The environment in which we establish our gardens is very varied, as are the native plants. This is a result of geology, altitude and climatic variation. Our coastal strip was once under the sea and our hinterland experienced volcanic eruptions. The Glasshouse Mountains are the cores of these ancient volcanoes. We have coastal sands, poor soils underlain by sandstone and moderately rich volcanic soils on the plateaus.

 As a result, there is a rich palette of native plants from which to choose and plants can be found to suit every garden style. It is always wise to look around at your own local environment, go for a walk in a local patch of bush or national park, and see what grows well there, particularly at different times of the year. You may be surprised. Springtime on the coast is very colourful.