Victorian Schools Garden Program
BERWICK LODGE PRIMARY SCHOOL | Outdoor Common Room
The Victorian Schools Garden Program (VSGP) recognises the importance and value of gardens and outdoor spaces in progressive modern education. The grants program is designed to provide seed funding to schools to establish new gardens in their schools.
Warners are proud to sponsor plants to create an Outdoor Common Room to develop a shared outdoor space for the health and wellbeing of school communities. We hope this encourages learning through collaboration and helps to develop friendships and a sense of belonging.
Andrew, (pictured here with Assistant Principal, Sandra McCrum), along with Alison and Bonnie worked with Berwick Lodge Primary to help design and plant the garden incorporating students ideas and suggestions. Unfortunately the swimming pool didn't make the cut. We spent a great day showing the kids how to prepare for planting and watering the plants. Check out the video and a few before and after snaps.
Plant Selections:
Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls'
An attractive sprawling groundcover with striking green to silver cascading foliage. Very hardy will grow in partshade to full sun and withstand the radiant heat of paving and stone. Frost tolerant and drought resistant once established.
Trachelospermum jasminoides
Evergreen climber with masses of sweetly fragrant starry white flowers in Summer. Glossy lance shaped dark green foliage.
Lomandra longifolia 'Tanika'pbr
Various forms from low matting carpets to tall varieties with broad glossy foliage. With stunning colors and textures of silver blue grey through to lime green. Fine weeping foliage that’s a stunning blue grey color. Bears small yellow flowers with a sweet aromatic scent.
Liriope muscari Elmarco pbr
Widely used in landscaping, Liriopes make an ideal groundcover and small varieties are suitable for planting between pavers, or for rockeries, containers or borders.
Philodendron japonica Xanadu
Easy to grow and require limited maitenenace once established. Ideal filler and mass planting structural plant, works well in conjunction with Ligularia reniformus.
SMALL TO MEDIUM SHRUBS & HEDGING
Correa alba
An attractive and hardy Australian native shrub, the Correa alba has grey-green foliage with small white flowers which are on display in late autumn and winter.
Loropetalum Plum Gorgeous pbr
Evergreen small shrub. Deep purple foliage, the darkest color of all of the Loropetalums. Showy display of vivid hot pink, tasselled flowers during Spring and Autumn. Maintains a naturally dense, domed habit.
Nandina domestica 'Moon bay'
Fine, red to golden foliage, small fairly insignificant flowers followed by red berries in autumn. Foliage colour intensifies during winter or when grown in nutrient depleted soils. It has an upright, dense growth habit and is very hardy.
MEDIUM TO LARGE SHRUBS & SCREENING
Acacia cognata Greenscreen pbr
Is fantastic as an informal screen or as a feature plant, the beautiful weeping foliage makes it effective in most garden styles. Is an ideal background plant for modern Australian native gardens. Blends beautifully with Banksia praemorsa, Elaeocarpus reticulatus and Agonis 'Burgundy'. Underplant with new varieties of Lomandra and Dianella.
Malus transitoria 'Royal Raindrops'
Malus are a very hardy small tree that will grow in most well drained soils in full sun to partial shade. A very pretty crab apple featuring rich pink flowers from spring through to early summer. Small decorative fruit adds interest from late summer to autumn.
Magnolia soulangeana 'Burgundy Glow'
This deciduous magnolia is an improved variety of the ever popular x soulangeana. It is frost hardy will grow into an attractive upright and spreading small tree. Its dark purplish pink and white flowers are fragrant, large and goblet shaped, and will open in late Winter/ early Spring.
For more inspiration:
For a few more ideas, see our:
Plant What Where | Coastal Selections. These plants thrive in the toughest conditions including the challenging school garden environment.
Plant What Where | Aussie Mediterranean A hardy drought tolerant garden doesn't have to be all grasses and gumtrees. Mediterranenan style plants are just as tough once established and add extra interest to garden designs and compliment the Aussie natives.