People throughout the world are continually updating their yards and gardens to keep them looking fresh and new. A lot of people use landscape designers to help them get it right, but a lot more choose to do it themselves, as they find the design and putting together of a new garden both rewarding and exciting.
If you are considering redeveloping your yard in Australia, then you need to consider water consumption. As one of the driest countries on the planet, Australian gardeners are often faced with severe water restrictions which can make gardening hard. With this in mind, here are some things that you can do to help make sure that your garden is sustainable when it comes to water use:
Choose drought tolerant plants:
Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems that Australia gardeners make is that they plant things which simply aren’t suited to their climate. Often, European or American garden plants are used. These are adapted to wet, cool climates, and simply won’t do well in Australia unless they are given a lot of water.
To save water, you can choose native plants which are adapted to our dry climate. Small native shrubs are often just as beautiful as foreign garden plants, but simply don’t have the same water requirements. Things like bottlebrushes, eucalyptus, and banksias are all popular.
Use artificial turf:
Rather than installing a traditional lawn, which will require huge amounts of water to keep it looking green and lush during the summer months, consider using artificial turf. Artificial turf has a number of benefits over traditional grass. It never needs mowing, watering, or fertilising, and needs very little maintenance compared to normal lawns.
Collect and recycle water:
There are a number of ways to do this. The most popular is collecting rainwater from the roof of your house and any sheds you have. However, this isn’t the only way to save and recycle water. You can also do things like installing ponds in low lying parts of your garden, using greywater from your washing machine or showers to water your plants, or using a mulch so that the soil doesn’t dry out as quickly.
Be very careful using sprinklers:
If you are trying to create a sustainable garden which doesn’t use significant amounts of water, then you should consider eliminating all sprinklers. It is extremely easy to turn the sprinklers on in the morning or evening, even if your garden doesn’t need it, wasting a lot of water. If you do decide to install sprinklers, then make sure that they aren’t spraying on the street or on paved areas – things like this wate huge amounts of water throughout Australia every year.
As you can see, creating a waterwise garden in Australia really isn’t that hard. As long as you avoid some common mistakes, your new backyard can be completely sustainable from a water use perspective!