Plant a garden to beat the droughts

In stark contrast to the floods that swept Australia in 2022 and early 2023, El Nino brings a hotter, drier climate and chance of drought.

The heartbreak of losing new, or established plants to the elements is painful.

Not-for-profit native plant nursery and environmental organisation Armidale Tree Group's Samuel Arandale Bioletti told ACM that choosing plants that thrive in dry conditions was critical.

He recommends going to the nearest patch of bush and looking out for plush or healthy looking areas.

Those areas are likely to have large, overhanging "pioneer" plants shielding direct sunlight, he said.

They're also likely to have leaf litter or low-growing ground cover keeping moisture in the soil, he said.

Plants that thrive in nearby bush will likely grow happily in the backyard, and if their planting position mirrors the ecosystems of the bush, they can support each other through harsh conditions, he said.

Grouping large, medium-sized and small plants will encourage the trees and bushes to look after each other, he said.

"Any excess nutrients plants don't need, they're going to give to their neighbours," Mr Arandale-Bioletti said.

"Nationwide, we should be focussing not just on drought-hardy plants, but on drought-hardy ecosystems," he said.

Some natives have in-built defences against drought, and the success of a garden will come down to the characteristics of the plants, he said.

Following nature's lead, novice growers can start introducing less drought hardy plants under the canopy, that are "still really important for the ecosystem," he said.

The colour of the leaf can play an important role in picking the right pioneer plant to tower over lower cover.

Plant a tall-growing tree with light-coloured, pale or silver leaves to keep the plants underneath sheltered, Mr Arandale-Bioletti said.

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Lighter leaf plants reflect the sun, while dark green leaves take in much more sunlight, he said.

Plants like eucalyptus or banksia with bulbs at the base of the trunk, called lignotubers, will be drought and fire resistant.

"In a really dry spell, they've got water and nutrients stored away," he said.

The lignotuber can quickly sprout new shoots even if the plant is damaged, and fast-growing trees like eucalypts can bounce back within 20 to 25 years, he said.

Mr Arandale-Bioletti said another feature from nature he recommends replicating in a home garden is ground cover.

A layer of mulch, some native grasses or a ground cover like warrigal greens will keep moisture in the ecosystem.

"As soon as the sun hits the soil it dries out," he said.

Some native plants that are likely to thrive in these ecosystems include saltbush, westringia and eremophila, he said.

Plants like saltbush survive dry periods by storing fluid in their "fleshy, succulent-like" leaves, he said.

"Leaves are expensive on a plant, they cost a lot of nutrients and water," he said.

The leaves of acacias and wattle trees use very little water and their vein structures makes them efficient at photosynthesis, he said.

Buying well-cultivated plants will prolong their survival. Wild-sown, seed-grown plants, that are native to the area, will produce the healthiest plants, he said.

Mr Arandale-Bioletti said a healthy plant is always going to be more drought-hardy than an unhealthy one.