Go Wild in Your Garden

with Spencer and Karen Shaw

If like me you’re a fan of sharing your garden with native fauna, then here’s a few suggestions on providing habitat for our native animals.

The bulk of plants used in mainstream native gardens are cultivar Grevilleas, Banksias and Bottle Brushes. These are all amazing flowering plants that add colour, variety and are great nectar sources, but if they are the dominant plants in your native garden, then aggressive birds such as Rainbow Lorikeets and the Common (or Noisy) Myna will often dominate to the exclusion of more timid birds. My tip here is to add different layers to your planting such as local native groundcovers and grasses; a diversity of local shrubs and trees; and bushier planting that give the smaller or timid birds somewhere to hide.

Traditional responses to insect attacks in your garden is to spray an array of chemicals – however, the vast majority of our native birds either will eat insects if the opportunity arises or live wholly on insects. These insects although appearing a nuisance to us are crucial food for many of our feathered fauna. Learning to share your garden with our native fauna has many rewards, so join us in Going Wild in Your Garden.