Some years ago my wife and I purchased a 575 square metre property in suburban Brisbane. It was then fairly run down with long grass and senescent or inappropriately placed exotic trees. These were removed and after at least three months of detailed planning and research, the garden was begun.

Due to budget and time constraints, the design was implemented over a period of many years, although many of the framework trees and shrubs were put in place within the first two years. Unwanted lawn was covered with layers of paper topped with mulch.

It was decided, for sound ecological reasons, particularly the threat of exotic species becoming environmental weeds, to devote the garden to Australian native plants. Our focus came to include attracting wildlife after reading an article by English biologist, Jenny Owen (New Scientist 6 January 1983 pp 9-11). She discovered 1365 animal species in her own 700 square metre garden in the city of Leicester, in the middle of England, and referred to gardens generally as: “the most neglected wildlife habitat of all.” Many of the species she discovered had not previously been recorded in the area in which she lived. Some were new to Britain and two were probably new to science.

Since its inception, our garden has been transformed from a “green desert” into a suburban habitat with a rich diversity of plants and animals. The reason for creating a multi-layered garden, with a dense groundcover of native grasses, herbaceous plants, ferns and low shrubs, a mid-storey of shrubs and a canopy of trees, was to create as many niches as possible to maximise faunal diversity. A diverse, dense ground layer is particularly important, because this is so often missing in urban areas, replaced in many instances by bark chips and lawn. Logs and branches have been left on the ground to provide habitat for skinks and sustenance to fungi and other decay inducing organisms. Lawn is of limited use to wildlife.

Plants were chosen carefully, based on their horticultural requirements, size at maturity, fauna attracting qualities and suitability to fulfil specific functional and aesthetic requirements (screening, shade, trunk and foliage colour and texture). Many of these are endemic to the Greater Brisbane area and include species with nectar, fruit, seed and leaves which are a food source for a variety of faunal groups, including butterflies and other insects, birds and mammals. Other plants are cultivated for their potential to provide nest sites or protective cover.

The garden presently contains approximately:

• 20 species of trees;
• 50 species of shrubs;
• 70 species of herbs, vines and ferns (including 20 species of native grasses and sedges).

The tree species include a mature specimen of the Scrub Cherry (Syzygium australe), several specimens of the Davidson’s Plum (Davidsonia pruriens) and Black Tea Tree (Melaleuca bracteata). Shrubs include the Scrub Odour Bush (Mallotus claoxyloides), a specimen of which has been planted near the front door and often draws comments from visitors.

Davidson Plum Davidsonia puriens

Scrub Odour Bush Mallotus claoxyloides

               

The Prickly-leafed Paperbark (Melaleuca nodosa) can be pruned “up” to form a lovely small tree. Its beautiful papery bark is utilised by small birds to line their nests. The showy flowers of the Blue Tongue (Melastoma malabathricum) are attractive to the Blue-banded Bee, while the fruit attracts flocks of Silver-eyes. Brisbane Laurel (Pittosporum revolutum) is a useful screening shrub for narrow areas. Its fruit is eaten by birds.

Prickly-leafed Paperbark Melaleuca nodosa

Blue Tongue Melastoma malabathricum

Brisbane Laurel Pittosporum revolutum

The ground storey includes many species of native grasses and sedges, a much under-utilised group of plants. They provide cover for ground dwelling frogs and are a food source for a number of species of butterflies.

One way of conserving endangered plants is to grow them in parks and gardens. So a number of the species, which are listed as endangered, vulnerable or rare have been planted, including Phillip Island Hibiscus (Hibiscus insularis), Long-leaved Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis newmanii), Plunkett Mallee (Eucalyptus curtisii) and Byfield Spider Flower (Grevillea venusta).

Long-leaved Tuckeroo Cupaniopsis newmanii

Plunkett Mallee Eucalyptus curtisii

Byfield Spider Flower Grevillea venusta

Since I started keeping records of the faunal species using the garden, the following have been observed:

• more than 80 species of invertebrates, including 11 species of spiders and 25 species of butterflies;
• 6 species of native frogs;
• 5 species of native reptiles, plus the introduced Asian house gecko;
• 65 species of native birds (some of which have nested here); and
• 2 species of native mammals.

Many of these commute from nearby wetland and bushland reserves, which dot the area where we live.

The placement of a number of birdbaths in the early stages attracted numerous fauna species, even before the plants had matured enough to provide food or shelter. These have been placed high up on posts out of the reach of the neighbourhood cats. Many of the birds that visit seem to come mainly for the water. Smaller birds have attracted occasional visits by birds of prey. Smaller dishes have been placed on the ground around the garden. These are utilised by skinks, frogs and various insects.

The four ponds dotted around the garden, including one that was created by lining my children’s old sandpit with a pond liner, are stocked with local native fish: the Soft-spined Sunfish, Crimson-spotted Rainbow Fish, and the Pacific Blue-eye. Numerous species of dragonflies and damselflies have also found their way to the ponds from nearby wetlands.

The Striped Marsh Frog is the most numerous frog species, although there are a number of resident Scarlet-sided Pobblebonks and Graceful Tree Frogs. Cane Toads, though found occasionally, are not numerous, maybe because the dense cover of native grasses, sedges and herbs are difficult for their bulky bodies to negotiate.

A number of nest and roost boxes have been placed around the garden for birds and insectivorous bats.

We have gained a great deal of satisfaction in creating our little piece of habitat and making our little piece of Australia a little bit more “fauna friendly”. We hope to inspire more people to follow our example. If enough people do, then some of the habitat destruction, which seems to be an inevitable part of housing development, can be redressed, though it will never replace native bushland.