Pam, your garden looks beautiful. So sorry to hear about your dog. Gardening is such good therapy isn't it? That Taro does look like colocasia illustris. I have some I got at a swap too. It really does make a garden look tropical. The leaves burn in direct sun though. It doesn't kill the plant, but even a direct ray that gets through the trees in the afternoon will burn the leaves. Those striped Cannas are pretty, saw them on Monday at Lowe's and I'm thinking of going back. --Shirley

Good on you for offering the critters board and lodging, let's hope some of the neighbours might get inspired. I guess the key is diversity of plant types (height, density, form, flower type)and garden *furniture* in the way of leaf litter, loose bark, water etc. I'm sure you'll be able to do landscaping to suit the wildlife and your family too. I don't think your husband's height restriction should be a problem; there are plenty of larger shrubs/ small trees. The Flora for fauna site MM supplied gives some indication of the sorts of vegetation the smaller birds and reptiles etc might utilise. Tufties and pricklies often are overlooked,as are the native grasses like kangaroo grass. There are a raft of hardy "rainforest" species which are tropical looking and native to the SE cnr. Being 1000km away, I'm a bit loath to name names before you've had a chance to look around and talk to the locals. Have you been through a cycle of seasons yet and thought about personal winter/ summer requirements for shade or not? Looks as though there is a fair bit of space west of the house where you could plant some of the taller things to act as a screen/ afternoon shade. Maybe plant these with a generous setback from the boundary to reduce neighbour implications, and to exploit a sheltered microhabitat between them and the fences. No doubt there is much, much more :) Rose

Hi Dee, The golden cane suffers from the same malady as plants like Aspidistra and Oleander - its just too common. The plants themselves may have many of the characteristics that gardeners seek (hardy, reasonably attractive etc), but they are fairly uninspiring plants overall. I have several golden canes in my garden, including two that could best be described as 'gigantic', and they barely rate a second glance. I admire their toughness, and they are great screening plants, but I wouldnt put them in any position which would draw the eye. Ultimately, its horses for course - my GF loves them and wont hear my objections. You will find them gamely holding on, alone and unloved, in backyards across Rocky (ditto Oleander), but I wont be planting any more : the tropical gardener simply has too many other great palms to choose from. Cheers, Artie

Hi Lea, You really cant go past local knowledge, so I'd strongly suggest that you take a good look around gardens in your area. Nurseries are also helpful, but you have to balance their advice against their profit motive - the good ones will make recommendations based solely on the best possible outcome for you. I also look at council landscaping - the plants might be doing it tough, but its surprising to see how well many species perform in the harshest of conditions. My current block has the same characteristics you've described, without the advantage of North-South orientation. My experience has been that the following do well in clay, and will be excellent foundation plants within 2-3 years of planting (from a 6" pot): - Xanthostemon Chrysanthus (Golden Penda) : takes the brunt of the afternoon Rocky sun and just looks sensational, even without flowers. Not so much as a single pest, despite the exotic Syzygium opposite being regularly gnawed on :) - Syzygium Australe Southern Form (Aussie Southern) : all LillyPillies arent the same, and this has a fantastic growth rate. I also like Wilsonii and a host of others, but this is the pick for a site such as yours, IMO. - Murrayas : both exotic and the local species - fast growers, tough-as-nails and great foliage / scented flowers. Others might suggest wattles, palms etc as pioneer plants - again, you need to see what works in *your* location. Be very careful in your choices re large trees - in addition to issues with roots and falling branches, I'm coming to the realisation that too *much* shade might be just as difficult a challenge as having too little. Having stood in a baking 40deg backyard 18 months ago, this was inconceivable, buts its definitely an issue with the new block. I'm also going to try wire trellis and climbers at the new place : my lone Pandorea Pandorana was never given the start it deserved here, but has hung in there magnificently. There are a host of exotic climbers, too - my personal preference is for natives where possible. Speaking to a local gardener recently, I was reminded of the importance of regularly checking the acidity of your soil - I started at 6.5, but all the compost, fertiliser, watering etc is bound to have an impact. He told me of a mate who grew 5 acres of lucerne purely to provide compost to his own garden - thats one serious gardener :) I believe that the main challenge facing all mainland gardeners at the moment isnt soil, plant choice or orientation - its rainfall. I remember Coffs as a lush, subtropical paradise with abundant rain - I sincerely hope that remains the case while you establish your own oasis. Cheers, Artie