Climate Zones for Australian Gardeners
Knowing your climate zone will help you decide the best time to sow the vegetables, herbs and flowers you want to grow, and which varieties should perform well in your garden. Growing plants that are suited to your climate zone will usually give you the best results in your garden.
How to Use Climate Zones
First, find your climate zone using the map or descriptions below. Next, refer to our sowing chart, which provides approximate sowing times for our most popular seeds for each climate zone.
While knowing your climate zone is helpful when planning your garden, there are many other factors that may affect how your plants grow, including unseasonal weather conditions, the specific microclimate of your garden and how you care for your plants. You know your garden better than us, so if a different climate zone seems to ‘fit’ your garden better, go ahead and use it as a guide.
Our climate zones cover huge areas of Australia, so we recommend gardeners also consider their local conditions when planning what and when to plant. For example, gardeners in alpine areas have shorter growing seasons than gardeners in cool coastal areas, even though both alpine and coastal areas are included in our ‘Cool Temperate’ climate zone. We recommend gardeners in cool regions look at the ‘days to maturity’ information provided for each variety and choose those that will mature in a short (6-12 week) growing season.
Tropical
- Includes: Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Exmouth
- High humidity summers with most rainfall in summer and dry, warm winters. Includes northern Australia from Exmouth (WA) across to south of Townsville (Qld).
- Set as my climate
Arid
- Includes: Alice Springs, Mildura, Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo
- Hot dry summers, winters can be warm or cool depending on the region. Includes a large area of central Australia from the WA coast to Charleville (Qld), Tamworth (NSW) and Albury-Wodonga (NSW/Vic).
- Set as my climate
Subtropical
- Includes: Brisbane, Bundaberg, Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast
- Warm humid summers with high summer rainfall and mild winters. Includes coastal Queensland and northern NSW from north of Mackay to just south of Coffs Harbour.
- Set as my climate
Temperate
- Includes: Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Toowoomba, Central Coast NSW, Wollongong, Bunbury
- Moderate humidity and reliable rainfall, with four distinct seasons. Includes coastal areas from north of Port Macquarie to south of Woollongong in NSW, coastal SA and the southeastern coast of WA.
- Set as my climate
Cool Temperate
- Includes: Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Launceston, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mt Gambier
- Low humidity with most rainfall in winter; hot dry summers and cold winters. Some regions will experience frosts and snow. Includes coastal areas of south-eastern Australia and alpine areas of Victoria, NSW and Tasmania.
- Set as my climate
Climate Zones FAQ
What if I can’t find my climate zone?
If you can’t locate your zone from looking at the map or the descriptions on this page, we suggest that you think of
an area that has a climate that’s similar to yours and use the zone for that area as a guide.
What if I live on the border of two zones?
If you live near the border between two zones we suggest you read the descriptions for both zones and decide which
best describes the climate where you live. Depending on the microclimate in your garden, you may be able to grow a
wider range of plants over a longer season than others in your zone. Lucky you!
What is a microclimate?
A microclimate is a small area where the temperature or humidity differs to the climate of the surrounding area. For
example, if you live in a climate zone where frosts are common but your garden is protected by buildings or large
trees, your garden may be frost-free. Similarly, if you live in a warm temperate zone but your garden is at a high
altitude your microclimate may have more in common with the cool temperate zone, so use this as a guide when
deciding which zone is relevant to you.
Can I grow varieties not listed for my climate zone?
While our climate zones and sowing chart will help you decide what is suitable to plant in your garden, they provide
general guidance only. We recommend you start by sowing seed that’s recommended for your climate zone; once you get
a few successes under your belt you can experiment with varieties in neighbouring zones and see how you go –
gardening is all about experimenting after all!
Green-Thumbed Magic: Penelope's Journey from Weeds to Wonders | With Penelope from QueenPenelopesPatch
About Penelope:
Bio: We are a chemical free suburban garden and use organic methods to farm our produce. I love growing my own food, fruit, flowers & enjoy preserving it. I also enjoy cooking and creating delicious meals & sharing my knowledge, recipes with people.
Penelope's Location: Melbourne Australia
To learn more about Penelope:
Instagram: @Queenpenelopespatch
Episode Summary
Embark on an enchanting expedition into the lush world of organic gardening with none other than Penelope from Queen Penelope's Patch. Alongside me, your host Gemma, we unveil the tapestry of Penelope's experiences, from her childhood fascination with seeds to her thriving fifteen-year-old garden. Our conversation meanders through the challenges and victories of cultivation, from a once meager and weedy backyard to a verdant paradise boasting 'Raspberry lane' and fruit trees that reach for the sky. Penelope's garden isn't just a feast for the eyes—it's a testament to the miracles that patience and a bit of green-thumbed magic can achieve.
Join us as we share a pot of wisdom on the art of conversation with plants and the secrets of successful harvests. Who knew that listening to your garden's whispers could lead to an abundance of chilies, even in cooler climates? Penelope graciously offers her hard-earned insights into nurturing your greens, from recognizing when they cry out for magnesium to celebrating the self-sufficient joy of homegrown and preserved produce. The warmth of her stories about preserving the fruits of her labor might just inspire you to don your gloves and revitalize your own soil.
In our heart-to-heart, Penelope and I don't shy away from the emotional resonance that gardens hold. We reflect on the gladioli that bloom in remembrance, the once-troublesome mandarin tree that now bursts with life, and the bees that find solace among our flowers. As we share our passion for fostering pollinators, you'll find yourself drawn to the beauty of multi-purpose plants and the profound well-being that blooms from a personal connection with the earth. So, whether you're a seasoned gardener or a budding green thumb, this conversation promises to plant seeds of inspiration and cultivate a deep-rooted love for the natural world.
