Landscape Designers and Landscape Architects have an important role to play in the adoption of the key messages of Grow Me Instead. The establishment of the national Grow Me Instead website provides information on invasive plants and their non-invasive alternatives for all Australian states and territories. The main aim of Grow Me Instead is to facilitate cultural change amongst the industry and gardening public. The GMI guides and this website provide an excellent starting point by identifying a range of plants that are common in urban landscapes yet considered invasive. By providing a number of superior alternative plants we encourage people to think before selecting plants and to choose the non-invasive option.
Landscape Designers and Landscape Architects are significantly responsible for setting the dominant garden style of the day. By using the Grow Me Instead guides and website those responsible for the vast majority of urban garden design are able to play a dominant role in realigning the industry towards non-invasive plant choice. It is important to recognise that a plant considered invasive in one area may not be in another. Consideration must be given to bioregion and local information before making plant design choices.
When selecting plants, there is always a non-invasive option. Let's embrace this fantastic opportunity to do the right thing by the environment and only design and use non-invasive plants.