Australian House and Garden - Garden Special March 2015

Read about Paul's tips in the Australian House & Garden magazine Garden Special this month "60+ Delightful Garden Ideas". Paul was one of 10 top Australian designers featured in the article. Check out a few snippets below:

12 / Statement Piece. Every garden needs a focal point and for Queensland landscape architect Paul Stein, Parry's agave (Agave parryl) fulfils this role beautifully. With its bold and spiky leaves, it's a specimen that needs to be located thoughtfully. "It is absolutely stunning," says Paul. Grey-green in colour, it works well with native or coastal plants. "And it looks great when partnered with other succulents of various sizes; have a play with size and scale."

56 / On the waterside - Maximise the visual impact of water features by surrounding them with swaying grasses or dramatic forms of plantlife. "A lotus (Nelumbo) will transform a bowl of water into a lovely feature," says Paul Stein. "My favourite reed is knobby club-rush (Isolepis nodosa), with its beautiful weeping form."

59 / Northern lights - Warmth, humidity and high rainfall make it easy to grow a garden in the subtropics. Paul Stein nominates five plants for these conditions:

  • Native violet (Viola hederacea), a pretty, shade-loving groundcover.

  • Purple ginger (Alpinia 'Red Back') A tall screening plant perfect for narrow spaces.

  • Bromeliad (Alcancarea imperialis 'Rubra') A beautiful feature plant.

  • Lomandra 'Tilga'. A 400mm high grass for middle-tier planting.

  • Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis anacardioides) A native, fast-growing small-to-medium tree. Its lollipop shape makes it a perfect shade-giver.

For more garden tips, pick up the March 2015 issue of Australian House & Garden. If you would like to stay up-to-date on more of Paul's gardening tips for South-East Queensland, sign up for the seasonal email newsletter right here.

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