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Equilibrium - Conservation · Landscapes · Gardens

Ecosystem reconstruction, bush regeneration, habitat creation, local native species and biodiversity for gardens

31/10/2026

The shales are back. Trincomalee plus some enrichment planting looking lovely in the afternoon light. Xanthorrhoea macronema, in flower by the water. That thick wind yesterday afternoon making the water silvery and decorating the clay with various fragments of Eucalyptus umbra, and tousling the swathes of Imperata cylindrica - and the Themeda triandra that is slowly, slowly replacing the Bladey.

24/10/2026

We’ve been sandstone enthusiasts these past few months so I promise this is the last sandstone post for a while and following this, we’ll mosey back on down to the shales and keep on with our task of giving them some Instagram clout!
This project in Ingleside, however, was well deserving of a few photos. All species used within the landscaping respond directly to the reference site on the property, which encompasses a large area of very well developed mallee-heathland. Master cultivaters Indigo Native Nursery hooked us up with some Xylomelum pyriforme (so cool!) and Cicada Glen Nursery came through with their fantastic gamut of interesting sandstone species (including the colossal Cheilanthes sieberi pictured in slide 2). The area was previously covered in weeds that our fantastic client removed (thanks for doing the heavy lifting 😉) so a doubly special treat has been some visible resilience. No longer competing for light, Banksia ericifolia and Allocasuarina distyla have already managed to germinate so yippee for resilience! Okay, now back to the shales.

18/10/2026

Small and big scale delights at our moist escarpment forest project in Bayview. At least four different species of Lomandra, Two different genera of Orchid, and a favourite, Phyllanthus hirtellus, are doing exceptionally well at this site. Loads more recruitment is happening where weeds have been managed, too. Excited for the future of this project as we keep working with the resilience to achieve positive ecological outcomes.

18/10/2026

The Dunning-Kruger curve of botany (often back in the valley of despair with hrosendpi). 🙃

12/09/2026

It’s quite difficult to come by extant PWSGF, but surveying (relatively) undisturbed sites is important for our work.
These pockets of bushland - the first at the northern-facing side of Night Bay, and the second at Woody Point - are two different examples of dry form Spotted Gum forest.
The first site had quite a typical assemblage of PWSGF veg. Acacia ulicifolia, Themeda triandra, Lomandra filiformis, Xanthorrhoea arborea, Acrotriche divaricata, Corymbia maculata and the rest of the regular assortment. But this was such a treat to see - many of our PWSGF sites sit within this niche; dryish shale slopes, erosion, sandstone floaters, proximity to the water. More than the species composition itself, the site helped us to glean the arrangement of the vegetation; the frequency of species, densities across various strata, or plants that tend to co-occur, for example.
Woody point offered similar insights as well as some surprises! Drosera (peltata?) and Prostanthera denticulata - both of which are more frequently sandstone species, Correa reflexa, and Epacris longiflora were all interesting finds. This atypical PWSGF species comp could have something to do with depositional enrichment from upslope collecting within the flattened landscape (big laterite benches uptop), or just that the mineralogy of the soil is more enriched itself, but in any case, it was a helpful reminder that each site is seriously specific and sometimes it’s what is unseen that has the biggest influence.
It seems that the diverse ecological niches of PWSGF will continue to spark our curiosity! :)

04/09/2026

The heroes of the people Cicada Glen Nursery came through with this 30-stemmed Actinotus helianthi pot for this (yes, creative liberties were taken) ecosystem reconstruction of the local coastal woodland at North Avalon Headland and Bangalley Reserve.
But we also love our Allocasuarina verticillata, Lomandra filiformis, Lomandra obliqua, Lasiopetalum macrophyllum, Persoonia linearis, Persoonia levis, Phyllanthus hirtellus, and soon-to-be planted Diuris sulfura (whattt!?); all of which are incredibly hard to find in cultivation and most of which are actually quite common in bushland. So we love our local nurseries experimenting with cultivation!

21/08/2026

Two different ecosystem reconstruction projects in Fairlight.
The first recreates the sandy heath of Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub. Although it’s not the most appropriate plant community by proximity, it was most suitable for the conditions of the site (a small, highly exposed apartment garden with sandy substrate). The closest example of this vegetation community is North Head, which isn’t far - and it also helps that ESBS is a Critically Endangered Ecological Community so it doesn’t hurt to spread the love. Abiotics were particularly important, for example the sandstone mulch will help to add a gravelly component that can be found in the reference community. And then dense planting - never dense enough - to emulate the thick sea of a heathland… always a pleasure to walk through, hah!
Second is a more faithful reconstruction of the local south-facing sandstone woodland. This project commenced some time ago and is still in progress, but gee, it’s pretty rewarding to come back each time and see it grow. Now we’re at a stage where we’re method-acting macropod browsing :) a chomp here and a chomp there (with secateurs!!!) to make sure it’s the least cultivated, chaotic, lovely slice of bushland in all of Fairlight (with a close second place to photo one!!)

21/08/2026

Burning in residential bush gardens with resilient seedbanks to stimulate germination and manage pests including scale insects and weedy grasses such as Ehrharta erecta.
In this garden we expect to see germination of species such as Angophora costata and Corymbia gummifera, but also hope for species like Lomandra multiflora, Acacia ulicifolia, and Persoonia linearis that might’ve been hiding in the seedbank for a while to make a return.

08/07/2026

Sandstone details in some afternoon sunlight on a recent project install in Avalon.

03/06/2026

Careel Bay Spotted Gum Forest (PWSGF) from the ridgetops of Mackay Reserve Woodland.
In this image it seems likely that European clearing practices have already impacted the vegetation up at Mackay, however around 1917 (when these photos were produced) there appear to still be some very old Eucalyptus maculata across the water.
Erina and Hawkesbury, as well as Gymea soil landscapes seem to have been the earliest to be mass cleared for residential development. More recently due to advancements in geological and hydrological engineering, the steeper slopes of the Watagan shale have been subject to immense clearing pressures.
Sometimes historical clearing (pre 1970) has had the unexpected effect of seedbank preservation in sites where we work. Before this time, soil disturbance was less significant in new builds.
Even ‘low impact’ new builds tend to eradicate soil profiles and as a consequence, the remnant seedbank. It’s one reason why our steep shale-loving Spotted Gum Forest in Pittwater is a threatened ecological community. It’s also a reason to protect remnants of this plant community and try to reintroduce (parts, at least) of the community where it had previously been.

Images via: Pittwater Online News

Address

Avalon, NSW
2107

Telephone

+61415032218

Website

https://www.equilibriumgardens.com/

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