Admittedly it wasn't all bad. Fortunately they are beginning to stock a larger range of natives and even have the odd specimen that one might not see everyday. Here's the list of purchases;

Grasses:

• Phormium "Surfer Boy" - a medium growing flax with green and red foliage


• Juncus kraussii - a clumping sedge with brown seed pods dangling at their extremities


• Thysanotus multiflorus - the delightful Fringe Lily


• Anigozanthus viridis - WA's own Kangaroo Paws


• Conostylis aculeata - small clumping foliage with 3D yellow stars

Grey Foliage:

• Eremophila "Kalbarri Carpet" - a prostrate Emu bush


• Leucophyta brownii - cushion bush that grows to about 1m high


• Olearia axillaris - the coastal daisybush

The Flowers:

• Hypocalymma xantopetalum - very similar to the Leptospermum and Thryptomene families but with creamy, yellow flowers in late winter


• Leptospermum "Merinda" - a gorgeous red-head that starts as a prostrate but then forms into a tight shrub


• Verticordia chrysantha - to die for! A flurry of yellow blooms on an almost succulent foliage shrub


• Thryptomene saxicola - an almost prostrate bush with pink flowers that bloom in winter


• Darwinia citriodora - another prostrate with orange-red flowers

The Hedge:

• Westringia "Karbeethong" - the Edna Walling Rosemary

Once these were in the ground, with most of the grasses lining the dry creek bed, it was time to renovate the reticulation. This is always more fun in theory that in practice but it didn't take too long to get it right - now we just have to get it working...

Finding cheap drippers was the main challenge. It seemed that many of the options were overkill and priced accordingly so I settled for some little cheapies that delivered a maximum 2L per hour.

The last step in this yard's makeover was applying a thick blanket of mulch and as you can see it creates the perfect backdrop to highlight the bed's features and plants. One garden bed down...three to go...