Most of us have to adapt an existing outdoor garden to our own ideas. But, daunting though the task may be, for those lucky enough to start with a blank canvas, there are many possibilities. The final form of your garden will grow out of the interaction between the climate, the soil, the site and your needs and desires. It is most important that you start with a plan - this will force you to think about the whole garden at one time and consider how one space will interact with another.

Decide what you want from your garden and how much time and effort you can put in to maintain it and balance this with your budget and the nature of the site. Weathered tubs of old-fashioned flowering annuals (such as lobelia, alyssum, pansies and nasturtiums) will provide color and interest while the garden becomes established. For a seasonal touch, fill stone urns with geraniums in summer and bulbs in winter.

From the early years of Europeanj settlement in the southern hemisphere, old-world favorites and exotics from South America, Africa and India were planted side by side with local flora. Consider continuing this tradition. Native flora that were commonly grown in Australian and New Zealand gardens of yesteryear are:

Trees: Bunya bunya pine, eucalypt, Illawara flame tree, lillypilly, silky oak, wattle

Flowers and shrubs: Boronia, Christmas bush, Christmas bells, eriostemon, Geraldton wax, kangaroo paw, mountain devil, old man's beard, red bottlebrush, rock lily, watarah

Climbers and ground covers: False sarsaparilla, wonga wonga vine.

Ferns and palms: Cabbage tree, stag horn, slender tree fern.