Sign up to our mailing list for the best stories delivered to your inbox.
The Outback Gardener answers a reader's question about what to plant on a sloping surface.
WORDS CASSANDRA HOOKE PHOTOGRAPHY EMMA CROSS
We are starting a new build, and we have a battered slope by the house. What sorts of plants do well on a slope to create ground cover and limit erosion? We have good cropping soil.
Casey Dumbrell, Harden, NSW
Native grasses, rushes and sedges have fine, fibrous matting root systems that are beneficial in preventing erosion by wind and water. Plants that are great at stabilising soil and would be suitable for your setting include Austrostipa, Lomandra, Dianella, Ficinia and Poa species. Ground covers such as Carpobrotus spp. (pigface), Myoporum parvifolium (boobialla), Hardenbergia spp. and prostrate grevilleas also help to keep topsoil and mulch from being washed or blown away.
As the soil becomes more stable over time, you will be able to plant more diversely and use feature plants to add interest. You could also plant some deep-rooted shrubs and trees depending on the look that you are after. Grasses look beautiful when planted with flowering perennials like Salvia, Agastache, Gaura, Rudbeckia and Verbena species. Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra) is a stunning native grass that would particularly look well planted with the above.
Got a question for Cassandra? Send it to hello@graziher.com.au with “Gardening Q&A” in the subject line.
Subscribe to Graziher and never miss an issue of your favourite magazine! Already a subscriber? You can gift a subscription to someone special in your life.
To hear more extraordinary stories about women living in rural and regional Australia, listen to our podcast Life on the Land on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major podcast platforms.
Cassandra talks to Graziher’s Life on the Land podcast about her love of gardening.
The Olympic gold medalist chats to Graziher about her love of the land and how the work ethic her parents instilled in her from a young age has helped her persevere through setbacks and injuries.
The emergency physician reckons a by-product of the family’s cheesemaking operation has healing properties for skin.
Everything you need to know about how to submit your Dollar Diary, for the chance to receive a free two-year subscription to Graziher magazine.
We also asked them whether they were worried about having enough super when they retire.
Ingrid’s approach to garden design is similar to her take on interiors — she likes to create a series of outdoor ‘rooms’ that invite you to pause and enjoy the space.
