Kadina native garden is the bees’ knees

Three years after being established, a thriving native garden at SA Water’s Kadina Depot is demonstrating the success of growing water efficient, locally-sourced plants, with the idea easily able to be replicated in Yorke Peninsula backyards.

Set up in 2019 as an initiative of local SA Water District Leader Shane Whelan to improve the depot site for the Kadina team and local community, the garden features a range of native plants that were hand-selected to suit the local climate.

SA Water’s Vegetation Services Specialist Shaun Kennedy said he’s thrilled to see the garden continuing to flourish and attract an interesting array of birds and insects, including native bees, which are taking advantage of newly-installed ‘bee hotels’.

“As we know, native bees play a crucial role in pollinating many of our plants, making them an essential part of the ecosystem,” Shaun said.

“We have a great partnership with the Northern Yorke Australian Plants Society who recently set up a number of native bee sanctuaries – or bee hotels – within the garden. It’s exciting to see a lot of nesting activity from a variety of native bee species including Resin Bees, Leafcutter Bees and the ground-nesting Blue-banded Bees.

“Our Kadina garden is an example of how any green space can become a sanctuary for native bees, providing a year-round supply of nectar and pollen, a water source and the building materials that bees need for nesting.

“Furthermore, creating a native garden also helps to promote biodiversity, improve soil health, requires reduced irrigation and provides a low maintenance option for gardeners of any skill.”

There are more than 300 locally-sourced native plants in the Kadina Depot garden – such as the Mallee Blueflower, Austral Bugle and Sturt’s Desert Rose – which were sourced from the Northern Yorke Australian Plants Society and planted by local Aboriginal business Stone Environmental.

“Choosing native vegetation improves an area’s visual appeal and assists with dust suppression, as well as shows how a water-efficient garden can still grow well in a hot environment or in alkaline soils, which are common across Yorke Peninsula,” Shaun said.

“This space at Kadina demonstrates three gardening styles, including a small courtyard garden, a shady Sheoak woodland garden and a semi-arid garden.

“The garden’s growth is a testament to the hard work of our project partners and provides an example of how designing with the right plants in the right place can produce a thriving, colourful space for everyone to enjoy.”

Visit sawater.com.au for gardening tips and information on planting and maintaining a native garden at home.

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