An Aussie couple have embarked on an epic mission to bring a rural 150-acre property that was once used for agriculture and horse training back to its former glory.
From sunup to sundown, Mel Logozzo and her partner James spent two-and-a-half days last week crouched on their hands and knees, planting roughly 4,800 native plants — kicking off the “very slow journey” of rewilding the land located in WA’s Wheatbelt region.
Speaking to Yahoo News, Mel, who lives on the coast south of Perth, explained that James, who is a plant mechanic, had bought the former farm land to help store his farm equipment.
With no intention of continuing the area’s agricultural history, the pair decided to give back to the earth and help repair the damage that has been caused through revegetation.
“The plan was just to watch the land, see what it does every year, see what comes back on its own, because obviously there would be some kind of reserved seed bank, and us not working the land or having animals, it gives [them] an opportunity to come back,” Mel told Yahoo.
However, their idea was quickly thrown into high gear earlier this month when a friend who also works in revegetation announced online that they had thousands of free seedlings up for grabs.
“I thought yep, let’s do it,” she said, noting that although it’s not “the best time of year” to undergo such a project, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. “We’re so fortunate that they gifted them to us.”
Aussie couple plant thousands of natives in just days
With approximately 4,800 plants in tow, Mel and James travelled to the property last week, but the mission got off to a bit of a rough start.
“We didn’t plan on doing it by hand,” she said. The couple had hoped to use a tractor to create trenches near the property’s large salt lake, but when the tyre came off the rim, they “had to get on the tools”.
Over two-and-half days, the pair worked in the heat and rain to plant all of the seedlings, retreating to their caravan at night for some well-earned rest. They are now keeping their fingers crossed that at least the majority of the plants, which include different types of eucalypts that are endemic to the area, thrive in the arid climate.
The couple’s mission to revegetate the rural property was kicked into high gear after they were gifted thousands of native seedlings. Source: Rewilding Suburbia
Given the area’s saline conditions and clay soil, swamp she-oaks and saltwater paperbark trees have also been planted in the ground.
“I did the same thing in my home garden,” Mel, who runs Rewilding Suburbia, said. “We’re just trying to bring biodiversity back on a bigger scale.”
‘Hot and sterile’ suburban yard transformed into oasis
The former retail and hospitality worker told Yahoo she had no gardening experience until she moved into her 713m² suburban property near Fremantle eight years ago. Dismayed by the endless pavers lining the front and back yards, Mel, who has a six-year-old daughter, decided to overhaul the outdoor spaces.
“It was just hot and sterile,” she explained. “Over the last few years, I started growing food at home and then using rewilding techniques as my pest control and to create a balanced ecosystem, which was really effective.”
Mel’s 78m² verge and backyard are now filled with natives, including mallee eucalypts to increase canopy cover and other species endemic to southwest WA. “I don’t water any of it, it all just looks after itself,” she said, explaining that the wildlife and invertebrates that now flock to her home keep pest insects at bay.
Mel fell in love with gardening while overhauling the front and back yards of her suburban home just south of Perth. Source: Rewilding Suburbia
She also has three ponds and a large veggie patch in the front yard, with the entire property “completely spray free”.
“It’s just about inviting wildlife in to manage [pests], because they’re the ones who create the balanced ecosystems,” Mel told Yahoo. “Generally, when you have a big pest problem, whatever it might be, it’s just an unbalance in your ecosystem. So it’s more about providing for all different types of wildlife at all different levels.
“I went from the odd lizards and house flies and to native bees, wasps, birds, frogs.”
The mum, who documents her rewilding journey for hundreds of thousands of followers online, now hosts talks and workshops to teach other Aussies how to transform their suburban sprawl into a native oasis, reflecting a quiet transition that is taking place across the country.
Environmental educator Clancy Lester previously told Yahoo that native plants are “showing up more and in bigger numbers” in gardens nationwide.
It’s a big shift away from traditional English ornamental plants like Ivy and lantana, which are now deemed significant invasive weeds, causing detrimental effects on Australia’s ecosystem. “There is a massive rise in native plants and a trend in appreciating our native plants and going away from our more traditional colonialist themes and trends,” Lester said, encouraging others to get involved too.
Mel’s suburban oasis is ‘completely spray free’ and features a large veggie patch and three ponds. Now she’s teaching other keen Aussie gardeners how to rewild their properties. Source: Rewilding Suburbia
Mel’s top tips for rewilding your garden
Be observant — sit back and observe, rather than interfere. You can learn a lot about your own garden or your own ecosystems, wherever you might be just by observing, because something different might be happening next door. No one knows your space like you do.
Plant for the little guys — invertebrates matter too. They are often seen as the bottom of the food chain, but without them, our ecosystems would collapse entirely.
Plant what’s endemic to your area — you’re boosting local biodiversity, which is always a plus, and they’re gonna thrive in your conditions.
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