Quamby Nursery - About Us

Why ornamental drought tolerant plants?

After several years of trying to establish a garden in the extremely hot and dry conditions of the Mallee area of North Western Victoria, many failures and hard lessons were learnt despite a background in horticulture. We always had a conscientious approach to water conservation well before the water-wise trend and the water restrictions began. The original Oleanders, Italian Cypress and massive century old Olive tree surrounding our old Victorian house gave us the inspiration to further research Mediterranean plants. Together with a love for flowering Eucalypts, we began to grow our own drought tolerant plants for the property. Discovering Eremophila’s was the icing on the cake and the rest they say is history.

Why Eremophila and Mallee Euc?

With the changing awareness of our harsh climatic conditions, especially in times of drought and water restrictions, so to is our focus on landscaping techniques and plant selection. The “dry” gardens are now in vogue and we are looking for alternatives to the pampered plants of the past. Eremophila’s and Mallee Eucalyptus are under utilised in domestic and public gardens yet their manageable size, beauty and drought tolerance make them the perfect alternative.

What makes us different?

We grow really tough plants, not just “English” tough. If it won’t survive a conservative watering regime in our garden, then we won’t sell it. Many books have been written over the years on drought, dry and water-wise plants but from the English or European gardening perspective. However the Australian climate is extremely harsh, most of the continent experiencing arid or semi-arid conditions or a Mediterranean style climate around the southern coast. In addition to this, many areas also experience the added complication of high salt and lime levels in the soil.

We prefer to specialise rather than generalise, which ensures the quality of our product and service. We are able to offer many species not readily available for sale, including some rare and endangered. Our plants are grown on site at our Nursery where they receive the full exposure to the hot sun, so you can be assured they are hardened to cope with the elements

What’s behind the logo design?

The logo is a silhouette of a typical Mallee Eucalyptus shape as seen in the natural native landscape along the road sides of the district.