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What small shrubs and ground covers to plant?

nishtha

My backyard is a mess and growing weeds everywhere

We are on a slope so want to plant something that will help with soil erosion too.

My plan is to clear a section, put weedmat, cut a whole for the plants and plant something immediately.

I am after small shrubs and ground covers.

So far I like

Nandina blush

Creeping juniper

This section will get sun when the sun is out.

Something non flowering please

Any

thoughts?

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Planting and Growing

Comments

EricL

Hello @nishtha

Thank you for sharing your question about what to plant. Can you please tell us your general location so that we can suggest the proper plants for you.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

nishtha

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/49054#Comment_49054

Yes - we are in east Melbourne. Ferntree gully

JacobZ

Hi @nishtha.

Native plants are always going to be a great option as they are

That sounds like a solid plan, especially since you're tackling both weeds and erosion. The weed mat will help suppress new weed growth, and your plant choices so far are great for a sloped area with sun.

Here are a few other small shrubs and ground covers that would work well in Melbourne's climate and your sloped, sunny spot:

Small Shrubs

Correa Dusky Bells– A hardy native with small pink tubular flowers that attract birds. Grows well on slopes and is low maintenance.
Westringia – A compact coastal rosemary variety with a soft, spreading habit. Excellent for erosion control.
Grevillea Bronze Rambler – A low-growing grevillea with reddish foliage that spreads well and suppresses weeds.

Ground Covers

Dichondra Silver Falls – A trailing silver-grey plant that looks great cascading down slopes.
Dichondra Repens - A native ground cover with small, kidney-shaped leaves forming a dense mat. It's ideal for sunny to lightly shaded areas and requires minimal maintenance.
Ajuga Reptans – Low-growing with deep green or purple foliage, good for shaded spots if part of the area gets some cover.

You might also like to check out How To Design A Thriving Native Garden and How to choose plants for your garden for some further guidance.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

nishtha

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/49065#Comment_49065

Thats an amazing list Jacob.

Do any of these attract bees?

We don't like bees!!

Also side question : do you put edging first or weedmat first?

I am planning to use the corrugated steel edging

JacobZ

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/86617#Comment_86617

Hi @nishtha,

From that list, you should steer clear of the Grevillea Bronze Rambler and Ajuga Reptans as their nectar-rich flowers are quite attractive to bees.

You could replace them with Creeping Boobialla or Creeping Saltbush.

There's no right or wrong answer to what should go first, weed mat or edging, but personally, I would put the weed mat down first and then hammer the steel edging down into it. It should either cut the weed mat or bury it with it so you can off the excess using the outside of the edging as a guide.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

nishtha

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/108708#Comment_108708

Sounds good.

Am attaching a photo of my backyard as well. Let me know I missed something.

JacobZ

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/121662#Comment_121662

Hi @nishtha,

Thank you for the photos. I can't see anything that you've missed anything.

Allow me to tag some of our wonderful members to see if they have any thoughts - @Noelle, @mich1972 and @Dave-1.

Keep us updated as your project commences.

Jacob

nishtha

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/129820#Comment_129820

Thanks.

I don't know how much of the slope is visible.

Am planning to do the plants and rock garden on the right of where the weedmat is currently.

Where the weedmat is and on the left, it's just going to be mulch.

I realise that it will be a lot of weedmat but I can't think of another way to manage the weeds whilst letting the plants grow. Let me know if it's possible to have another approach to this?

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/129820#Comment_129820

Afternoon @nishtha

I always get excited about gardens and how they grow over time 🙂

I will throw in the mix some Rosemary type shrubs, I have two at home in trhe front yard and admittidly I planted with the aim to use them when I cook but as usually I forget (Or dont bake a lamb roast) and now one is knee high and spreading and the other is chest high and large in width.

01 02-02-2025.jpg

This is the large Rosemary Bush and it does get a few tiny flowers but havnt seen bees about it. Its actually on a raised mound and is really holding the soil well. I have been kind of kicking myself I didnt plant more of them as they are perfect for privacy and smell great when watered or brushed past. (Excuse the overgrown grass 😀

I also love deciduious trees, I have liquid ambers that are not wide but will grow tall over time. I keep mine lopped at aroundthe 5m mark (height of a 6 foot ladder and me on teh second rung down plus saw) and they really help cool the area around my place (Live in Wollongong, an hr and a half South of Sydney) I also like crepe myrtles as they do teh same. Strangely even they mass flower I really havnt seen too many bees on them (I use to keep a couple of hives) Both these trees I prune every two years to keep in check but mainly they have grown very easily and really hold teh soil espically as I have a high content of clay.

Dave

Noelle

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/108708#Comment_108708

I would add into the mix coast rosemary (Westringia) and perhaps a banksia or two, such as Birthday Candles. They do produce nectar but a few bees won't cause any harm. Perhaps some fruiting trees too, like lemon, lime, feijoa, fig and guava which are all suited to your climate and location. The slope will reduce the risk of frost damage

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/121664#Comment_121664

Afternoon again @nishtha

I have a shrub (was being thrown out and I picked up from the side of the rd) that grows prolifically and has beautiful purple flowers, it gets bees, so many bees its not funny.... They are all Blue Banded bees! I havnt worked out why, when I had hives the bees didnt even look at one another and the blue banded ones keep on going 🙂 My two hives collapsed 😕 but these guys are rocking. The root system looks liek it will handle very pore and clay type soil and binds it together. So if you are interestI can take a photo as I dont know the name of it. The flowers smell like plum pudding so I call it my plum pudding tree 🙂

Dave

JacobZ

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/134959#Comment_134959

Hi @nishtha,

Once your plants are in place, you can also use a layer of mulch around 100mm thick to suppress weeds.

It would change the look of things slightly, but if weed suppression is your main concern, it is certainly worth considering.

Jacob

nishtha

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/121664#Comment_121664

I am allergic to certain types of bee stings 🙁

Wanna stay clear of bees!

nishtha

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/138348#Comment_138348

I have two main concerns

Weed suppression

And soil erosion on slopes

once I placed the weedmat - it will help with weed suppression but then I need the plants to step in and help with soil erosion

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/140603#Comment_140603

Evening @nishtha

Oh I get the alergy to Bees 😕 I have one as well. Its the reason I dont have bees 🙂 I swell up. With Blue banded bees they dont sting 🙂 Thats why I mentioned them 🙂

The 100mm Mulch that @JacobZ has mentioned is the way I would go as well. Even without the weedmat (but id still do it in your case), no light that gets through the dense mulch the less likely weeds will germinate 🙂

With the mulch it will help with erosion especially as you plant out the area, you dont need to do it all at once. You could mulch the area to start and then gradually add the plants you want.

Dave

nishtha

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/142258#Comment_142258

Not concerned about the look changing with the mulch.. that's fine.

But I was advised earlier that mulch would be washed down if plants or rocks are not there.. is that correct?

I was thinking of leaving the mulch till the very end for that reason

My plan is

whippy snippy the weeds down

Spray

Put some cardboard to help suppress the weeds

Put weedmat mat.

Cut holes for plants

Plant the plants.

Do edging

Once it's all settled

Add mulch

Let me know what you think

JacobZ

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/140603#Comment_140603

Hi @nishtha,

That sounds like a good plan of attack.

I think you're good to get started and can let us know if you have any further questions along the way.

I'm excited to see how things go.

Jacob

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/142259#Comment_142259

Evening @nishtha

I dont think the 100mm mulch would wash down too easily but get your concern 🙂

01 24-01-2024.jpg

Strol 0.5m² SurePave Plastic Pavers will show you a range of options you could install the gridwork at the steepest part of the slope when you get to that point. I was checking the products out the other day when I was thinking of gravel and pathways but think they would work well to hold mulch. You can get bulk tree mulch from tree lopping companies if you ask them they may drop off a bunch for a fee. Remember that it will be fresh mulch and you may not know the trees it came from.

Dave

nishtha

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/143438#Comment_143438

Hi Dave,

Thanks for looking into the grids. I have definitely researched into them and planning to getting some to test.

Am not keen on getting bush mulch. My neighbours got some and they got some weeds in the process. Not keen at all

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/144336#Comment_144336

Morning @nishtha

Bush mulch? The stuff you get from the council? I was thinking more from a tree lopper people so its actually timber/leaves with no weeds.

I have used the mulch from the council as it was free 🙂 and yeah there were some weeds in it but it was free so really "wiggles hand" I was happy enough 🙂

Dave

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