Water Wise Gardening - The Basics
Water Wise Gardening - The BasicsEven with water restrictions in place, it is still possible tocreate an attractive garden without using copious amounts ofwater.Soil preparation and mulch are essential in a water efficientgarden. A good mulch has many advantages, including; - addingvaluable nutrients and humus to the soil as it breaks down, -keeping the soil temperature uniform, - reducing surfaceevaporation by 70-80 per cent, - allowing for deep andinfrequent watering, - encouraging earthworm activity, whichcreates channels for the passage of water and roots, and -eliminating stress in shallow rooted plants and suppressingweeds.Compost and horse, sheep and cow manures are excellent forimproving soil quality. Pea straw, lucerne, compost, leaf litterand chopped bark all make superb mulches.The method used to deliver water to plants is very important ingetting the most benefit ...
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...out of the water used. Conventionalsprinklers deliver large amounts of water to large areas and canbe extremely wasteful if not positioned thoughtfully. Inlinedrippers, weeping hoses and drip tubes are designed for placingunder mulch. These are low pressure watering systems which, overa period of several hours, deliver water directly to the plant'sroots. Inline drippers are also suitable for lawns. Grouping plants with similar water requirements will assist inpreventing over and under watering. Computerised wateringsystems allow for the delivery of a set amount of water atspecified times, to various sections of the garden. Tap timersare a useful and cheap alternative. Using phosphate andpetrochemical free, biodegradable laundry powders allows you tosafely reuse the laundry water on the garden.There are 100s of waterwise plants. You can select fromAustralian natives or exotic ...
...lants that come from areas of theworld with Mediterranean climate conditions (these are areasthat experience hot, dry summers with the majority of rainfalling in winter). Plant labels often state how much water aplant needs. If you are not sure, look for plant characteristicssuch as thick leathery, hairy, wax-coated, succulent, silverygrey or fine needle-like leaves. Other sources of informationfor suitable plant material are old neglected gardens, holidayhomes and streetscapes.Top Summer Performers Ceratostigma plumbaginoides,Correa alba,Escallonia varieties, Hardenbergia violacea, Hibiscus(evergreen) & H. syriacus (deciduous), Lagerstroemia indicahybrids, Lomandra longifolia, Plectranthus argentatus, Santolinavarieties, Westringia fruticosa & varieties.With a bit of planning and some basic knowledge you too can havea water wise garden.Lyn Phillips www.thewaterwisegarden.com
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