| If you've been thinking about updating or improving | | | | create something wholly new. |
| the landscape design of your property, you might be | | | | The Tide Begins to Turn - |
| interested in learning a bit more about the history of | | | | In 1830, a Scott named Thomas Shepherd arrived in |
| garden design in Australia. Many intriguing twists and | | | | Australia. Like so many of today's landscape |
| turns have occurred over the years; educating | | | | gardeners, Shepherd abhorred the practice of |
| yourself about them can help make planning your | | | | destroying the natural landscape of the region. Many |
| own design much easier. | | | | believe that his views and opinions became the |
| Early Australian Gardens - | | | | turning point where many gardeners began to |
| At the time of the very first settlements in Australia, | | | | embrace the beauty of Australia's native landscaping |
| the English Landscaping School - led by Capability | | | | features and native plants. Prior to that, a large |
| Brown - was in its heyday. As a result, the earliest | | | | majority of Australian botanists and gardeners were |
| gardens in Australia were of the "squared" variety. As | | | | attempting to enforce an unnatural appearance on |
| the name suggests, this style is characterised by a | | | | man made landscaping. Shepherd saw that doing so |
| lot of simple geometry. A very ordered and | | | | was foolhardy and irresponsible, and was quite vocal |
| organised formula was used to create this look, with | | | | about it. |
| straight, clean lines and other very elementary | | | | Australia's Native Plants Take Centre Stage - |
| features. | | | | During the early half of the 20th century, leading |
| The Colony Grows - | | | | authors and botanists in Australia became increasingly |
| As the Australian colony began to grow and prosper; | | | | supportive of the native plants and landscape of the |
| ideas about gardening began to change. A freer, less | | | | country. This trend continued and really intensified |
| geometric style began taking hold throughout the | | | | following the Second World War, when a surge of |
| settlement. Clumps of trees and wide, sweeping | | | | nationalism prompted people throughout Australia to |
| lawns were among the most popular features in use | | | | view native plants in a whole new light. Today, of |
| at that time. Unlike in England, where the | | | | course, we know that native plants are the best |
| enhancement of natural features was very popular, | | | | choice for the environment - and that they are |
| Australian landscaping ignored the natural lay of the | | | | positively lovely, too. If you're going to redesign your |
| land and attempted to subvert it in many ways. It | | | | home's outdoor landscaping, always choose native |
| could be said that the gardens from this time period | | | | plants. |
| rejected native plants and features and tried to | | | | |