Burnley Woody Meadow

It’s been some time in the planning, but the Woody Meadow research team have installed the latest Woody Meadow at the University of Melbourne’s Burnley Campus. Thanks to funding from Open Gardens Victoria (OGV) Giving Program we are showcasing Woody Meadows at the main campus entrance on Yarra Boulevard. We have designed a three-layered planting containing 21 trusted Woody Meadow plants (e.g. Thryptomene saxicola – Rock Thryptomene) and cultivars like Alyogyne ‘Blue Heeler’ (dwarf native hibiscus). The dense planting of 6.25 plants per m2 will grow into a biodiverse feature garden with flowers and foliage providing year-long interest. The Woody Meadow will be used as a living lab for teaching, learning and outreach, and the streetscape planting can be easily viewed by the community. Thanks very much to Landscape Solutions and volunteers for planting, and OGV for the grant that has made this possible.

See more details and the plant list here.

Woody Meadow research leads A/Prof Claire Farrell, A/Prof John Rayner and Dr Karen White, Head of Giving, Open Gardens Victoria (Image B.Ford)

Scaevola albida and other plants are laid out in layers, with upper layer plants laid out first and base layer plants last. Plants are randomly arranged with 40 cm centres to give 6.25 plants/m2. Planting day Nov 2023 (above) and two weeks after planting (below). (Image R. Bathgate)