Photo caption: Wallan’s Brian and Lorraine Weir have transformed their Wallan garden to abound with natives. Pictured is eucalyptus ficifolia, providing bright colour overhead.
Wallan’s Brian and Lorraine Weir have transformed their garden into a treasure trove of Australian plants, hopeful their passion for natives sprouts in the region.
The pair have spent every day out in their garden since their retirement in 2005, passionate about protecting the Australian environment and investing in the longevity of native flora and fauna.
Their keenness has sprouted a garden abundant in colour and tranquillity, with paths that twist through multitudes of grevilleas and overhanging eucalyptus, past bright chrysocephalums over a bridge and toward a small pond.
With their now blossoming garden space, the Weirs hope other gardeners feel drawn to invest in natives and conserve the region’s environment.
“The birds, especially in Wallan, are all losing their habitats. They’re knocking down more trees every day for houses,” Mr Weir said.
“Plant Australian plants. Climate change, the way it’s going, is going to wipe out the exotics.”
Throughout their 26 years at their Wallan property, the Weirs have implemented a variety of changes to their yard to combat water scarcity and differentiating climate and soil patterns.
Most recently, Ms Weir had to remove 80 plants from her garden after January’s mass rainfall and humidity.
In order to fortify native plants, Mr Weir grows and grafts most to grevillea robusta, more commonly known as silky oak.
“Probably two thirds of the grevilleas come from Western Australia and they will not grow in Victoria on their own roots,” Mr Weir said.
“Silky oak will handle a range of conditions and fertilisers without kicking the bucket.”
The grafting process, which can take up to two years for each plant, is undeniably worth its effort for the resulting lush gardenscape and also sees mass savings on purchases of already grafted natives.
“The point of grafting is that most of the things you put on top of the stick are ground covers,” Mr Weir said.
“The birds cover them in leaf litter, mulch, and you don’t get to see the flowers. But when you graft them at one and a half, two metres, the flowers are right in your face so you get to really appreciate them.”
Ms Weir’s front garden has also benefited from her husband’s efforts.
“I was an exotics grower and Brian has always been a native grower,” Ms Weir said.
“Then when the climate changed, I started pinching Brian’s grafted plants.”
The Weirs said those just starting out in their gardens should take heed in the fact gardening is a constant learning process and that all green thumbs continually learn from their mistakes.
“You weed, something dies, you grow something else, you replant it, you nurture it – it’s constant,” Ms Weir said.
“Gardening is a never-ending passion.”
The couple are part of the Mitchell Australian Plants Society, APS, which meets monthly.
Are you an avid green thumb and have tips to share? Send us an email at news@ncreview.com.au.
Beautiful garden,a credit to both Brian and Lorraine.