By Deb Meyer
Founder & Chief Designer at Vogue & Vine
Small Garden Plants Sydney
At Vogue & Vine – we design small Sydney gardens and recommend courtyard & balcony garden plants for our clients every week.
There are so many space-effective courtyard plants and balcony garden plants that are both architectural and low maintenance for the warm Sydney climate.
We decided to put this post together featuring some of our best small garden plants for Sydney.
We have broken it down to include courtyard & balcony plants for:
- Boundary or perimeter plants for privacy,
- Plants for outdoor feature pots & troughs
- Garden beds with limited space
- Tropical plant options suitable for feature plants and underplanting.
Best Trees & Screening Plants for small Sydney Gardens
Bamboo for Privacy screening
Slender Weaver or Bambusa Textilis Gracilis is a non-clumping bamboo and can grow to 6-8 metres within 18 months. Providing a quick privacy screen without taking up much courtyard planting space.
Frangipani - Tropical Feature tree
Frangipani is a perfect tropical feature tree for a small garden. They grow slowly - allowing light through in winter and in full flowery bloom in summer.
Lilly Pilly Boundary hedging
Lilly Pilly Australis is a perfect hedging plant and is native to Australia.
Features dense growth to the base of the tree and new growth is lime green.
Japanese Maple Tree
The Japanese Maple is one of our favourite feature trees. Being deciduous, it still lets the light through in winter. Can be shaped for smaller spaces and perfect for Sydney courtyard gardens.
Best small feature plants for Sydney Gardens
Imperial Bromeliad
There are many different types of Bromeliads available. This is one of our favourites with architectural foliage complemented by a red underside. Loves full sun to part shade and thrives in many compact Sydney gardens.
Mother in Laws Tongue
What a weird name for a plant - otherwise known as Sansevieria.
The perfect plant for the Sydney climate being low maintenance requiring little water. and perfect in direct sunlight.
We often use this mass planted in troughs or in garden beds.
Alocasia OR Elephants Ears
Elephants Ears are a fantastic architectural plant and the leaves can grow up to 2m long.
Suitable for larger Sydney courtyards as a statement plant and best suited to part shade conditions.
Cactus
For a touch of Arizona or Palm Springs - you can't beat the Euphorbia Cowboy. We have used this cactus in a number of modern courtyards - looking great in feature pots..
Best Tropical Plants for compact Gardens
Imperial Bromeliad
There are many different types of Bromeliads available. This is one of our favourites with architectural foliage complemented by a red underside. Loves full sun to part shade and thrives in many Sydney courtyard gardens.
Kentia Palms
Kentias look great in modern pots or planted in the ground. They work well in bright indirect light and are the perfect Sydney courtyard plant that work well in combination with other ground cover plants.
Liriope
The perfect undercover plant for all styles of courtyards including the modern tropical look.
Suits shade to part sun and develops a thin purple flower. We often use for mass planting under trees or palms.
Philodendrun Xanadu
Xanadu is well suited as a feature plant or mass planted underneath a larger tree. Perfect for a semi tropical look and performs well under most conditions including partial sun to full shade.
