Australian Handyman - July 2018

AGAINST THE HOUSE

he number one rule of garden beds

beside a house? Never let the soil level

reach above the damp-proof course

• usually visible as a line extending
  around the base of your walls.
  Breaching this level is a major cause
  of damp inside a home.
  Traditional advice says to leave the
  irst 30cm beside the house free for
  air circulation, but many Australian
  homes are built with garden beds in
  that exact space. In this case, look
  for plants with strappy leaves or long
  stems that allow air to move freely
  around. Keep soil moisture levels
  consistent to stop your foundations
  shifting, especially if you’re on
  reactive clay soils. Drip irrigation is
  best for watering this type of area.

Plants

Australian natives such as kangaroo

paw in sun or dianella in shade look

terriic mass planted in a strip garden,

or use Agave attenuata for something

more sculptural. In rich, well-drained

soil, traditional bush roses add

fragrance that can blow through

windows. Underplant them with

easy-care catmint or stachys.

TIP Use an inorganic mulch to lower

surface moisture and make the bed

less hospitable to pests, including

ants, rodents and termites. Make

sure you can cut back plantings if

necessary for maintenance access. If

you’re designing a new garden, make

these areas paths or patios to avoid

the problem.

SUMMER SUN,

WINTER SHADE

Southern aspects are plunged into

constant shade over winter, but can

bake with the higher angle of the sun

in summer. Most tender shade-loving

plants fry in the hot months, while

sun-lovers decline in the dark.

What to plant

Many native plants have evolved for

these conditions. Westringia and mint

bush (Prostanthera) cultivars can be

hedged or grown as specimens with

their fragrant leaves and sweet lowers,

while showier correas work brilliantly

and lower through winter months.

For exotics, camellia cultivars do a

champion job, with Chinese lanterns

(Abutilon), azalea, brunfelsia, gardenia

and Magnolia igo close behind.

TIP It may solve your problem to create

cover with a pergola or add another tree

to make this area shady year-round. ▶

Westringia makes an ideal hedge.

LEFT Agave attenuata.

ABOVE Azaleas in bloom.

Handyman.net.au JULY 2018 131

PICTURES

GETTY IMAGES

GARDEN