PLANTS IN PLAYSPACES what works, what doesn’t and how to integrate plant materials into outdoor play settings Tess Michaels – Tessa Rose Playspace and Landscape Design 0416565297 www.tessaroselandscapes.com.au Soil and soil preparation Water!!! Care of Plants – the no maintenance myth Other Factors •Indigenous rather than native •Aspect •Check your neighbourhood •Try a plant out in a few positions •Get the staff, families and children involved •Site security •Community garden networks •Do what’s best for your site – don’t try to duplicate what another centre has done – the conditions will be completely different! Trees – Best for Shade Lophostemon confertus – Brush Box Tristaniopsis laurina – Water Gum (new cultivar “Luscious”) Acmena smithii – Lillypilly Others to Consider Elaeocarpus reticulatus – Blueberry Ash – only in 3-5 years playspaces due to fruit Pistacia chinensis – still a good deciduous tree Smaller gum trees such as summer red, etc, Waterhousia floribunda – NB new cultivar “sweeper” Shrubs – some to consider!! Have had great results with – Callistemon “Great Balls of Fire” and basically any of the dwarf varieties of bottlebrush Eriostemon myporoides – Native Wax Flower – scented leaves when crushed but doesn’t like humidity Westringia “Wynyabbie Gem” – some interesting cultivars of coastal rosemary being developed – this one grows fast up to 2m Leptospermum “Cardwell” – have had success with this as both a tree and a shrub Baeckea linifolia and virgata in dwarf form– scented leaves, again works well in most areas Groundcovers Zieria prostrata – especially Pink Flecks – scented and excellent in shade Scaevola “Purple Fanfare” Brachycombe – in particular Break of Day Lomandra “Tanika” – can’t kill it! Goodenia ovata – the prostrate version Be open to using grasses as groundcovers Grasses for Texture Pennisetum spp – non-sterile versions only! Including Nafray, Rubrum, Black Lea and Purple Lea Certain cultivars of Lomandra including Wingarra, Savannah Blue and Mondra Dianella spp – best ones – TasRed, Little Rev and Utopia – NB: best in playspaces 3-5 years due to the purple berry Liriope spp for shade Poa spp cultivars of Tussock Grass – Eskdale, Courtney and Kingsdale – creek beds, around sandpits, etc Climbers My favourite three that work extremely well in a range of conditions are – Pandorea jasminoides and pandorana – wonga wonga vine Hibbertia scandens – Yellow Guinea Flower Hardenbergia violacea – Purple Coral Pea Overused Plants!!! Murraya paniculata – Mock Orange Buxus spp* Lomandra longifolia Nandina domestica Agapanthus spp and Clivea spp * * Some of these are listed as poisonous plants for child care centres Remember •Start with a small area •Give children some level of input and ownership over the plants used •Research •Incorporate the plants into the programming framework •Be prepared to put in some time •Get to know what the main toxic plants look like – this may involve creating a sheet with the name of the plant and a photo NB: Some toxic plants are weeds!!! Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. ~ Rachel Carson ~