With hot summers and cold winters, Canberra’s seasonal conditions affect how plants grow. Gardens also need to be resilient as climate change brings more extreme weather events. Choosing the right plants for Canberra’s climate and soil is key to building a climate-wise garden that will thrive now and into the future. Suburban Land Agency’s (SLA) Innovation Precinct in Whitlam has a thriving climate-wise garden, planted in 2022 and showcasing resilient garden design. The garden has been designed with its natural context in mind- supporting local plants and wildlife while thriving in the local weather conditions across all four seasons. The garden was designed by Place Logic as part of SLA’s Innovation Precinct, a place for demonstrating sustainable homes and gardens to inspire more sustainable living. The plants chosen for the garden were selected from the SLA’s Climate Wise Garden Designs booklet, a key resource for residents in new suburbs and available to visitors on the day for free.

Over the weekend pop in to explore the garden and talk to people who work with the garden, visit the Whitlam Community Garden nearby and enjoy coffee and live music at the adjacent Heartbeat Café (open 8.30am to 3pm). There is a large carpark in front of the café. Entry is free.

Program Highlights
10am-12pm both days: chat with site gardener Mike Nicholls about the garden. He will lead two half-hour tours commencing at 10.30am and 11.30am.
1pm-3pm both days: live music at the Heartbeat Café: Saturday features Will & Annie and Sunday a gypsy jazz group, Black Owl Quartet.