Chalk House – Native Garden Project Part 5
Heatstroke
In my last article we looked at sunlight.
This week I want to discuss heat and a changing climate.
As we continue to get more days of extreme temperatures in the mid-thirties, we will experience more plants, especially those evolved in cooler temperate zones, displaying heat stress.
Gardeners often mistake this for a lack of water.
However, many plants from the cool temperate zones can survive years of drought but succumb dramatically to days of extended heat.
In the garden, temperature is one of the limiting factors hardest to control except through plant selection.
Just as plants respond to fluctuations in light so too many plants respond to changes in temperature in a process called thermoperiodism.
Native plants are extremely well adapted to our climate and here at Chalk House they provide the backbone of the garden.
They are very reliable and can handle the higher temperatures we have been experiencing these past few summers.
Grevillea, Banksias and Bottlebrush have root and leaf structures designed to withstand prolonged heat, drought and heavy seasonal rains.
In fact, they thrive in conditions that can make even my mediterranean perennials wilt or rot.
Australian natives are also naturally drought-tolerant and require less water than exotic species.
This makes them ideal for sustainable gardening, especially as climate variability increases and long dry spells become more frequent.
Planting natives helps reduce garden maintenance while supporting resilient, low-water landscapes.
Rising temperatures and water restrictions if you do not have access to bore water make climate-ready plant selections an excellent choice for local gardeners.
I have over sixty varieties of native plants here at Chalk House blended into swathes totalling some 260 plants.
They require minimal maintenance and thrive with no water.
If you would like the Chalk House Native Plant List, just email me at jez@cplusg.com.au and I will send you a copy.
Next week I will focus on context when designing a garden.
Visit Clark+Granger at www.cplusg.com.au or phone 0456111120 to find out more.
