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How to create a drought-resilient garden in Melbourne

Melbourne's heat spikes do more damage than its averages suggest. Here is what actually keeps a garden alive.

Garden Forward editorial team · Published 2026-02-10 · Updated 2026-05-02 · Melbourne, Australia

Pink and blue hydrangeas flowering beside a brick-paved drive in low golden sunlight
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Melbourne gardens rarely fail because of an average summer. They fail during three or four days of hot northerly wind when soil moisture runs out and young roots cook.

The most effective interventions are unglamorous: improve soil structure, mulch deeply, group plants by water need, and water less often but far more thoroughly.

Plant selection matters after that. Dry-country natives and Mediterranean species handle the dry season without irrigation once established, but they need sharp drainage through the wetter months.

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Editorial content. Narrative may be assisted by Noah, but plant traits, native status, safety information, climate figures and suitability scores are locked factual fields that Noah cannot alter.