Creating a Beautiful Garden in Australia's Dry Climate

Are you interested in improving your curb appeal? Learn some tips and tricks for gardening and landscaping to keep your yard looking good.

About Me
Lovely, Lively and Likable Landscaping Ideas: A Landscaping Blog

Hello! My name is Heather, and I absolutely love gardening and landscaping. I decided to start a blog about it because I wanted a creative project, and I hadn't written anything in a while. I work as a real estate agent, and I see first hand how important landscaping is in terms of curb appeal. In this blog, I plan to write about a range of landscaping topics, and I hope you like the results. I am married to Steve, an incredible and supportive husband. We have two daughters, Hillary and Sasha, and we spend a lot of time together in our yard. They are at the heart of everything I do, and this blog is dedicated to them. Enjoy!

Creating a Beautiful Garden in Australia's Dry Climate

9 May 2016
 Categories:
, Blog


One of the greatest things about living in Australia is the beautiful sunny weather. In some parts of the country, the weather can also be extremely dry and arid, and this can lead to water restrictions. Australians are accustomed to these restrictions, but their gardens might not be. Some gardens need a lot of water to look their best, whereas a cleverly designed garden for an arid climate should look great no matter the time of year. If you are not green fingered, it can be a good idea to lean on a landscaping company that understands what Australian gardens require to look beautiful right throughout the year. Here are some design pointers.

Choose the correct plants. Many people think that hardscaping is the key to an arid garden, and while hardscaping can be very successful, this doesn't mean that you can't have beautiful plants that thrive as well. Boxwood is the ideal evergreen shrub for your garden because it's extremely drought tolerant. You can also shape it to create interesting and unique forms – or lean on professional landscapers to do this for you. And if you want an injection of colour, go for portulacas. The flowers bloom in a variety of colours, and they will thrive when other plants wilt.

Create a gravel garden. If you just don't have the water supply to keep thirsty soil irrigated, you can have a gravel garden designed. There are some flowers, plants, and herbs that actually thrive in this kind of surrounding. Thyme, marjoram, and sage are all herbs that can do very well in a bed of gravel. As well as adding some greenery, they will make your garden smell beautiful, and you will be able to use the herbs in cooking too.

Recycle your greywater. In spite of water restrictions, you have to shower every day, and wash the dishes too. Well, the water that is used for these processes can also be used to irrigate your garden. In a kitchen sink, you can very simply put a plastic tub inside the sink, collect the used water, and use it on your plants and lawns. Similarly, with your shower, you can place a bucket underneath the showerhead to catch some of the water that is used when you wash in the morning. Considering that 50–80% of water waste from a home is greywater, this practice could contribute significantly to garden maintenance.  

For assistance with your landscape, talk to a professional.