A stunning habitat for native plants and birds | Garden Design and Inspiration | Gardening Australia

Sophie visits the gardens of a couple who have transformed a cow paddock into a biodiverse and beautiful garden for native plants and birds. Subscribe 🔔 http://ab.co/GA-subscribe

In the hills above Victor Harbor in South Australia, retired farmers Pat and Gerald Uppill have transformed a degraded block of land into a garden for native plants, wildlife, and for their own food and enjoyment.

Pat says, “It was a cow paddock that we managed to get in 2003, and we’ve gone from there. The minute we walked in we started gardening.” Whilst there were some trials and losses, eventually, they decided that planting natives was the best way to go to support and complement the existing mature gum trees and patches of remnant bushland.

Some parts of the site have very sandy soil, which was perfect for growing an ornamental banksia garden. There’s a variety of species from different areas of Australia, including a prostrate Coast Banksia and the brilliant red flowers of the Scarlet Banksia. The native plants attract a lot of wildlife, including at least 80 species of birds such as honeyeaters, lorikeets, finches, Pat’s favourite Crested Shrike-tits, and the much-loved Superb Fairy-wrens.

The property also has a perched swamp – a wetland area perched on a hillside, rather than at the bottom of a gully. It’s an important water source for the bushland which in turn provides important breeding and feeding habitat for wildlife.

Closer to the house, there’s an orchard with 22 fruit trees, well protected from the wildlife, and a productive veggie patch that saves them running to the shops. This gorgeous garden is a result of nearly 20 years of love and labour, and a commitment to protecting and celebrating native species.

Featured Plants:
PROSTRATE COAST BANKSIA – Banksia integrifoliacv.
SCARLET BANKSIA – Banksia coccinea
TEA TREE – Leptospermum sp.
CHERRY – Prunus cv.

Featured Species:
TAWNY FROGMOUTH – Podargus strigoides
NANKEEN NIGHT-HERON – Nycticorax caledonicus
NEW HOLLAND HONEYEATER – Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
CRIMSON ROSELLA – Platycercus elegans
RAINBOW LORIKEET – Trichoglossus haematodus
RED-BROWED FINCH – Neochmia temporalis
CRESTED SHRIKE-TIT – Falcunculus frontatus
SUPERB FAIRY-WREN – Malurus cyaneus

Filmed on Ngarrindjeri Country| Lower Inman Valley, SA
___________________________________________

Gardening Australia is an ABC TV program providing gardening know-how and inspiration. Presented by Australia’s leading horticultural experts, Gardening Australia is a valuable resource to all gardeners through the television program, the magazine, books, DVDs and extensive online content.

Watch more: http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/gardening-australia
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gardeningaustralia
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gardeningaustralia
Web: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening

___________________________________________

This is an official Australian Broadcasting Corporation YouTube channel. Contributions may be removed if they violate ABC’s Online Conditions of Use http://www.abc.net.au/conditions.htm (Section 3).