Every garden has a challenging position, but luckily nature has filled every niche, from riversides to mountain tops, to exposed coastal dunes - there is a plant adapted to almost any position. Millie explains how to match the microclimates in your garden to those in nature, to help you choose the perfect plants. Subscribe 🔔 ab.co/GA-subscribe
HOT-HOT-HOT:
Hot sun is something we often celebrate in the garden; its energy literally fuels plant growth through the process of photosynthesis. But in many built environments our buildings and paving can amplify that energy and heat, to extremes. And while some species are happy in full sun in an open garden position, in a paved courtyard or ceramic pot, they will burn to a crisp.
Looking for species that naturally occur in exposed and hot places can help you find plants that will succeed. Millie spotted the rock isotome booming in rock crevices on a local mountain top, and knew it was a good choice for the northern side of the house. It flowers for about 6 months and needs absolutely nothing from the gardener. In fact, the sap is caustic, so it is best to avoid any contact. That is one extreme plant! Eremophilas are another fantastic group to explore. There are around 300 species in Australia and their name loosely translates to desert lover. Many of the most beautiful everlasting daisies, from WA and the east coast, will also only thrive in an open, sunny and hot position.
FREEZING COLD:
Freezing cold can be devastating to many plants. Millie’s own garden is in the Victorian Central Uplands, where heavy frosts are common, so she has been trialling species from other areas with high altitude.
BONE DRY:
While ultra-dry conditions occur in geographically arid regions, they can also occur in suburban gardens. Areas that are overshadowed by the eaves of a house or a fence are a perfect example, the rain can almost never reach! The genus Phebalium is one worth exploring, with handsome foliage and a huge range of forms.
No matter the plant you choose for extremely dry conditions, you need to get them off to a strong start. Prepare the soil to hold a little more moisture, and water consistently until the plant has established.
WET-WET-WET:
While most plants need some water, too much can cause poor growth or even death. As the air pockets in the soil fill with water, the roots system can drown. Of course, there is a huge range of species for water gardens, but what about those areas that are just poorly drained, or seasonally wet. These can be really challenging spots to garden. One beautiful group of species to look to are the Leptospermum, as many occur on river edges or even permanently growing in water. There are even protaceous species that thrive in seasonally wet spots, like the swamp banksia and river Lomatia.
WINDY:
Wind can cause havoc with different species in different ways, desiccating and drying some out, physically damaging sensitive foliage but also making it hard for roots to establish.
Of course, coastal species are commonly adapted to wind, with robust foliage and resilience all round. The coastal Banksia is also one of the toughest and most adaptable species, occurring from coastal central Queensland, all the way to Vic. They can be variable form seed, between about 4-15 m, and there are a huge range of cultivars.
Featured Plants:
ROCK ISOTOME  - Isotoma axillaris ‘Glowing Purple’ 
EMU BUSH  - Eremophila glabra ‘Kalbarri Carpet’ 
EVERLASTING DAISY  - Xerochrysum ‘Pilbara Gold Medal’ 
MOUNTAIN CORREA  - Correa lawrenceana ‘Deep Pink’ 
SNOWY PIMELEA  - Pimelea nivea 
FOREST PHEBALIUM  - Phebalium squamulosum ‘Starry Clusters’ 
- Phebalium squamulosum subsp. argenteum ‘Low Grey’ 
WEEPING TEA TREE  - Leptospermum brachyandrum 
SWAMP BANKSIA - Banksia robur  
RIVER LOMATIA  - Lomatia myricoides 
COASTAL BANKSIA  - Banksia integrifolia  
DWARF COASTAL BANKSIA  - Banksia integrifolia cv. 
ALBANY WOOLLY BUSH  - Adenanthos sericeus ‘Silver Streak’ 
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