A border is the low line of planting along the front of a bed, and it is seen more than any other part of the garden. It usually sits beside paving that throws heat, in the driest soil on the block, which rules out a lot of the plants traditionally recommended. This guide covers the low plants that suit Australian conditions, how far apart to plant them, and how to choose between a clipped edge and a soft one.
Border plants for Australian conditions
| Conditions | Reliable borders |
|---|---|
| Hot, sunny, dry | Lomandra Little Con, dianella, dwarf westringia, society garlic |
| Sun to part shade | Liriope, dietes, Baby Boomer lilly pilly, Little John bottlebrush |
| Shade | Clivia, dwarf mondo, native violet, ajuga |
| Beside paving or a driveway | Dwarf mondo, dianella, blue chalksticks, pigface |
| Formal clipped edge | Japanese box, dwarf westringia, Hip High murraya |
| Coastal | Pigface, Cousin It, dwarf westringia |
Our guide to edging plants compares the classic options side by side.
Repetition is the whole technique
A border works because it repeats. One species, planted in a continuous run at even spacing, makes the line that lets the bed behind it read as designed. Three or four species mixed along the same edge lose that effect.
Space by mature width, so the plants just touch when grown: about 40 cm for Little Con lomandra, 30 cm for dwarf mondo, 50 cm for dianella and liriope, and 80 cm for Baby Boomer lilly pilly. Our guide to layering plants like a professional landscaper explains how the border relates to everything behind it.
The natives that do it best
- Lomandra Little Con. A fine, weeping tussock about 30 cm high, in sun or shade. Cut it back every two or three years and that is the whole job.
- Dianella. Strappy leaves with blue flowers and berries, in sun or dry shade.
- Dwarf westringia. Clips into a soft grey green edge, and handles salt, wind and drought.
- Little John bottlebrush. A metre high, with blue grey foliage and red flowers that feed honeyeaters.
- Native violet. Spreads into a flowering mat in damp shade.
Flowering and foliage edges
- Seaside daisy. Small white and pink daisies for most of the year, spilling over walls and steps. It self seeds, so shear it after flowering; our seaside daisy guide covers how to keep it contained.
- French lavender. A scented low hedge for full sun and dry, well drained soil.
- Heuchera. Coloured foliage 30 cm high for part shade in cool and temperate gardens.
- Alyssum, dianthus and creeping thyme. Quick, low colour for cool season and cottage edges.
For the edges of paved areas, our guide to ground cover between steppers covers the plants that tolerate being walked on, and low maintenance plants for full sun widens the list for hot positions.
Formal or soft
A clipped border of Japanese box, dwarf westringia or dwarf murraya gives crisp geometry and commits you to trimming two or three times a year. An unclipped border of lomandra or dianella gives a softer line and needs cutting back once every couple of years. The unclipped native border usually ages better, because it does not depend on regular attention to keep looking deliberate.
Avoid one common mistake
Do not use agapanthus as the default border near bushland. It is an environmental weed in parts of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. If you want that look, deadhead it before the seed ripens, or choose dianella or dietes, which give strappy leaves and flowers without the problem.
Practical points
- Plant 30 cm back from paving, so the plants are not baked by the heat off it or damaged by mowing and edging.
- Mulch 50 mm deep between plants until they close up.
- Water through the first summer. After that most of these need very little.
- Keep spiny plants away from paths. Agave and spined yucca belong further back.
- Feed natives with a low phosphorus fertiliser only.
Common questions
What is the best low border plant for full sun?
Lomandra Little Con, dianella and dwarf westringia take heat, dry soil and reflected light from paving.
What can I use in place of box hedging?
Dwarf westringia clips into a similar low hedge and handles heat, salt and drought better.
How far apart should border plants be?
At their mature width, so they just touch: 30 to 50 cm for most strappy plants.
Ready to plant?
Browse our groundcover range, explore low maintenance plants, or add colour with our flowering plants.
