Suitable Plants
A basic principle of sustainable design is that more than one beneficial
function should be performed.
As a general principle, use of local native plants in garden design
has most merit.
Local native plants are adapted to survive in the local conditions
such as soils and available rainfall.
Provided the natural systems have not been substantially depleted,
local native plants are usually able to recruit birds as their own
biological pest-controllers.
Plants are key providers of the ecosystem services upon which Homo
sapiens has thrived. They provide food, fibre, fuel, pharmaceuticals,
shade, construction materials, and oxygen.
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They influence climate at both the macro and micro scale, cycle
nutrients, prevent soil erosion, and provide habitat for other species.
However, some introduced species (environmental weeds) can cause
loss of biodiversity by invading and overwhelming entire landscapes.
They can cause the local extinction of species that naturally occurred
there.
Serious environmental weeds in Australia include some 'native'
species that have been introduced to areas outside of their natural
range.
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