Yuruga
Australian Native Plant Specialists

Life’s great up here in the tropics for the brilliant blue Ulysses Butterfly and the massive Cairns Birdwing butterfly because locals go out of their way to grow their host plants in the hope of attracting them to their garden. But what about the other 238 species of butterflies that occur in tropical North Queensland, let alone the tens of thousands of insect species which also call this place home? They may not be as iconic, but I think they deserve a little more attention too.

Continue reading Add a little more life to your garden…

It’s been a while since we’ve had any decent rain, and we probably won’t get any until Christmas. Unless you have a good automated irrigation system set-up this is not going to be the best time of the year to be planting anything new in your garden.

Continue reading Gardening before the wet…

Every week I find myself replying to E-mails from people seeking advice as to what they should plant in their garden. And I often wonder if someone who writes columns about food is asked for advice as to what meal to cook tonight. Or if fashion writers are asked “What should I wear?”

Continue reading It’s your garden…

Palms have definitely lost a lot of their popularity here in north Queensland. And no doubt some people have skipped this article simply because it has the word, “Palm” in it. It’s no surprise either because I’ve spoken to a lot of clients who say they will never plant another palm in their garden again. And that’s a pity because they are actually very attractive and tough plants. In my opinion the demise of palm popularity can be attributed to two main factors.

Continue reading Are palms worth the effort?…

If you’ve ever contemplated planting banksias in your garden, then I would suggest doing it now, because this is the best time of the year to plant them. The hot sticky weather of the wet-season has come to an end, and the rains are more of a welcome re-hydration for the garden than a flooding nuisance that washes away your mulch. Tropical banksias like a bit of rain, but what they don’t like is having wet feet for weeks on end.

Continue reading It’s Banksia Time…

Courtyards are the focal point of outdoor living in the tropics, blending privacy and intimacy with relaxation and socialising.

So, how to plant up that special courtyard?

Continue reading Creating a Tropical Courtyard…

Every working day I make the hour long journey from my home outside of Mount Molloy to Yuruga Nursery in Walkamin. It’s an easy drive with few curves, basically no traffic and rather monotonous scenery.

Continue reading Taming the Wild Plants…

Working in a native plant nursery, I’ve heard of some pretty interesting ways people have killed their newly purchased native plants. Sometimes it’s due to not knowing what to do, while most times it’s actually due to kindness.

Continue reading Green Side Up…

We all value our privacy when we are in our homes. And when we’re in our backyards we don’t like the fact that the eyes of others may peer over the fence, but we kind of accept it, because building an eight metre high fence wouldn’t be a practical solution. Apart from violating building regulations, the visual impact of living within a giant wooden box would appeal to very few. However there is a very simple, cheap and visually pleasing solution. A privacy screen made of living plants.

Continue reading When a fence is not enough…

You would think there would be nothing simpler than to find a native plant that won’t grow over a metre tall. Well, those of you who have been shopping for small native plants may have discovered that the range available is actually quite limited. If you’re planting a rainforest garden you have a pretty good choice of ferns, and a handful of sedges and a few other small flowering plants. There are also a small number of shrub cultivars that have stunted growth and thus fall into the category of small plants.

Continue reading The Low-down on Short Plants…