A Guide to building a better drought resistant garden in Australia

Australia tends to have soils that are dry and lack the ability to absorb and retain moisture, particularly in the southern and western regions of the country.

Some helpful planting tips:

In areas that suffer these conditions you need to apply compost and humus materials, such as rotted compost, farm manure, straw, wilted grass clippings, and other forms of organic matter that you have access to.
For quick results you could mix 1/3^rd composted material, 1/3 manure, and 1/3 mulch (sugar cane, straw, garden clippings or grass, etc). This can be applied directly to the garden bed.
After applying the above mixture you should cover with a thick mulch of sugar cane, bark mulch, or any other mulching material recommended by your nursery, and that is freely available in your area.
Fertilise, liquid manure, or rotted farm manure can be applied to plants prior to mulching to encourage growth and enhance the plant’s ability to use water efficiently, but do not over fertilise and keep the fertiliser away from the main stem of the plant.
Your local nursery can advise you on plants most suitable to your area that are tolerant to dry conditions and that can deal with the hot sunny conditions found in most of Australia.
When choosing plants it is often better to select smaller root stock, thus enabling the plant to adapt to local conditions during its first few months of growth, thus improving its ability to cope.
Immersing your new plant or root stock in a bucket of water prior to planting will give the plant a good start. Leave the plant in the bucket of water until the bubbles stop floating to the top.
Planting in autumn or early spring will assists plants in gradually adapting to the hot conditions of the Australian summer.
When planting larger plants, such as trees, and shrubs, you can conserve water and ensure viability of the plant through using specially designed tree watering bags, that keep a constant supply of moisture up to the roots of the plant.
Using Eco Bag as Drip Irrigation
Eco-bag is fillable bag that mount around the base of a rose or plant and slowly releases water as the plant requires it.

LINKS to relevant articles.

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1642553.htm