The best plants for Melbourne's heavy clay soils

Much of Melbourne's east sits on heavy clay. It holds water in winter, sets like concrete in summer, and frustrates plants that want sharp drainage. The good news: plenty of beautiful plants do not just tolerate clay, they thrive in it.

Work with the soil first

Before planting, improve what you have. Gypsum and plenty of compost open clay up over time, and raised beds give roots somewhere to breathe.

Reliable performers for clay

These are the plants I reach for again and again across the eastern suburbs:

• Lomandra and Dianella: tough native grasses that cope with wet and dry

• Westringia: a hardy native that clips into soft hedging

• Magnolia Little Gem: a small evergreen tree that handles heavier ground

• Hellebores: winter colour in the shade under established trees

• Salvias: long-flowering and forgiving once established

Avoid the sulkers

Plants that need fast drainage, lavender, many Mediterranean herbs and most proteas, will struggle in untreated clay. Use them in pots or raised, free-draining beds instead.

Right plant, right place beats fighting your soil every single time.

Get the planting right for your ground and the garden does most of the work itself. If you are not sure what suits your block, that is exactly what I am here for.