Planting Composition: In terms of planting composition, choose reliable species as the major framework for your planting, with more delicate plants to provide contrast.
For instance, in sunnier positions, Kangaroo Grass would provide a reliable and taller planting framework with Paper Daisies, Fan Flowers and Yellow Buttons planted around them and in the foreground where they would be more obvious.
In filtered light with moisture, plant Graceful Grass with clumps of Koala Bells and Native Violets with lower growing Mirus Sedge and Lawn Lobelia to provide a framework for more specialty species.
Plant each in major drifts (minimum 6 – 12 plants of each species dependant on size) to maximize impact and drama.
Maintenance: This type of planting style is intensive and requires appropriate inputs to maintain. Prepare soil so it friable, weed free and conditioned with native fertiliser. Use light, small particle mulch, such as ground sugar cane mulch or Hoop Pine fines, only placed to a shallow depth. Maintain irrigation and hand weeding.
Leave flowers and grasses to form seeds heads – this is part of the romance until fully spent. Initially cut back hard with sharp hand secateurs until root systems are well established. Do this in drifts, rotation or in a mosaic pattern so the impact is dispersed. Use cutback foliage, including seeds, as mulch around plants to encourage natural germination. Random self germination of meadow plants in the beds means success!
Once all the plants have well established root systems, trial pruning the meadow with a brush cutter with blade, a hedge pruner or a lawn mower on the highest setting. Makes sure blades are sharp. Leave the trimmings in the bed.
Following hard mechanical pruning, irrigate regularly, fertilise and undertake follow up weeding. Look out for germination of seedlings of your desired plants, and learn to distinguish from these from weeds.
Spread the word: This type of native flower meadow planting composition is not well documented in the sub tropics and, if you give it a go, please record results and share with the broader community. You will be increasing the knowledge base about the performance of native plants.
Suggestions for Meadow Plants
Sunny positions with good drainage:
Miniature Acacia – Acacia baurei
Barbed Wire Grass – Cymbopogon refractus
Pink Rock Orchid – Dendrobium kingianum
Yellow Buttons – Dhryocelphum apiculatum
Pale Flax Lilly – Dianella longifolia
Pipewort – Ericaulon australe
Evolvus – Evolvulus alsinoides
Shepherd’s Crook Orchid – Geodorum densiflorum
Star Goodenia – Goodenia rotundiflia
Hibbertia – Hibbertia acicularis
Small Lomandra – Lomandara confertifolia subsp. confertifola
Native Iris – Patersonia glabrata and P. sericea
Native coleus – Plecanthus graveolens
Long Podolepis – Podelepis longipedate
Rutidosis – Rutidosis murchisonii
Small Fan Flower – Scaevola albida
Snake Vine – Stephania japonica
Kangaroo grass – Themeda triandra
Yellow Rush Lilly – Tricoryne elatior
Australian bluebell – Wahlenbergia stricta
Paper Daisy – Xerochrysum bracteatum
Hatpins – Xyris juncea
Prickly couch – Zoysia macrantha
Sunny positions with good moisture:
Christmas Bells – Blandiflora grandiflora
Tall Sedge – Carex appressa
Pale Grass Lilly – Caesia parviflora
Fairies Wings – Comesperum defoliatum
Wallum Dampiera – Dampiera stricta
Daisy leaved Goodenia – Goodenia bellidfolida Subsp. Argenta
Golden Weather-grass – Hypoxis pratensis var. pratensis
Common Rush – Juncus usitastis
Red Kennedy Pea – Kennedia rubicunda
Forest Lobelia – Lobelia gibosa
Thyme Leafed Honey Myrtle – Melaleuca thymifolia
Lawn Lily – Murdannia gramminea
Bower of Beauty – Pandorea jasmoindes (clipped as groundcover)
Platysace linearfolia
Vanilla Lilly – Sowerbaea juncea
Filtered light and shady positions with reliable moisture:
Koala Bells – Artanema fimbriatum
Christmas Candles – Burmannia disticha
Mirus Sedge – Cyperus mirius
Bristle Cloak Fern – Cheilanthes distans
Wandering Sailor – Commelina diffusa
Fern – Dicranopteris lineaeris var. linearis
Basket Fern – Drynaria rigidula
Lawn Lobelia – Lobelia membranacea
Swamp Mazus – Mazus pumillio
Pademelon Grass – Oplismenus imbecillis
Graceful Grass – Ottochloa gracillima
Love Flower – Pseuderantherum variabile
Ivy Leaved Violet – Viola banksia
Native violet – Viola hederacaea
Photo Shaun Walsh – Paper daisies with kangaroo grass in a meadow style planting bed