Turf Display
This Turf Display allows you to see a number of different turf options accepted within Ginninderry. The demonstration shows seven turf types—each with an irrigated and non-irrigated version—so you can see how they perform with little or no maintenance.
This demonstration block also shows three very important landscapes used around the open spaces at Ginninderry. These are the ANU Biota Tree Habitat landscapes. One shows a series of shrub beds, used under our large existing trees (Type 2) and the other uses native wildflowers and grasses (Type 3). The adjacent mature eucalypt tree shows the typical treatment of an existing Canberra tree within an open space (Type 1).
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Zoysia Nara Native Turf
This is a native turf which is drought resistant once established and tolerates Canberra winter frosts. It’s best used in full sun to light shade. It is slow growing, requires less mowing than other running grasses and retains a low percentage of green leaf over the winter months.
Install: September–March
Drought tolerance: Medium
Shade tolerance: Medium
Evergreen: No
Maintenance: Low -
Zoysia Empire Turf
This turf is drought resistant once established and tolerates the Canberra winter frosts. It’s best used in full sun to light shade. It is slow growing, requires less mowing than other running grasses and retains a low percentage of green leaf over the winter months.
Install: September–March
Drought tolerance: High
Shade tolerance: Medium
Evergreen: No
Maintenance: Low -
Canturf Canberra Blend (no clover)
This locally grown turf is suited to Canberra’s seasonal conditions. It’s best used in full sun to part shade applications. It requires a higher level of maintenance than running grasses that includes high water demand. Will stay green over the winter months.
Install: Year round
Drought tolerance: Low
Shade tolerance: Medium
Evergreen: Yes
Maintenance: High -
Canturf Canberra Blend (with clover)
This locally grown turf is suited to Canberra’s seasonal conditions. It’s best used in full sun to part shade applications. It requires a higher level of maintenance than running grasses that includes high water demand. Will stay green over the winter months. The added clover adds nitrogen to the soil and helps deter scarab grub.
Install: Year round
Drought tolerance: Low
Shade tolerance: Medium
Evergreen: Yes
Maintenance: High -
Kikuyu Village Green (sterile)
Sterile Kikuyu does not have seed heads (meaning that it will not spread easily into unwanted areas). This turf is quick to establish and is great in full sun. The turf grows quickly meaning that mowing is required more often than other turfs. This quick growth means it is also very fast to repair itself. Kikuyu is dormant over winter so will lose come colour in the colder months.
Install: September–March
Drought tolerance: High
Shade tolerance: Low
Evergreen: No
Maintenance: Medium -
Sir Walter Buffalo
This turf is quick to establish and requires minimal water once established. It tolerates full sun and shady conditions better than most turfs and repairs itself quickly. The turf will retain a low percentage of green leaf in mild winter conditions.
Install: October–April
Drought tolerance: High
Shade tolerance: High
Evergreen: No
Maintenance: Low -
Santa Anna Couch
This turf is quick to establish and requires low water use once established. It tolerates full to partial shade and repairs itself quickly. Santa Anna is dormant over Winter so will lose colour in the colder months.
Install: October–April
Drought tolerance: High
Shade tolerance: Medium
Evergreen: No
Maintenance: Low
ANU Biota Tree Habitat (Type 3)
Native grass seeds and wildflowers are used instead of turf in this demonstration. These grasses provide much needed habitat for bees and insects while also requiring limited water and less (or even no) mowing.
This treatment is used around Ginninderry as part of the ANU Biota Tree Habitat Research Project.
Native Seed Mix includes:
- Austrostipa bigeniculata
- Bothriochloa macra
- Chrysocephalum semipapposum
- Convolvulus erubescens
- Chloris truncate
- Dichopogon fimbriatus
- Elmus scaber
- Eryngium tabacina
- Chrysocephalum apiculatum
- Microleana stipoides
- Plantago varia
- Rytidosperma carpohoides
- Rytidosperma sp.
- Austrostipa scabra
- Themeda australis
ANU Biota Tree Habitat (Type 2)
Ground covers and shrubs are used instead of turf in this demonstration. These larger plants provide habitat for bees and small birds to shelter. Shrub beds and ground covers help to protect our old trees while providing new understory growth to establish under each tree.
This treatment is used around Ginninderry as part of the ANU Biota Tree Habitat Research Project.
Plants included:
- Dianella tasmanica
- Lomandra longifolia
- Lomandra longifolia Tanika
- Poa labillardieei Eskdale
- Acaia cognate limelight
- Leptospermum Pink Cascade
- Myoporum parvifolium Yareena
- Westringia Low Horizon
- Bulbine bulbosa
- Chrysocephalum semipapposum
- Dichpogon fimbriatus
- Hibbertia obtusifolia
- Wahlenbergia communis
ANU Biota Tree Habitat (Type 3)
The basic ‘park like’ treatment beneath the existing Eucalyptus tree utilises dryland grass in this demonstration. This treatment is typical across Canberra for trees in urban open spaces and allows for mowing, the periodic removal of hazardous limbs from the tree and the ground surface as well as the control of weed species.
This treatment is used around Ginninderry as part of the ANU Biota Tree Habitat Research Project.