Banksias are everyone’s favourites, and I’ve not met a person yet who doesn’t want a banksia, or three, in their garden. Their beautiful stiff bottlebrush-type flower spikes are so showy. Their gnarled woody banksia-cones are so decorative. Their foliage is so interesting. And their (often twisted) architectural form is a relaxed and welcome change from the almost-too-perfect symmetry of the typical garden plant.

So… what banksias to grow here in FNQ?

Well, be careful what books and magazines you read, or you might end up very disillusioned and disappointed.

Most glossy books and magazines are written for the southern Australian market, based around the capital cities of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne where the great bulk of Australians live. And they feature all those out-of-this-world banskias from WA which just make your mouth water looking at the photos. The trouble is that the climate of WA and southern Australia is pretty well the opposite of our climate here in FNQ. Where they have hot dry summers, we have hot wet summers. Where they have cold wet winters, we have warm dry winters. So plants adapted to the climate of southern and western Australian simply can’t cope up here, and usually melt away pretty rapidly when they encounter there first tropical wet season.

So, forget about growing the southern banksia species, and look closer to home. Luckily for us, there’s some beautiful tropical banksias perfectly suited to our climate.

Our favourite is the Hairpin Banksia (Banksia spinulosa), because it’s easy to grow and makes a fantastic display. If you have a dampish spot, then the Swamp Banksia (Banksia robur) is just perfect. And its huge (absolutely huge) dark green serrated leaves, olive green flowers (yes, olive green!) and twisted shape make a stunning statement in your garden. The Hinchinbrook Banksia (Banksia plagiocarpa) is popular amongst flower growers for its blue (yes, blue!) flower spikes. The Mountain Banksia (Banksia aquilonia) loves a cooler, shadier garden. And the Cape York Banksia (Banksia dentata) thrives in sandy soil.

The trouble with banksias is that they’re addictive. Just ask local botanical artist Ian Wallace who set out on a mission to paint every one of Australia’s 80-odd banksia species. Mission complete (wow!), he is now exhibiting his wonderful paintings in the gallery at the Cooktown Botanic Gardens throughout the month of May. If you’re a sucker for banksias, or native flora in general, or just love to feast your eyes on exceptional art-work, then what better excuse could you need to head off to Cooktown in the next week or two?

You’ll be delighted to know that Ian has compiled copies of his beautiful paintings into handy Field Guides, complete with descriptive text. If you’re the slightest bit interested in banksias, then “An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Banksias” by Ian Wallace is a must-have.

Google “Ian Wallace Banksias” and have a browse at www.ianwallacebanksias.com.au.

Do you have a banksia in your garden?

Happy gardening (and see you at Yuruga!),

Peter and Ann

So, how to plant up that special courtyard?

Well, you can always take the simple and easy approach and fill it up with tried and trusted gingers, but hey, do you really want a boring old courtyard that looks just like everyone else’s?

Here’s a list of wonderful tropical natives that will make your courtyard look stunning. And as you get to know the plants and the stories they tell, your courtyard will become a great talking point as well.

This article is based on the assumption that your courtyard is a relatively protected little nook in your garden, and that it is not an exposed open area.

Your courtyard checklist: Agapetes meiniana (Misty Bells) Alpinia caerulea (Common Ginger) Argophyllum spp Cordyline manners-suttoniae (Palm Lily) Myrsine (Rapanea) spp (Muttonwood) Native ferns Noahdendron nicholasii (Noahdendron) Pseudoweinmannia lachnocarpa (Rose Mara) Psychotria spp Pullea stutzeri (Hard Alder) Rhodamnia spp (Malletwoods) Rhododendron lochiae (Native Rhododendron) Rhodomyrtus spp (Rhodomyrtus) Sankowskya stipularis (Sankowskya) Sarcotoechia serrata (Fern-Leafed Tamarind) Syzygium alatoramulum (Tinkling Satinash) Syzygium apodophyllum (Rex Satinash) Syzygium wilsonii (Powder-Puff Lilly-Pilly)

Give your courtyard a backbone…

Rapaneas, Rhodamnias, Rhodomyrtus and Psychotria are shrubs which are basically similar in size, shape and function. They are all medium shrubs of a size well suited to courtyards, with good bushy form, and dense foliage which is excellent for creating privacy between you and your neighbours. Think of them as the backbone of your courtyard planting, since they make a great backdrop for showing off some of the stunning feature plants suggested later in this brochure.
Their common names (Muttonwood, Malletwood and Psychotria) are a bit at odds with elegant, sophisticated, inner-city living, but what the heck … it’s a good talking point!

Plant these backbone species in your courtyard:

• Myrsine* (Rapanea) sp Cape York (Cape Muttonwood)
• Myrsine (Rapanea) subsessilis (Red Muttonwood)
• Rhodamnia costata (Rib-fruited Malletowood)
• Rhodomyrtus effusa (Grey Rhodomyrtus)
• Rhodomyrtus sericea (also Grey Rhodomyrtus)
• Psychotria sp Mt Baldy (Mt Baldy Psychotria)

The Rhodomyrtus have soft, pretty foliage, while the Rhodamnias and Rapaneas have firmer, more glossy leaves.

Mt Baldy Psychotria produces masses of small white fruit much sought-after by birds which will visit your courtyard for a delicious snack. Where’s Mt Baldy? It’s the mountain directly west of Atherton, overlooking the bustling Tableland town.

(*You’ll notice that Rapaneas have had a name change to Myrsine, but Rapanea is easier to say.)

Add some Argophyllums…

Argophyllums are beautiful understorey shrubs, and perfect for a protected position that a courtyard provides. There are a couple of species to choose from, but what they all have in common is the beautiful foliage with its characteristic gorgeous silver sheen beneath.
All the Argophyllums are rare plants in the wild.
Argophyllum sp Babinda is a very rare plant with lovely glossy green leaves. Not surprisingly, being from Babinda, it is best suited in high rainfall areas!
Argophyllum nullumense is from northern NSW, while Argophyllum sp Cape York is (obviously) from Cape York, and both are quite easy to grow.
Argophyllum verae is a really rare species, and is named after Vera Scarth-Johnson, the late Cooktown artist who revelled in recording the Cape York flora on canvas. If you visit the Cooktown Botanic Gardens, you will see her beautiful paintings on display in the Art Gallery at the gardens. This Argophyllum is different to the others, in that the foliage is a soft velvety grey on the upper surface, but the undersurface has the same beautiful silver sheen that is the signature of this lovely group of plants.

Argophyllums really encourage you to get tactile in your garden. Once you’re hooked on the glorious silver underside, you’ll find yourself turning the leaves over every time you walk past, and showing everyone else as well!

And now for some attention grabbers …

The Australian tropical rainforests provide us with some stunning foliage plants, which look just phenomenal when featured in a courtyard setting.

Sarcotoechia serrata is not called Fern-Leafed Tamarind for nothing! This plant has the most gorgeous soft ferny foliage that you can ever imagine. The feathery fern-like new growth starts out pastel pink, fading to cream and green as it matures. What’s more, this plant is only a shrub, so it fits beautifully into a suburban landscape. Being naturally a slender shrub, it needs to be nestled against a more solid backdrop (discussed above) for maximum effect.

Sankowskya stipularis (Sankowskya) is a very rare understorey shrub from the Julatten area. It has brilliant bright red-pink new growth which literally lights up the garden. Named after Garry Sankowsky (author of many of the books and CDs we have for sale here at Yuruga), this plant is unfortunately under threat from misguided landholders who, while retaining the canopy trees, ‘just cleared the undergrowth’ in the rainforest on their properties.

Noahdendron nicholasii

Noahdendron nicholasii (Noahdendron) is an extremely rare plant named after the restricted location in which it grows naturally in the wild. ‘Noahdendron’ literally means ‘Noah’s Tree’, referring to Noah Creek where it is found in the Daintree rainforests. If you look closely at this remarkable plant, you will see that it has quite unusual foliage, featuring bright pink pendulous new growth and large stipules decorating the branchlets. While naturally slender in habit, it is easy to shape into a dense bushy shrub by regular pruning, and its delicately perfumed flowers hang in profusion during flowering time. A beautiful talking point at family BBQs.

Some flowers to knock your socks off…

Syzygium wilsonii (Powder-Puff Lilly-Pilly) is a beautiful small shrub with weeping branches, lovely pink new growth and the most amazing red/maroon powder-puff flowers you have ever seen. It thrives in a protected courtyard situation, and is easy to grow. If you want a talking point, this is it!

Fantastic Foliage Fillers

There’s a family of rainforest plants (called the Cunoniaceae for those with a scientific bent) which have simply gorgeous foliage. When you drive through the rainforest (down the Palmerston Highway, for instance) and you see masses of bright pink or red foliage hanging out over the banks, chances are the plants are members of this family. While they may be large trees in the wild, these plants adapt remarkably well to cultivation, and look simply stunning in a courtyard environment.

Pullea stutzeri (Hard Alder), Pseudoweinmannia lachnocarpa (Rose Mara) and Caldcluvia australiensis (Rose Alder) may have unpronounceable names, but don’t let that stop you! Plant them anyway, prune them regularly to promote a dense shape and lots of brilliant new growth, give them a bit of extra water if they look stressed, and stand back and wait for the admiring comments from your friends and neighbours. Then try a bit of name dropping (if you can get your tongue around the Latin!).

Just for good measure, throw in a couple of broad leafed, strap-like plants to add a great contrast and make a real tropical statement. The native cordylines (eg Cordyline manners-suttonae Palm Lily) not only have fantastic large lime-green tropical leaves, but bear huge bunches of spectacular bright red glossy fruit as well. And the native gingers such as Alpinia caerulea are tough hardy stand-bys to fill in the remaining gaps.

A courtyard always has a hanging basket!

For a hanging basket with a difference, add a beautiful Agapetes meiniana (Misty Bells) to your courtyard. This unusual plant from the misty high peaks of our World Heritage wet tropics rainforests, has thick shiny waxy leaves and beautiful bright pink bell-shaped flowers. In the wild it is found with our native Rhododendron (see below), where it is a vine scrambling over exposed rocks or establishing an epiphytic foothold high in the canopy of the rainforest. In cultivation, it is perfectly suited to a hanging basket, where it will live happily for years as if in its native tree-tops.

If your climate is a bit too hot and coastal for Misty Bells, substitute Medinilla balls-headleyi (Daintree Medinilla) in your hanging basket for an equally stunning effect.

It’s not a courtyard without some ornamental tub specimens!

Did you know that Australia has only one Rhododendron (Rhododendron lochiae)? Our native Rhododendron is a very rare plant, found only in rainforests at the very tops of our highest peaks such as Bartle Frere and Bellenden Ker, where it is actually a rather untidy scrambler. However, in cultivation it can be trained into a tidy plant well suited to pot-plant culture. Put one in an ornamental tub, and tell your friends why it is so special. And after a few years you will be rewarded with beautiful bright pink flowers.

And now for the feature tubs…

Get yourself a couple of large feature tubs, and plant the following lilly-pillies for a stunning effect:

Syzygium alatoramulum (Tinkling Satinash – what a gorgeous name!)
Syzygium apodophyllum (Rex Satinash, from the Rex Range above Mossman, of course).

Both these tropical lilly-pillies have stunningly beautiful foliage and make superb tub specimens. A brilliant centrepoint for a unique tropical courtyard.

Lastly, don’t forget the ferns!

Now all there is to do is to pop in native ferns wherever there’s a space, and your courtyard will be complete.

Now sit back and enjoy!

It’s actually not as straightforward as it first appears. Most couples don’t have a line drawn down the middle of their garden with one side hers and one side his. In fact, it may not even be equally proportioned as the keenest gardener will naturally take possession of the largest section.

As you would expect, the garden known as “her garden” is the beautiful one. It contains those plants that enhance the appearance of the home. Lush green foliage to show everything is healthy and well nourished. Plants that drop lots of leaves or shed their bark are definitely not wanted. And if a plant has prickles or thorns it must have flowers so stunning that they make the less desirable features seem insignificant.

“His garden” is normally a bit more on the curious side and occasionally more practical than beautiful. On occasion his garden will consist of nothing more than the lawn and the lemon tree. By the way, peeing on the lemon tree to make the lemons more flavoursome is a justification, not a requirement. Men will plant trees for reasons women will not understand. The fact a red cedar is much too large to grow to maturity in a residential garden is apparently not as important as the fact its timber is of great value. Some of us will even grow plants simply to see if we can prove the experts wrong.

Now, how about the part of the garden that is “their garden” – this is the shared garden. The garden containing all the odds and ends that neither wants to lay claim to. There’s the rose bush given to you by aunt Carroll, plants that were purchased jointly because each of you thought the other one liked it when in fact you both thought it was hideous, and the plants that the kids brought home from school projects. Unfortunately as no one accepts ownership of this garden it’s never going to look as presentable as the other two. It might even be easier just to give it to the kids to look after so they don’t feel left out of the whole gardening monopoly. At least that way, if aunt Carroll’s thorny rose bush finally dies, it won’t be your fault.

There’s great value in having patches of garden that are managed by different gardeners. It facilitates a great diversity in what is actually a small space. There are patches of beauty to look at, patches of curiosities to talk about and patches of odds and ends that resist categorisation. In total, a patchwork of gardens that reflect the personality of the family.

Marcus Achatz
Yuruga Nursery

(Published in Cairns City Life magazine, August 2008)

Fortunately that’s all a load of bull. Sure, you can plant a native bush garden like I’ve described, and there is nothing wrong with that, but by no means are you restricted to such a dull selection of plants, nor will you have to give up the lush green foliage or the colourful flowers. And surprise, all those plants I said were now off limits are also available as natives.

There are at least five species of native cordylines in our rainforests, over 20 species of hibiscus and hibiscus-like shrubs and half a dozen North Queensland gardenias including Gardenia macgillivraei with its fragrant white flowers. There are also many native gingers including the spectacular red leafed Alpinia caerulea and Alpinia arctiflora with its showy snow white flowers. So you see, native gardens aren’t about dieting, they’re actually about choosing “Australian made” rather than imported. You can plant your lush foliage, bright flowers and tropical plants until your garden’s bursting at the fence line and spilling into your neighbours yard.

In my opinion, growing natives shouldn’t be penance for past misdeeds, and you shouldn’t be doing it because you feel you have to, like eating bran. Give it a try, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the wonderful range of tropical plants ‘local’ to our region. Your garden will be the envy of those on a diet of foreign foliage, and native birds and butterflies will have a feast.

Marcus Achatz
Yuruga Nursery

(Published in Cairns City Life magazine, December 2007)

So understandably when you invite your friends around for a backyard barbeque you’re not going to impress anyone by picking delicate blossoms and offering them to your mates to smell.  If you do, then you’re either going to make them feel a little uncomfortable, or they’ll think you’re getting too in touch with your feminine side.

Does this mean blokes can’t share their appreciation for fragrance in the garden? Not at all. You just need to stay clear of the whole flower scene, and opt for something a little less feminine, such as fragrant foliage. As there is nothing feminine about crushing leaves.

You see, when crushed, some native plants release a strong scent from their leaves. The most noteworthy of which are the lemon-scented plants such as the Lemon Scented Tea Tree, Gum, Ironbark, and Myrtle. There are also more common aromas such as standard Tea Tree and Eucalypt.  However there are also more unexpected fragrances such as Aniseed Myrtle whose crushed leaves smell just like Sambuca.

In fact, it’s possible to create an entire native garden using only plants with fragrant foliage, as many are small enough to plant in a residential block.

Apart from not being sissy, there is another advantage fragrant foliage has over pretty flowers.

It smells all year round, so there is no need to wait for them to flower. You can grab a hand full of leaves anytime, give it a good crush, and a good sniff, and enjoy your garden without looking all new-age and sensitive.

Happy Gardening

Marcus Achatz
Yuruga Nursery

(Published in Cairns City Life magazine, October 2007)