Why Our Climate Is Perfect for an Australian Native and Mediterranean Plant Blends
Creating a garden that thrives in our local climate doesn’t have to mean sacrificing colour, structure or seasonality. In fact, with the right palette of plants, you can build a space that’s low-maintenance, water-wise, and full of life year-round.
At The Scape Artist, we often blend contemporary native plants of Australia with Mediterranean perennials. These two plant groups aren’t just compatible—they’re a perfect pairing for the conditions we design in across Ballarat, regional Victoria, and much of southern Australia. As summers get hotter and longer, and rainfall patterns shift, planting for resilience is no longer just a good idea—it’s essential.
A Landscape Designed by Nature
Australia’s climate shares much in common with parts of the Mediterranean—think southern Europe, coastal North Africa, and the Middle East. All these regions experience cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers, much like what we see across inland and coastal Victoria. It’s no surprise, then, that native plants from Australia and those of Mediterranean origin naturally perform well together.
Blending Australian natives and Mediterranean plants allows us to draw on thousands of years of evolutionary adaptation to heat, wind, drought, and poor soils. Together, they offer:
Low water use
Minimal maintenance
Excellent biodiversity support
Seasonal change and long-lasting structure
A wide spectrum of colour, texture, and form
Let’s take a closer look at each plant group and how we use them together in our gardens.
Australian Natives: Resilient, Refined and Made for Our Soils
The native flora in Australia has evolved over millennia to thrive in nutrient-poor soils and survive extreme temperatures, making it the ideal base layer for any climate-adapted garden. These are the original drought-tolerant plants, and today’s options are more versatile and refined than ever.
Modern cultivars are compact, repeat-flowering, and designed for urban gardens—offering clean lines, tidy habits and bold colour.
Some of our top-performing native plants to Australia include:
Casuarina ‘Green Wave’ – A lush, fine-leafed shrub that creates a soft, rolling hedge or clipped ball. Its vivid green foliage and wind tolerance make it a favourite alternative to traditional box or pittosporum.
Anigozanthos ‘Big Red’ (Kangaroo Paw) – One of the toughest and brightest Kangaroo Paw cultivars available, with upright architectural stems and rich red blooms across spring and summer.
Chrysocephalum apiculatum (Yellow Buttons) – A native groundcover with silver-grey foliage and a near year-round display of sunny yellow flowers.
Westringia fruticosa (Coastal Rosemary) – Hardy, neat and versatile—Westringia is an evergreen shrub that works beautifully as a hedge, clipped ball or informal screen.
Callistemon ‘Kings Park Special’ – A compact Bottlebrush with brilliant red flowers and dense green foliage, great for hedging or formal screening.
Craspedia globosa (Billy Buttons) – With bold, spherical yellow flowers on tall stems, Billy Buttons are a native wildflower with real design impact.
Poa labillardierei (Common Tussock Grass) – A soft, flowing grass that adds movement and texture. It’s one of the most adaptable native grass plants Australia offers, pairing especially well with Mediterranean perennials like Achillea or Agastache.
Mediterranean Perennials: Colour, Contrast & Climatic Compatibility
Mediterranean perennials are another natural fit for our climate. Known for their ability to survive dry, rocky, and exposed environments, they offer a burst of colour, scent, and structural interest, often when natives are dormant.
Their high oil content (which evolved to prevent water loss) often gives these plants aromatic leaves and wildlife-friendly flowers, making them functional as well as beautiful.
Some of our favourites include:
Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) – Silvery stems and clouds of blue-violet flowers create an ethereal effect.
Echinacea purpurea (Coneflower) – A pollinator magnet with pink, purple or white blooms.
Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear) – Velvety silver leaves that look great with fine-textured natives.
Agastache ‘Sweet Lili’ and ‘Blue Boa’ – Spikes of vibrant pink, orange, or purple through the warmer months.
Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) – Feathery foliage with soft-toned blooms in yellows, pinks, and rusts.
Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ – Cheerful orange flowers that bring warmth and seasonal interest.
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ – Succulent leaves with deep pink to burgundy blooms lasting into autumn.
Echinops ritro (Globe Thistle) – Steel-blue flowers and spiny grey foliage, great for contrast and pollinators.
Planting the Blend: Practical Strategies for Long-Term Success
The secret to blending native plants of Australia and Mediterranean perennials is understanding their shared needs—full sun, good drainage, and minimal summer watering. When designed carefully, this mix of plants provides year-round interest and exceptional environmental performance.
Here’s how we approach this in our gardens:
Start with Structure
Use tough, evergreen natives like Casuarina ‘Green Wave’, Westringia, or Callistemon as your framework. These provide year-round structure, privacy, and form.Layer for Texture
Mix in Mediterranean perennials for colour and softness. Use plants like Stachys, Achillea, or Sedum to contrast with upright Kangaroo Paw or fine-textured native grass plants Australia produces like Poa.Repeat Colour and Form
Create rhythm through repeated plant choices—such as Yellow Buttons echoing Billy Buttons, or purple Perovskia mirrored by purple Echinacea.Design for Seasonality
Plant for staggered flowering across the seasons. Use natives like Chrysocephalum and Kangaroo Paw to lead early, with Mediterranean perennials like Geum and Agastache taking over later in the season.Prioritise Soil and Drainage
Both natives and Mediterranean plants prefer free-draining soil. In heavy clay or compacted areas, consider mounding garden beds, gravel mulches, or soil conditioning to ensure success.
A Future-Proof Garden Built for Place
By blending Mediterranean species with native plants from Australia, we can design gardens that are uniquely suited to where we live—resilient in the face of drought, beautiful across the seasons, and sustainable long into the future.
These plantings don’t just look good. They perform—supporting pollinators, reducing maintenance, cutting water use, and standing up to the extremes of Australia’s changing climate.
Want to Create a Garden That Thrives?
Our team at The Scape Artist specialises in designing bold, layered, climate-adapted gardens for homes across Ballarat and Victoria. Whether you’re planning a full landscape overhaul or enhancing an existing garden, we can help you create something truly site-responsive, sustainable, and stunning.
Let’s build something that thrives, naturally.