Hi Linda

Sounds like a very nice idea that you have for your garden.

Nearby me, there is a guy who has big paperbarks in his front yard. Lovely trees with sprawling limbs, going down to the ground and lots of roots. Its really lovely and very sculptural.

He has renovated the garden to include lots of those succulent plants, like agaves, looks like something from the Mexican dessert. He has planted these plants all around the base of the paperbarks. I think he just plonked in some topsoil before planting.

I am not sure that it looks good, but I do have a good look every time I wonder past. Its different to say the least. Of course none of the succulents are natives, but I just thought it was a similar situation to your garden.

It would be hard do plant around the roots. The roots would take all the moisture from the smaller shrub, so I guess you would have to look at the drought tolerant, hardy status of the plants you choose.

Not much help, I am afraid, I like your idea, cycads would look nice with the paperbark.

Popi

will this garden be in the sun or shade? you may have to build up the soil around the exposed root area, teatrees are very greedy trees. i suggest the first thing you do is spread gypsum liberally around the area you want to plant out, you don't have to dig it in and then add the new soil on top. i'm guessing that you want to create a garden that doesn't need much water once its established. native grasses which look good in a dryland garden include tussock grass, swamp foxtail and mingo grass which is prostrate. shrubs include dwarf banksias, bush peas, melaleuca thymifolia, groundcovers such as hardenbergia and kennedia vines and prostrate grevilleas. and don't forget the grasstree, great feature plant. most of the plants i've listed grow naturally in dry exposed areas and or in teatree country and should compete okay with your big melaleuca. you will need to water and mulch your garden regularly until they are established and give them a good healhty start. pebbling makes a nice mulch too.

You could try some native bush peas and wattles. They generally do well in dry soil once mature. Perhaps you could raise the soil level a bit in order to give young plants a chance to establish.