RIGHT PLANT,

RIGHT PLACE
01 Understand Site Parameters

02 Understand Plant Functions

03 Select Appropriate Plants

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Plant health
Function
Maintenance
Aesthetics

Good landscapes incorporate good

horticultural practices.
Good horticulture begins with the right
plant in the right place.
 WHAT ARE THE SITE CONDITIONS?

Available space? Micro climate?

Temp? Altitude?
Frost? Aspect?
Wind? Slope gradient?
Altitude? Reflected light?
Humidity? Reflected heat?
Topography? Rockeries?
Substrate? Pathways?
Mulch? Wind corridors?
Average rainfall? Depressed areas?
Drought? Raised areas?
Irrigation? Flat areas?
Sunlight? Common pests/diseases?
Salt? Natural enemies?
SITE PARAMETERS
How do the site conditions interplay?

How does that contribute to right plant,

right place?

Humidity

For example... High winds

Coastal salt
 WHAT ROLE WILL YOUR PLANTS PLAY?

Playgrounds Mass planting Order and creativity

Green roofs Specimen planting Layering
Green walls Feature Repetition
Rockeries Sightline preservation Unity
Grey water Screening & privacy Rhythm
Fire retardant Wind break Contrast
Growth habit Hedging Balance
Erosion control Borders Colour
Rain gardens Roadside planting Form
Miro-catchments Parkland Texture
Bioswales Street tree Line
Water cleaning Modern garden Proportion
Sensory Traditional garden Focal points
Maintenance budget Native garden Seasonal interest
 HYPOTHETICAL SITE
PARAMETERS & FUNCTION

Kindergarten
Line of sight
Soft fall
Hydrophobic soil
Reflected heat
Humid
Depressed area
EVERGREEN BABY LOMANDRA
LABILL ‘LM600’ PBR

01 Habit: fine-leafed,
compact, soft

02 Soil texture: light to

heavy

03 Drought and flood

tolerance: high
 HYPOTHETICAL SITE
PARAMETERS & FUNCTION

Bioswale
Periodic drought
Periodic flooding
Amenity
Pollinator garden
Heavy soil
Sodic conditions
GREY BOX™ WESTRINGIA
FRUTICOSA ‘WES04’ PBR

01 Habit: native Buxus

alternative

02 Soil texture: almost any

03 Drought and flood

tolerance: high
 HYPOTHETICAL SITE
PARAMETERS & FUNCTION

Tight space
Screening
Amenity
Pollinators
Poor, heavy soil
SLIM™CALLISTEMON
VIMINALIS ‘CV01’ PBR

01 Habit: tall, columnar

02 Soil texture: almost any

03 Drought and flood

tolerance: high
 HYPOTHETICAL SITE
PARAMETERS & FUNCTION

Large space
Screening
Wind break
Free-draining soil
Irrigated
Humid
SWEEPER® WATERHOUSEA
FLORIBUNDA ‘DOW20’ PBR

01 Habit: weeping foliage,

giant screen

02 Soil texture: light to

loamy

03 Drought tolerance: low

 HYPOTHETICAL SITE
PARAMETERS & FUNCTION

Roadside
Erosion control
Pruning once per year
Drought tolerant
Poor soil
Heavy metals
KING ALFRED® DIANELLA
CAERULEA ‘JOHN316’ PBR

01 Habit: tall foliage, short

canes

02 Soil texture: light to

loamy

03 Good in drought, bad in

overly wet conditions
WHAT ABOUT
SUBSTITUES?

You spent a lot of energy choosing the right

plant.
Sometimes, nurseries don’t have it in stock.
Landscapers will try to get a substitute.
But is the substitute good?

A hold point can prevent poor plant substitutes.

Block landscaper site access and works commencing until correct
plant ordered.
Ensure your designs perform as intended with best plant choices.
Prevent wrong plants in wrong places.
 CASE STUDY

QLD bioswale
Shara Lomandra specified
Subbed for L. confertifolia
All plants died
Required replacement
There are way better ways to waste $$
BESTPLANTS.COM.AU
YOUR HANDY RESOURCE FOR RIGHT PLANT, RIGHT PLACE

01 Search by plant uses

02 Search by region

03 Find plants perfect for

your next design
FINAL THOUGHTS

Write out all site parameters and plant

functions.
Base your plant specifications on these.
Aesthetics are important but only one factor.

Use our resources to make life easy:

bestplants.com.au
Right Plant Right Place check-list form with:
Plant tables and site parameter & plant function lists
QUESTIONS?