Native plants which are adapted to New Zealand’s unique climate can be a great choice for a hardier, more easy-care garden. These are plants that have evolved in New Zealand’s unique climate and so are much more resilient to our weather.

Grasses and flaxes, for example, tend to be very resilient to drought, and there is now a huge choice in colour and size, from deep purples, reds, and browns, to more vibrant greens, yellows, silvers and even pinks.

There is a great variety of hardy shrubs with colourful foliage or flowers, plants such as hebes, coprosma, renga renga, and liibertia.

If you want trees with flowers, there are a variety of colours available in different manuka and kowhai trees, while for statement trees and shrubs its hard to beat the nikau palm, puka and cabbage tree (ti kouka) for their unmistakable silhouettes.

For hedging, my personal favourite is the titoki, which looks fantastic when pleached, although five finger, coprosma, and akeake, also make great hedging options.

Whatever you choose, it’s important to give your plants the best start you can. “It’s better to dig a five-dollar hole for a fifty-cent plant than to dig a fifty-cent hole for a five-dollar plant” goes the old garden adage and it is true, struggling plant will thrive in good soil, while even a thriving plant will struggle in poor soil.

When planting, dig a hole roughly twice the size of the pot the plant is currently in. This is especially important when planting in clay as it is a lot tougher for roots to work through, and add plenty of quality planting mix and compost. A bit of gypsum in the bottom is helpful if it is heavy clay. While you're digging, it's good to have the plant soaking in a seaweed tonic mixture; this helps protect the roots against transplant shock. Make sure to water everything in well once you have finished planting to ensure the soil packs tightly around the plant’s roots.