Habitats develop in layers of repeated resource accumulations: niches where moisture and nutrients are captured between inanimate and living structures (Image: Erik van Zuilekom)
By Erik van Zuilekom
The polarised debate over native versus exotic species frequently misses the fundamental question: does the landscape function as an integrated ecology, or merely as a collection of isolated individuals?¹ Plant failure in professional landscapes may occasionally stem from poor species choice, though it most frequently emerges from inappropriate ecological integration.… Continue reading
Read MoreA pioneering, urban-greening approach transforming Australian cities into vibrant and biodiverse spaces has been released to the public, empowering home gardeners and land managers with over a decade of research and knowledge in native plant design and management.
Developed at the University of Melbourne, ‘Woody Meadows’ are redefining how councils, communities and developers design and maintain landscapes – turning concrete jungles into thriving green spaces.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Tara Cuddihy
This article builds on my recent story about the proposed tax on superannuation balances over $3 million under the Better Targeted Superannuation Concessions (BTSC) policy (see Hort Journal, July 2025). The proposal sparked considerable concern among Australians, particularly those with Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSFs) invested in non-residential properties, including farming land.… Continue reading
Read MoreImagine losing your entire crop – and your market – to one unseen disease.
That’s what growers overseas have faced with Xylella fastidiosa, one of the world’s most damaging plant pathogens.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Daniel Fuller
For specifiers, flowers are important for several reasons. Of course they provide aesthetic value, but they also provide environmental support for pollinators. Flowers also attract biological pest control including the adult life-forms of predatory flies and parasitic wasps, whose larvae are incredibly effective at keeping sap-sucking and munching pest populations under control.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Joe Rogers
Australia’s turf industry is built on innovation, and occasionally, a new variety emerges that reshapes what professionals expect from their turf. That moment has arrived again, with the introduction of Stampede Hybrid Buffalo™. Stampede is a next-generation turfgrass that is the result of years of rigorous research, trials and development in Australia and internationally.… Continue reading
Read More
A high health mother plant nursery at Ball Australia, Melbourne, with plants on fixed mesh tables and drip irrigation
By John Fitzsimmons
When updating an existing production site, or building a new one, an increasingly challenging environment needs to be considered. Greenhouses are therefore usually the option of first choice. But what are the emerging options for this path?
Greenhouses have long offered obvious benefits for commercial plant growers – a more suitable, stable and controllable growing environment for the crops in question.… Continue reading
Read MoreThe Landscape Association (TLA) has announced the outstanding winners of the 2025 Landscape Excellence Awards, proudly sponsored by Glazed Co. Presented at a sold-out gala dinner at Sydney’s Doltone House on Friday 7 November, the event brought together more than 550 members, sponsors, suppliers and industry professionals to celebrate the very best in landscape design, construction and maintenance across NSW and the ACT.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Gabrielle Stannus
Sandra Schwarz is a Melbourne-based Landscape Architect with a passion for restorative and therapeutic landscapes. Her book Restore demonstrates how green spaces support human restoration, whilst being underpinned by the guiding question, ‘HOW can you do that in practice?’… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Caleb Roberts
Botanical name: Malpighia emarginata ‘Florida Sweet’
Common name(s): Acerola, Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry, wild crepe myrtle, Antilles cherry
Family: Malpighiaceae
Origin or native range: Hailing from Central America and Mexico, the highest production of Malpighia emarginata (Syn.… Continue reading
Read More
