Wake up to the beautiful sound of bird song every day. Discover how to identify the most common garden birds, and how to choose, grow, and maintain the native plants that will attract them to your backyard. From acacias to eucalypts, and from honeyeaters to kookaburras, this essential guide will help transform any garden across Australia into an avian paradise. Featuring plant and bird directories illustrated with superb color photographs and line drawings, as well as comprehensive planting tables and expert advice, this book has all you need to create a refuge for birds--and so preserve Australia's amazing natural heritage and biodiversity.
This book is the most up-to-date guide to Australian birds available. Written in everyday language, with crisp, brilliant digital images taken in the wild, this authoritative guide includes: - The first entry and photograph of the previously believed extinct Night Parrot - The recently recognised as a full specie Lesser Sooty Owl - The Thick-billed Grasswren - All seven species of Quail-thrush - The Paperbark Flycatcher - Rare photographs of the male Superb Lyrebird in courtship display - The Bustard in courtship plumage - The male Magnificent Riflebird in its courtship dance - The first photograph of a nesting colony of Australian Swiftlets taken in a deep, dark cave in tropical Queensland . . . and much more. Beyond a field guide, this book is divided into 27 chapters, with each chapter opening with fascinating background information. The easily accessible information on each bird includes: common and scientific names, size, description, behaviour, preferred habitat, feeding habits, voice, status and breeding. Distribution maps are arranged next to the photographic illustrations of the bird. A binocular icon indicates 'hot spots' to find particular birds. All wild birds that have been regularly recorded on the Australian mainland, Tasmania and offshore continental islands and oceans, including sub-species where the differences are recognisable in the field, have been included and photographed. Features over 1400 photographs by some of Australia's best wildlife photographers, including Colin Cock, Michael Schmid, Eric Sohn Joo Tan, Duade Patton, John Anderson, Alwyn Simple, Peter Jacobs, Andrew Bell, Tony Ashton, Nolan Caldwell, Chris Wiley, Maureen Goninan, Marlene Lyelle and George Adams to name but a few. This book will be enjoyed by beginners and seasoned 'birdos' alike.
In today’s South, where fine gardening is a tradition, many homeowners and professional gardeners are discovering a vast “new” palette of plant materials—native plants. They are realizing that these native wildflowers, trees, shrubs, groundcovers, vines, and grasses are far better suited, and therefore easier to grow and maintain, than most of the imported plants that populate traditional landscapes. In this book, the authors offer an exciting vision of the many possibilities and advantages of “going native.” Lavishly illustrated with more than 250 gorgeous color photographs, this book is both an introduction to more than 200 of the most familiar and easiest-to-find native plants of the South and a basic primer on how to use them effectively.
Winner of the 2018 HMAA Laurel Award for best book First published as The Australian Native Garden There's never been a more crucial time to droughtproof your garden and to consider Australian native plants as a key component in your outdoor space. This award-winning practical volume, from two of the country's foremost horticultural experts, offers everything you need to know about designing and growing a garden that promotes careful water use and features Australian native plants in the home garden. Including information on the fundamentals of Australian soils, cultivation techniques, drainage, pruning, fertilising and maintenance, as well as creating a fire-resistant garden, establishing habitats attractive to native fauna and growing your own bush foods. The Waterwise Australian Native Garden is a highly illustrated, comprehensive showcase of the best plants to choose and the best gardens from which to draw inspiration. It's a must-have for garden lovers all over this wide, brown land. 'If you're looking to improve or create a native garden, this is the book for you' - Australian Geographic 'This is a book to treasure, and one that will be a companion for a lifetime' - Adelaide Advertiser 'An authoritative reference for home gardeners everywhere' - Country Home Ideas
Like many of us, landscape designer Myles Baldwin dreams of living in the country one day. For Rural Australian Gardens, he travelled from subtropical and temperate to alpine and arid regions around the country to find the best and most unusual gardens. From newly established gardens to those that have evolved over generations, he discovered that Australians' approach to their properties is as diverse and unexpected as the landscape itself - and that resourcefulness and a sense of place are essential ingredients in creating the most successful of them. As well as revealing the stories behind the gardens, Rural Australian Gardens includes practical horticultural information on using trees, hedges, shrubs, perennials and groundcovers in rural settings around Australia.
Australian native plants have been a popular option for gardeners for many years, but only rarely are the words 'locally indigenous' used when selecting species. Locally indigenous natives are the plants that evolved to grow naturally in a particular area. In the case of the Adelaide metropolitan area, these plants remain almost unknown by the general public, largely because the unique native woodlands and wetlands of the Adelaide Plains have long since succumbed to urban development. The Native Plants of Adelaide profiles over 100 of the most important (and formerly most common) indigenous species. Each plant is depicted by at least one photograph accompanied by information about its former distribution, uses for humans and tips about growing it in your own garden.
What can you do to make your yard, garden or even a balcony, a more bird andbutterfly friendly habitat? Birdscaping Australian Gardens will show you how to attract garden birds and butterflies into your garden by planting the native plants that best satisfy their needs. Not all plants are equal. Some plants provide more food for birds - nectar, fruits and seeds; some plants are excellent for shelter or nesting. By utilising these 'super' plants it is possible to create an intensive habitat for wildlife and a garden sanctuary for you. Complete with the latest cultivation and landscape techniques for native plants, the book also includes many spectacular new plants that have recently been introduced into cultivation. Lavishly illustrated with the author's pen and ink drawings and photographs that illustrate how beautiful your garden will be when adorned with these wonderful creatures. Visit Birdscaping Australian Gardens on Facebook or their website
Hailed by David Attenborough, proclaimed a second Charles Darwin, John 'Charlie' Veron almost didn't become a scientist. Disheartened at school, by chance he won a scholarship to a university where he could indulge his passion for the natural world. It was scuba diving that returned him to his childhood love of marine life, and led to a career as a self-taught coral specialist, a field he revolutionised. His discoveries include an original concept of what a species is, and the mechanism that dives their evolution – matters that lie at the heart of conservation. He has named more coral species than anyone in history, becoming widely known as the Godfather of Coral. Charlie has dived most of the world’s coral reefs, revelling in their beauty. Here he explains what they say about our planet’s past and future, and why it’s critical they be protected. And also why it’s critical that scholarly independence be safeguarded, for it was the freedom Charlie had as a young scientist – to be wayward, to take risks – that allowed his astonishing breakthroughs. 'Charlie Veron isn’t just a coral scientist, he’s a pathfinder, a scout who’s been sending back dispatches on the future of our planet for decades. If ever there was a moment for Australians to listen up and act on what he’s learnt, it’s now.' Tim Winton ‘Charlie Veron is a ravishing writer. He shares Darwin’s passionate love of nature, forensic brilliance, courage and compassion. His gritty, inspiring and thrilling life symbolises why we must all work to save our planet’s most spectacular marine environment.’ Iain McCalman ‘This is the story of one of my heroes, not just a world expert but someone who has been fearless in trying to protect a natural wonder. And to think he became a marine scientist by chance. Charlie’s story reads with flair, clarity and a sense of adventure. A compelling book for our turbulent times.’ Robyn Williams
This book is written for Canberra region gardeners by Canberra region gardeners. It brings together over 50 years of gardening experience by past and present members of the Australian Native Plants Society--formerly the Society for Growing Australian Plants--Canberra Region. We hope it will have a special place on your gardening bookshelf.This is the fifth edition, extensively revised and now with illustrations for 934 described plants, with many more forms and cultivars listed.The Australian plants selected for this book are likely to grow well in the Canberra region and in other similar cool climate areas. More than one third of the Australian plants included are native to the Canberra region, while others come from elsewhere in Australia.Both new and more experienced gardeners will find it easy to select their plants by using the well organised and illustrated plant descriptions. For new gardeners, there are clear instructions on how to start and maintain a native garden in the Canberra environment.By following the planting information provided, everyone can aim to create a splendid native garden, with flowers all year round and inviting habitats for local birds and wildlife.Many of the plants listed are also available at the society's popular sales, which are held in autumn and spring each year at the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra.
Native grasses, through their versatility, striking and elegant forms and their beautiful flowers, foliage and seed heads, can greatly enhance your garden. They can be mass planted or used singly as a feature, and be grown around ponds, along paths or in containers. Native Grasses for Australian Gardens is a complete guide to native grasses and grass-like plants, with full colour images. If you're unfamiliar with Australia's wide variety of native grasses, you will be pleasantly surprised by Native Grasses for Australian Gardens, an invaluable guide for horticulturalists, students, landscapers and gardeners.
