another area. You cant guarantee that the soil in your backyard is the origonal soil. If you are planting in a pot, for a balcony or patio, just a standard potting mix is generally okay, and you should add a wetting agent. If you have sandy soil in your backyard, you may need to add quite bit of humus to that, compost is best, although shredded bark is okay too. In clay soils, lots compost and gypsum is needed for the clay to become friable. If the clay is really heavy and cluggy, add some coarse river sand to help with drainage. Native plant roots need to be able to spread through the soil, not only to stabilise themselves, but also to take advantage of all the available water. Repairing the soil you already have is usually a better option than buying in topsoil which may be even worse. Whatever you plant, whatever type of native garden you develop, the most important thing to remember is....How does this plant grow in nature? Have I replicated those circumstances as closely as I can? With native flowers, particularly heathland flowers, which look superb in any location, the right sandy soil is pretty important. They can be grown in a corner, an otherwise unused or unproductive area, or make a central feature in their own right. Always remember though, when improving the soils and planting your wildlife backyard habitat, don't try to make your native garden too formal. Mother Nature is an untidy person, and that's the way we like her!
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While its impossible to say which specific plants can be grown successfully outside of their own habitats, there is no doubt that many native plants can be grown almost anywhere in the Country. Western Australian plants are being grown in Queensland, and some Queensland plants are grown in Tasmania. Some native plants however, have become weeds when grown interstate.
