Our friends at the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne love plants and wildlife. These go hand-in-hand, so when living near somewhere like the Cranbourne Gardens near Octave at Junction Village, your garden can have a positive impact on your new furry neighbours.
So, what do plants offer our native wildlife?
- Provide a food source – such as nectar for birds, or insects for bandicoots
- Shelter and places for animals to build nests
- A source of materials for building nests and shelters
Creating a beautiful and wildlife-friendly garden requires a bit of planning. Choosing the species is important, as it dictates the kind of soil and site the plant may need.
Things to consider about your garden before buying plants include:
- Whether the area will drain well
- How accommodating the site will be as the plant grows
- How much sun is needed
- What kind of soil you need to have
Once you understand your garden positioning, you can start researching what kinds of plants would thrive in your garden. Particular plants attract certain wildlife. Octave’s next door neighbours at Cranbourne Gardens gave us some examples:
- Kangaroo Paw (Haemodoraceae family) is a favourite of birds who frequent the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne due to growing in sunny and well-drained areas. The flowers are a great nectar source for birds.
- Spotted Emu Bush (Eremophila maculata) is a highly drought-tolerant species, making it easy to maintain. It is loved by birds and insects due to its flowers.
- Common Tussock-grass (Poa labillardieri) are attractive native grass species that become the perfect hideout for small native marsupials such as bandicoots.
Interested in learning more? Read the article on the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne website to learn all about how your garden can play a part in providing habitats for wildlife.