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