In brief:

• Canberra is expecting hotter temperatures, more heatwaves and less predictable rainfall.
• Creating a climate-wise garden helps keep your home cooler and contributes to reducing urban heat.
• This story has tips for creating a climate-wise garden for summer.

Spring is a great time of year to plan for your future summer garden.

Whether you have a large yard, a small courtyard or balcony, you can create a beautiful garden that:

• thrives in local conditions
• helps keep your space cool in hot weather
• is a habitat for native animals and insects.

A climate-wise garden can lower the temperature around your home, helping you save energy and reduce your cooling bills during the hot months.

Roads, footpaths and buildings absorb the sun's heat and makes urban areas hotter than green spaces. Living infrastructure (like the plants and trees in your garden) can reduce urban heat during hotter weather and heatwaves.

Choose plants for Canberra’s climate

Canberra’s climate is changing. This means we will have:

• hotter temperatures
• more heatwaves
• less predictable rainfall.

A climate-wise garden has plants that consider sun, shade and water needs, and frost tolerance. The ACT Government’s Canberra Plant Selector is a free online tool that can help you choose the best plants for your climate-wise garden.

You can search for plants suited to Canberra’s climate based on sun, shade, frost tolerance and water needs. Not sure what exactly you’re looking for? Use the handy quiz feature to get some recommendations tailored to your space.

Create a shady haven

Don’t have space for a tree? There are still plenty of options to create shade. You can:

• add greenery to a west-facing wall to help keep it cool during hot summer afternoons
• consider an overhead trellis or placing some plants on your balcony or veranda
• install a shade structure, such as a sail.

What you put underneath trees and shade sails is just as important for keeping your space cool. Compacted dirt, artificial grass, and pavers will retain more heat than understory plants, mulch, grass, and even pot plants.

Use water wisely

Planting only grass or groundcover won’t help you beat the heat. Grass and other forms of ground cover can only help cooling if they are combined with shade from trees and shrubs. Otherwise, they require a lot of watering to have the same cooling effect.

If you don’t have existing shade, you could consider getting a rain tank to capture runoff from your roof. You can use this water to keep your lawn and garden irrigated and cooler in hot conditions.

If you already have trees and shade in your space, installing a small pond or other water feature can make your area even cooler. Ponds can also provide habitat for frogs and insects, as well as providing a welcome respite for local birds and wildlife.

When it comes to grass, keep it real

The ACT Government has not banned artificial grass, but we encourage residents to make informed choices about its use. Artificial grass is not a direct substitute for natural vegetation, and it can have negative impacts on the environment and urban heat.

• Environmental impacts: Artificial grass can contribute to the urban heat island effect, reduce natural water permeability, harm nearby trees and plants if poorly installed, and release microplastics as it deteriorates.
• Urban heat: Unlike natural vegetation, artificial grass does not cool the environment and can significantly increase heat in built-up areas.
• Disposal challenges: At the end of its life, artificial grass is difficult to recycle and often ends up in landfill.
• Artificial grass can be great in specific circumstances, like some sporting fields, but there are very few circumstances where it is the best option for private gardens or public land.

What is government doing?

The ACT Government is working to make Canberra more climate-resilient by expanding our tree canopy and living infrastructure like green roofs and rain gardens.

By 2045, our goal is to achieve 30% tree canopy cover and 30% permeable surfaces across our city’s urban footprint.

Canberra’s Living Infrastructure Plan outlines our strategies to grow the urban forest, cool the city, and empower the community to adapt to climate change.

Read more like this:

• Find out how to grow veggies at home in Canberra
• Learn everything you can do with your nature strip
• Read gardening tips from Canberra’s greenest thumb

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