As record dry seasons and searing heat test SA’s Mid North, Ian Roberts is proving Australian native plants can thrive under extreme conditions.
Story + Photos Gabrielle Hall
Self-confessed “gum nut” Ian Roberts loves a challenge. And with the sun still beating down the week following a run of weather searing into the mid-40°C across the Blyth Plains in SA’s Mid North, the conditions have certainly thrown a challenge at green thumbs all around.
However, as a nurseryman and native plant enthusiast, Ian says the weather provides an opportunity to better understand what plants can tolerate, and how they adapt. “In the last two years, we’ve had 8 inches [203mm] and
10 inches [254mm] of rain,” he says.
“When you look through the Blyth records, it’s the two driest pair of years in Blyth’s history – 5.5 inches [140mm] worse over two years than any other pair of years in history. So, it’s a pretty good lesson in what’s going to survive without any extra moisture.”
The farmer-turned-artist has been instrumental in establishing a number of native garden areas around Blyth, including The Terrace Garden on South Terrace, parallel to the east-west entrance into the town of about 500 people.
This story excerpt is from issue #166
Outback Magazine: Apr/May 2026
