A NEW BUSH GARDEN
A review of a garden by Bush
Projects at an Austin Maynard
Architects-designed house.PROVOKING
IMAGINATION
Exploring Melbourne’s Shrine
of Remembrance courtyards.PLANTING THE
MAIN EVENT
New Zealand-based designer
Andy Hamilton chats about
international practice and
the influence of site.RE THINKING THE
SUBURBAN LANDSCAPE
Talking collaboration and
planting design with architect
Paul Owen and landscape
architect Dan Young.REIMAGINING THE LOCAL
Conversations with Jane Irwin,
Adrian Marshall and Paul
Thompson about pursuing an
indigenous landscape agenda.THE CULTIVATED WILD
The book The Cultivated Wild:
Gardens and Landscapes by
Raymond Jungles is reviewed.PLANTING DREAMS
The exhibition Planting
Dreams: Shaping Australian
Gardens is reviewed.ENDNOTE
Botanical artist Mali Moir
reflects on the process of
drawing plant specimens.41 —
48 —
56 —
60 —
65 —
72 —
74 —
82 —
NOTICEBOARD
New projects, news
and competitions.PLANTING FOR THE
UNEXPECTED
Why greater diversity in
urban plantings is important.PLANT SELECTION
More than trees, shrubs
and groundcovers: are
the descriptors we use to
categorize plants adequate?FINE-TUNING THE
PLANTING DESIGN
CYCLE
The benefits of engaging
landscape architects for
green infrastructure projects.THE EMPEROR’S
NEW CLOTHES
Questioning the war on
weeds in urban streetscapes.DO NOT MOW
The native meadow at
Prince Alfred Park offers
more than decoration.MAKING THE GRAND
VISION WORK
Looking at the technical
story behind Sydney’s
Barangaroo Reserve.RAMBUNCTIOUS
RESEARCH
Investigating ways to
create attractive yet low-
maintenance native plantings.10 —
17 —
20 —
23 —
26 —
28 —
32 —
36 —
I
t’s said that a stone placed in the crown of a Doryanthes
will prompt it to flower. It can be four to six months until
the crimson flower erupts from the tall stalk that has risen
from the crown of the plant, and then the flower dies off.
The large flower stalks, which can reach up to five metres
tall, remain on the plant until they decay or are removed.
The illustration of the Doryanthes palmeri (giant
spear lily) flower on the front cover of this issue of
Landscape Architecture Australia, by botanical artist Mali
Moir, beautifully captures ideas of time and change that
are so central to designing with plants. The drawing is
not a freeze-frame of some perfect full-bloom moment,
but rather shows a beauty in both the life and death of
the flower and asks us to accept one with the other.
Such appreciation of the full life cycle of plants has
emerged as a clear theme in many of the contributions to
this issue. David Whitworth (p. 28) and Sarah Hicks (p. 65)
explore the need for a shift in attitude toward the aesthetic
value of our indigenous plants, particularly grasses such
as Themeda (kangaroo grass) that seed and die off in the
summertime, and discuss their use in urban contexts; Claire
Martin looks at a research project (p. 36) that is trialling
techniques to deliver native plantings that are diverse
and filled with texture, yet are low maintenance in urban
conditions; Alistair Kirkpatrick questions the value of
removing weed species in hostile urban conditions where
little else grows (p. 26); and Howard Tanner explores the
technical story behind the success of Barangaroo Reserve’s
indigenous plantings (p. 32). We also review two exemplary
projects – one public, one private – and chat to a number of
practitioners who are passionate about planting design.
At a time when there is significant consensus
toward achieving greener cities, it’s critical that the
benefits of good planting design are made clear and
championed. We hope this issue sparks some renewed
interest in and engagement with the fascinating
complexities and opportunities of the botanical world.ISSUE 154
RICKY RAY RICARDO
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LandscapeAustralia.comCover image
Mali Moir, Doryanthes palmeri (giant spear lily).
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AUSTRALIA MAY 2017 3