Pruning
Most Australian plants respond well to pruning. The best way to create a neat, dense, compact shrub is to trim it early in its life. This may mean sacrificing the first year’s flowers, but the reward will be a nicely shaped shrub covered in flowers the year after. Continue to prune annually after flowering.
If you have mature Australian shrubs that have become straggly after some neglect, reshaping may be possible if the stems you want to prune still have foliage. But if the shrub has become too woody, so that the place where you want to prune each stem is devoid of leaves, it is unlikely to produce new shoots at those points.
As a last resort, try lopping it off at the base. This harsh treatment parallels natural events like bushfire or grazing by animals and many Australian plants have special structure or lignotuber which allows them to respond by shooting afresh from the base.
By pruning lightly and regularly you can prolong the flowering period of certain plants, banksias being good examples. Nip out each flower once it is spent, this produces a more compact habit and new flowers.
Taking a realistic approach
As with many exotics, certain Australian plants only perform well for a limited period of time. Some shrubs and trees may have a fairly long life but some herbaceous perennials should be regarded as short-term items, to be replaced periodically.
The red and green kangaroo paw, Anigozanthos manglesii, for example, is best treated as an annual. Hybrid kangaroo paws may last three or four years, after which their best performance is over. Lechenaultias also should be replaced after a year or two when they have lost their looks.
Be aware that over-watering and over-fertilising may shorten the life of native plants. They belong to an ancient flora that has never relied on outside help and you can kill them with kindness by forcing them to grow at an unnatural rate, causing them to reach maturity and old age too soon.
Respecting the source
There are several specialist nurseries and garden centres dedicated to Australian and, particularly, Western Australian plants. Both common and unusual varieties from WA are also grown by the volunteer group Friends of Kings Park and sold at their regular weekend plant sales. The Wildflower Society of Western Australia has branches throughout WA and also holds plant sales.
Please do not dig up plants from natural habitats. This practice is illegal. It impoverishes the environment, and it can also be a means of introducing pests and diseases to your own garden.
What you see growing in the bush may be the same species that you see at a specialist nursery, but often it will not be the same form. Plant selectors have brought into cultivation many different forms with more horticultural appeal, such as dwarf, compact and prostrate forms of certain shrubs and trees. Plant breeders have also developed cultivars with showier flower, extended flowering periods and tidier growth habits which are better suited to gardens.
Unfamiliar pests
The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) is on the lookout for animal and plant pests, diseases and weeds that could pose a threat to agriculture and the environment.
If you discover something unfamiliar, please send a photo to the Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS) by email: info@agric.wa.gov.au or phone them on Freecall: 1800 084 881.
Please read the sending specimens for identification web article before sending, or bringing in, samples to the Pest and Disease Information Service, 3 Baron-Hay Court, South Perth, 6151, WA.