Jane is visiting the University of Melbourne’s beautiful Burnley campus, established as experimental gardens in 1863. The once-rural garden now forms a valuable green space in the heart of inner-city Richmond, and there are some great gardening lessons to be learnt here. Subscribe 🔔 http://ab.co/GA-subscribe
Jane is looking at some great options for planting along pathways.
The style depends on your taste: something that will tumble softly over the edges or something that can be trimmed back more formally.
Scented herbs or plants such as pelargoniums are good options and smell delicious as you brush past.
Roses add colour to any garden, but as an edging plant, they’re not perfect, because of the sharp thorns.
In a shady spot is the delightful bush lily (Tripladenia cunninghamii), which is native to northern NSW and southern Queensland but is thriving here in Melbourne too. It flowers in early summer and has neat green foliage for the rest of the year.
Some climbers are worth trying as groundcover edging plants, such as this neat Hibbertia scandens, trimmed into a neat, low bush.
Ornamental and native grasses add a vertical element to a path edge. You can make it formal with neat straight lines, or you can create a more relaxed, natural feel along a winding gravel path. A flowing mix of thick and fine-leafed lomandras, wallaby grasses and dainty wildflowers, including native bluebells, (wahlenbergia spp.) also provides food and habitat for wildlife.
A retaining wall offers a chance to grow plants with a cascading habit, such as the blue bindweed (Convolvulus sabatius subsp. mauritanicus). It’s a vigorous plant that may need controlling, but it flowers all summer long and is easy enough to trim back.
Prostrate rosemary does this well too, and there are lots of lovely prostrate grevilleas and other sun-loving groundcovers you could use this way as well.
The plants you choose to edge your pathways offer a chance to add colour, texture and interest, so get a little bit edgy with the plants for your place.
Featured Plants:
Sage – Salvia officinalis
Oregano – Origanum vulgare
Geranium – Pelargonium cv.
Rose – Rosa cv.
Bush Lily – Tripladenia cunninghamii
Snake Vine – Hibbertia scandens
Sticky Everlanding – Xerochrysum viscosum
Blue Bindweed – Convolvulus sabatius
Prostrate Rosemary – Salvia rosmarinus cv.
___________________________________________
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).
5 Comments
Some nice ideas here.
Years ago I learnt there are two bushes I should never plant too close to paths: buddleia and Geisha Girl. Both of them were wonderful plants that grew very vigorously – meaning they were constantly intruding over the path, and I was ALWAYS pruning them! Made a mental note to plant them away from walkways in future. We live and learn. But that's gardening isn't it – trial and error.
A great segment again Jane, you are always full of great info and you always teach us with a smile. Thank you
I almost never use something like a salvia or lavender or even oregano as a edge for a walking path because it draws bees and there's many many people that are allergic to bees! Even if the bees don't bother them they get scared so best to avoid that all together. I would plant something else that does not draw bees… annuals would be nice cuz they never get too big, or a little blue fescue grass if it grows in Australia I don't know if it does but it's a one by one foot blue colored grass takes drought and alkaline conditions very well. Portulaca or Moss Rose is a good example of a reseeding annual that can take drought and sun but has a very neat appearance and blooms all summer.
If you have an area that does get water and you want something that smells good but doesn't draw bees, sweet alyssum is very good… I live in the United States so in Colorado and our summers get very hot and dry in the winners are very harsh 14 inches of annual rainfall and alkaline clay soil. So it could be that we have conditions quite as rough as you guys do.
❤❤
Spanish subtitles please