Why Native Green Space
WHY NATIVE GREEN SPACE ?
A very brief summary
The Breaking of the world
130 million years ago, Australia slowly separated and broke from the landmass called Gondwana which was when all of the continents (Countries) were welded together as one massive landmass.
The West coast of Australia broke away from India and we made our own path.
Only 30 million years ago the Antarctic broke away from Australia to form Antarctica.
Over this very long period of time our living species have been evolving without any outside interference being completely isolated. Our native plants have evolved, adapted and adjusted year by year, century by century, millennium by millennium.
The separations of continents
Today native plant have evolved with the ability to find all the nutrients they need in our very depleted sandy soil like potassium, magnesium, nitrogen, and once established our natives will survive on very little water with a strong resistance against pest and diseases while providing nutrition for our native insect, animals and us ...
Beautiful small tree the Corymbia ficifolia flowering gum
On the other hand or landmass
Introduced exotic plants like palms, ornamental roses, camellias all need to be drip feed with fertalisers, lots of water and pest control, simply because they have evolved 130 millions years ago in a different landmass, climate, soil and environment. Introduced plant species can be beautiful and incorporated into landscape but in that there is a cost, financially and environmentally, phosphorus running into aquifer like the Swan or Murray river, and depleting precious water supply.
FAMILY
Plants love to live in a community with other plants they are family, related in one way or another. You realise this when you visit bushland teaming with native trees, grasses, ferns, shrubs and fungi or a coast line of shrubs with soft foliage scattered like pillows. These national parks, coastlines, Landscapes do not have any automatic water as in irrigation.
Ecosystems of Rainforest and native bush land use bacterial airborne spores to attract and develop rain clouds bringing precious water to them. Deforestation simply bring death, heat, drought and topsoil destruction.
You will know when you are walking through a old happy community of plants by the fresh cool air you feel and the moisture on your face with the soft leaf littered brown soil under your feet, as you breathe fresh air amongst these gentle, giving beings.
Take note on how you feel on your next walk with nature.
Upper story - Under story.
A community of plants can be formed from a as little as 5 plants put together and upwards. Here they are able to nursemaid and take care by shielding each other from aggressive winds and cool shad on stinking hot days, while holding moisture in the ground.
By planting some small native trees of 2 to 3 m tall as a upper story followed by smaller flowering shrubs of 1 to 1.5 m tall and wide for under story plants, and ground loving shrubs and covers for the bottom story.
As most native plants are evergreen and do not drop leaves the bottom story as in ground covers will suppress weed and hold moisture in your soil.
Fungi
The underground Resistance
Beautiful sunlight travels 149.6 million km from our glorious star and with this warm light our native plants receive a gift to perform an incredible science called Photosynthesis by capturing sunlight, air and water and turning this into delicious oxygen, for us breath with.
Yes without this process from the natural world you would be literally turning blue.
Breath
this process of Photosynthesis also produces simple glucose sugars which gently release through the plants roots, stimulating the hundred millions underground species of fungi and bacteria with each one of these performing a different function in the soil for taste colour and health in our plants, and building the ever important topsoil while growing the beautiful Fungi food web for all living creatures including you …
This is why when you walk through bushland, forest, country,
you see and feel the health of the natural world, from the spirit of community.
So go and plant a native garden
Increase your property value while decreasing your water bills, work, maintenance and fertilisers.
Increasing the shared value of habitat and cool climate for the next generation who follows.
If you need a starting point see the blog on Planting Tips or you can purchase our potted gifts of
Native habitat packs with all the tips you need
in the Artisan Category on kiss kiss LoVE gifts
Article written by Paul Lambert of
Beneficial Gardens Sustainable Landscapes
Western Australia.
