Landscaping
The plants selected for Stage One all have a job to do. Some plants are part of the complex of transpiration beds; they have to breathe hard to pump out all that excess moisture. Other plants are designed to hold the water in the stormwater reed beds (rain gardens) and slow its flow, purifying it as it moves along and making good use of the water to produce an attractive landscape up against the building itself without causing any structural damage. Then there are the shade trees and the productive trees and if we are talking food, a telling part of the Stage One landscape is the shared veggie garden.
The approach to landscaping tells a great deal about a place!
Generally speaking local indigenous plants have been selected as they do work just by being there; they attract local insects and birds and provide habitat corridors to the neighbouring parklands. They are also accustomed to surviving dry conditions without the introduction of watering systems. There are however also water-loving plants in Stage One but they do not have their thirst quenched by precious potable water but are instead fed from stormwater systems or through the evapo-transpiration beds. An example of this is the use of the Tristaniopsis Laurina (Kanooka or Water Gum), the beautiful streamside tree that frequents the rivers of East Gippsland, as a transpiration plant around the car park.
However, the local indigenous selection principle has been sacrificed on occasion to allow for productive gardens and evapo-transpiration plants. In another instance an ornamental native small Western Australian Eucalypt has been used because of its suitability in close conjunction to an historic building and to complement the stonework introduced by landscape artist Mel Ogden. To the north, the grassland meadow between WestWyck's northern frontage and the Victoria St fence was planted with indigenous wildflowers carefully selected for their variety of blue hues that blend with WestWyck's grey rendered walls and for their capacity to withstand long periods without water.
The Stage One landscaping provided WestWyck with an opportunity to introduce an artist and Mel's rock walls may resemble Stonehenge but they provide some privacy for courtyard gardens and a beautiful colour and texture contrast to the school building itself.
The Victoria St frontage features more artwork in the form of local artist Richard Fryer's camel, a symbol of survival in a water scarce landscape.
The Stage One landscape features permeable surfaces. The bitumen and concrete was largely removed to allow the earth to soak up the rain.
The Stage One landscape design was based around the minimisation of vehicle intrusion; vehicles were restricted to a confined landscaped carpark allowing for the maximisation of planting and restful places on the rest of the property. The carpark harbours an underground grey and black water system and it keeps an open vista to Hunter St, a designated heritage area in Moreland's Heritage Conservation Study. This design means that the street continues to relate to one of its most important traditional buildings.
Eastern transpiration bed:
(Selected to withstand both inundation and some period of prolonged drought)
- Leptospermum lanigerum - Woolly Tea-tree, prune tips to encourage dense growth, white flowers; September to December. USES: wood used for Kangaroo spears.
- Carex bichenoviana - Sedge, heads of 9-25 dense spikes with purple-brown to blackish glumes; terminal cluster of 6-20 sessile male spikes, few female spikes lower, sometimes stalked. October to February.
- Mentha australis - River Mint, numerous small, white tubular flowers, in upper leaf bases; September to March. USES: Leaves can be used for coughs, colds and stomach cramps. Can be used as insect repellent.
- Dichondra repens - Kidney Weed, inconspicuous, 10cm tall, fast growing.
Western reed bed:
(Selected to withstand both inundation and some period of prolonged drought)
- Carex fasciularis - Tassel Sedge, drooping, bright green flowering spikes, on long slender stems; October to December.
- Carex tereticaulis - Common Sedge, brown flowering spikes, on ends of stems; August to March. USES: Wurundjeri; leaves can be finely split and made into baskets.
- Dianella longifolia - Pale (smooth) Flax-Lily, pale blue, star-shaped flowers with yellow centres, clustered on tall, loose, multi-branched flowering stems; October-January. USES: Wurundjeri; leaves are shredded into strong, silky fibre used for cord, berries are edible when ripe.
- Bracteantha pallustris - Everlasting daisy, flowerheads are surrounded by numerous shiny, bright yellow bracts, providing very showy display; late spring to autumn.
- Acaena novae-zealandiae - Bidgee Widgee, globular greenish-white flowerheads on stalks to about 20mm long; October to January. Fruits form reddish globular heads 25mm covered with spines.
- Doodia media ssp. australis - Common Rasp Fern, 60cm tall, 60cm wide
Eastern reed bed:
(Selected to withstand both inundation and some period of prolonged drought)
- Carex fasciularis - Tassel sedge.
- Carex tereticaulis - Common Sedge.
- Dianella longifolia - Pale (smooth) Flax-Lily.
- Acaena novae-zealandiae - Bidgee Widgee.
- Doodia media ssp. australis - Common Rasp Fern, 60cm tall, 60cm wide.
Southwestern Reed Bed:
(selected to withstand both inundation and some period of prolonged drought)
- Carex tereticaulis - Common Sedge.
- Juncus gregiflorus - Rush.
- Acaena novae-zealandiae - Bidgee Widgee.
- Carex appressa - Tall Sedge, long narrow dense to loose panicle 5-25cm long, with 20 or more spikes of brownish or dull yellow spikelets. Spikes bisexual ( male florets above female florets); August to January. USES: leaves used for basket making.
- Brachyscome multifida (Greensborough) - Cut Leaf Daisy
- Dianella revoluta - Black Anther (spreading) Flax-lily
- Chrysocephalum apiculatum - Everlasting Daisy
- Wahlenbergia communis (Fairfield) - Tufted Bluebell
- Bracteantha pallustris - Everlasting daisy
- Brachyscome basaltica - Basalt Daisy
- Isolepsis nodosa - Knobby Club-Rush
- Goodenia ovata - Hop Goodenia
Southeastern reed bed:
(Selected to withstand both inundation and some period of prolonged drought)
- Carex tereticaulis - Common Sedge.
- Juncus gregiflorus - Rush.
- Acaena novae-zealandiae - Bidgee Widgee.
- Carex appressa - Tall Sedge.
- Brachyscome multifida (Greensborough) - Cut Leaf Daisy
- Dianella revoluta - Black Anther (spreading) Flax-lily
- Chrysocephalum apiculatum - Everlasting Daisy
- Wahlenbergia communis (Fairfield) - Tufted Bluebell
- Bracteantha pallustris - Everlasting daisy
- Brachyscome basaltica - Basalt Daisy
- Isolepsis nodosa - Knobby Club-Rush
- Goodenia ovata - Hop Goodenias
Carpark beds (east and west):
(Selected for evapotranspiration function)
- Tristaniopsis Laurina (Kanooka or Water Gum) - bears yellow flowers, leaves redden in cold areas, bark attractive. Beautiful streamside tree that frequents the rivers of East Gippsland.
- Dianella longifolia - Pale (smooth) Flax-Lily
pale blue, star-shaped flowers with yellow centres, clustered on tall, loose, multi-branched flowering stems; October-January. USES: Wurundjeri; leaves are shredded into strong, silky fibre used for cord, berries are edible when ripe.
- Acaena novae-zealandiae - Bidgee Widgee
globular greenish-white flowerheads on stalks to about 20mm long; October to January. Fruits form reddish globular heads 25mm covered with spines.
- Goodenia ovata - Hop Goodenia
Stonework plantings:
(selected for drought tolerance, for colour co-ordination with stonework and building and for lack of root damage to building)
- Eucalyptus caesia - Gungurru or Silver Princess (WA)
small tree (3-6 m) with reddish bark curling off to expose smooth greenish-brown bark beneath; upper bark, fruits and buds are mealy white; slender open crown with weeping habit; pink to red flowers tipped with golden anthers in autumn and winter; chosen for its habitat, grey foliage and red flowers
- Poa morrisii - Velvet Tussock Grass
perennial tussock grass with fine, velvety, blue-green leaves: fine, open grass flowerhead from December to March
- Brachyscome multifida (Greensborough) - Cut Leaf Daisy
small perennial daisy with fine, lacy, dark green leaves on suckering stems: lilac daisy flowers with yellow centres on tips of stems from September to February.
- Brachyscome basaltica - Basalt Daisy
- Bracteantha pallustris - Everlasting daisy
- flowerheads are surrounded by numerous shiny, bright yellow bracts, providing very showy display; late spring to autumn.
Northern garden plantings:
(Garden bed fronting Victoria St)
- Linum marginale (Thomastown) - Native (wild) Flax. Delicate plant with small, smooth, blue-green leaves and slender, erect, sometimes branched stems: bright blue cup-shaped flowers with dark blue veins on end of stems from September to November.
- Brachyscome multifida (Greensborough) - Cut Leaf Daisy. Small perennial daisy with fine, lacy, dark green leaves on suckering stems: lilac daisy flowers with yellow centres on tips of stems from September to February.
- Caesia calliantha (Sunbury) - Blue Grass Lily. Perennial lily forming a small tussock of soft, erect, grass-like leaves; star-shaped, royal blue flowers clustered along short flowering stems from August to February.
- Themeda triandra (Campbellfield) - Kangaroo Grass. Perennial grass forming large, dense tussocks; new growth in spring is purple-green, turning a pale rusty colour when dry in summer: large, nodding, spiky grass flowerhead, triangular-shaped and multi-coloured from September to March.
- Dianella revolute - Black Anther (spreading) Flax-lily. Stiff perennial lily with narrow, blue-grey, strap-like leaves: blue star-shaped flowers with black and yellow centres in loose clusters on wiry, branched flowering stems from September to March.
- Eutaxia microphylla (prostrate, Union St, Brunswick) - Small-leafed Eutaxia. Perennial shrub with closely-packed, tiny, grey-green leaves on rigid, sometimes spiny, stems; mainly prostrate but sometimes upright: profuse small yellow and red 'egg and bacon' pea flowers along stems from August to December
Orchard plantings (communal garden area):
- 'Black Genoa' Fig. Fig tree near the barbecue decking
- Three-way Apple: Granny Smith, Jona Free & Golden Delicious
- Double-planted Pear: Williams & Sensation
- Red Fuji Apple
- Three-way Plum: Flavour Supreme, Santa Rosa & Mariposa
- Three-way Apricot: Moor Park, Trevatt & Hunter
- Three-way Stone Fruit: Double-Jewell Peach, Tasty Zee Peach & Queen Giant Nectarine