Koalas generally live in open dry forest country - not wet rainforest. Cycads,Bowenia,Macrozamia,Lepidozamia,Codiaeum and all Aroids are toxic, very toxic and while the K's may not eat them just chewing on them could be fatal. I am not a Koala expert but know that what is poisonous to one type of animal may not be poisonous to another, ie seeds which a bird can eat may kill a human. K's have a specially adapted digestive system to process the eucalypt leaves. I would SUGGEST YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH AN AUSTRALIAN ZOO SUCH AS AUSTRALIA ZOO IN QUEENSLAND OR LONE PINE KOALA SANCTUARY IN BRISBANE BEFORE PLANTING ANYTHING IN THE ENCLOSURE. I presume the wellbeing of the Koalas is more important than the wellbeing of the plants. Many of the plants listed so far in this post will not grow in a shady area so do your homework thoroughly before you spend any of your $800 budget. It would be a pity to waste it on plants that will never prosper. Callistemon and Lily pilly (Syzigium) are easy to grow from seed but are unlikely to grow in such small planters for very long. Birs nest fern should do well in planters. Koalas are more endangered than any of the plants listed so please be careful.

OK, wattleblossom - your garden sounds absolutely spectacular, but there are several points I'd like to make: 1. 'Your mileage may vary' : many of the species you have successfully grown, be they from Oz or wherever, simply wont do well in large parts of Queensland/Northern NSW/NT. Thats commonsense, but its easy for new gardeners to get drawn into the images presented by the (south-dominated) gardening media. Its a tribute to you that you have found the plants that thrive in your area. 2. Both sets of plants will be as 'low maintenance' as you want them to be, and that comes down to your preferred presentation. For example, pruning is a must for many shrubs, but how many need to be topiarised ? We can create hedges with exotic conifers or a species such as Melaleuca, but how can we prevent dieback in the centre of our new hedge ? This is one area where an informal planting scheme wins hands down, at least IMO. 3. From your description, it seems that you have two clearly delineated areas, and plants belong in one or the other by courtesy of their origin. I accept that this works for you, but have to ask if we need to build such arbitrary boundaries. I've made the point several times that I believe many of our rainforest plants are good companion plants for Vireya Rhododendrons, Gardenias and similar glossy-leaved exotics, and mixing dry climate plants from similar latitudes is already a well-worn path. Proteas are a slightly different story, although my 'high NPK' experiment still hasnt killed my tropical grevilleas :) 4. I also struggle with the insect-attack issue : none of us likes to see their evil handiwork, but I've been very lucky to date. Grasshoppers and caterpillars currently seem to be be enjoying exotics and natives alike in my garden, but its also rewarding to watch a magpie flying off with one of the marauding bugs protruding from its beak. Its currently very dry in CQ, and I suspect that this has pushed the insects into our gardens in larger numbers - they werent a problem in Summer. None of this makes my opinions any more valid than the next persons, but I do think that tight integration between Australian and imported plants is the key for the future of our native plants in commercial horticulture (as opposed to conservation). It will be a sad day when city kids can only see native plants in a botanical garden or arboretum. You or I could build an incredible garden using only plants from Madagascar, but would we be willing to limit ourselves to that one (admittedly sensational ..) island ? Who knows - Bunnings might start shipping truckloads of Madagascan plants after our gradens make the glossies :)

I had this recipe in my last school garden club newsletter. I found it on Jackie French's site. She also has a lot of good recipes and advice. Hope it helps. LILLY-PILLY JELLY - A Jackie French recipe I prefer to make this recipe from the small leafed lillypilly (Syzygium leuhmannii) which produces large quantities of fruit around Christmas time but you can use a mixture of lillypillies when quantities are limited. Collect fresh, firm, ripe fruit from trees and wash well. If you do not intend to make the jelly immediately, you can freeze the berries for later use. Wash and chop (no need to core or peel) a small quantity of granny smith apples. I use six large apples for a whole bucket of berries. Adjust quantities according to your supply of berries. Add berries and apples to a saucepan with enough water to cover the bottom half of the fruit. Boil uncovered for around 30 minutes, stirring regularly until the water shows good colour and the berries and apples are soft. Strain the mixture through a sieve for a cloudy jam or through muslin cloth for a clear jelly. Add 1 cup of sugar for each cup of strained liquid, re-boil. Bottle while hot into warm, clean jars and seal well. This recipe makes a clear, soft jelly. For a firmer consistency add a jam setting agent according to directions. *If you add extra water during the fruit boiling process, you will make lillypilly cordial. Add a little of the pink lillypilly cordial concentrate to water, mineral water, soda water or champagne!

This site says that 'Cascade' can survive light frosts: http://www.alpinenurseries.com.au/plant-library/syzygium-cascade/ Cascade is a hybrid between Syzygium wilsonii and S. luehmannii , and has distinctive pink flowers, resulting from the red and white flowers of its respective parents. "They’ve been around forever, but during the late 1970s, the era of the Australian plant bonanza, native plant enthusiasts and nurserymen rediscovered lillypillies. So much so that a decade later, three or four new varieties were arriving in nurseries every year. " https://www.gardenclinic.com.au/how-to-grow-article/lilly-pilly-lowdown That would explain why my house originally came with Hibbertia scandens. Apparently exotic Australian plants were the fad back then. Come to think of it, a lot of eucalyptus trees were planted around this time too. Interesting how fads come and go in the world of garden plants. "Syzygium wilsonii, also known as the Powderpuff Lillypilly, is perhaps one of the most attractive and versatile of the "Lillypillies", though still somewhat unknown and under-used in horticulture." https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2004/syzygium-wilsonii.html