Creating A Water Conscious Garden

Creating a Water Conscious Garden

Water Conscious Gardening is a sustainable landscaping and gardening approach that promotes water conservation without compromising the health and beauty of the garden. 

Though it may sound complicated, the key principles of water-wise gardening are simple and easy for most gardeners to implement, either partially or in full, like selecting drought-tolerant plants, using techniques like mulching to retain soil moisture, and capturing and using rainwater to water and irrigate your garden.

By deciding to dedicate your garden to water conservation,  you can create an optimised landscape which not only looks great, but also reduces water consumption and wastage, while supporting local biodiversity and a greener, more sustainable environment.

Water-wise gardening involves several essential practices that conserve water and promote a sustainable garden:

First, make sure to select appropriate, drought tolerant plants that are adapted to dryer conditions. This will reduce overall water consumption significantly. For example, if you desire a lawn, consider replacing traditional turf with a drought-resistant alternative grass or a ground cover like clover or sedum.

Making sure you regularly mulch your plants with organic materials like wood chips, compost or organic matter helps your soil retain moisture, prevents weeds, and will protect your plants from temperature fluctuations.

There are a couple of watering techniques which help to conservative water. Watering your drought tolerant plants deeply and infrequently encourages deep root growth, which will enable your plants to access water from lower soil layers during dry periods, and watering your garden during the early morning or late evening when temperatures are lower will reduce water loss through evaporation. Opt for permeable materials in your garden, such as gravel or permeable pavers, for paths and driveways. This allows rainwater to infiltrate the soil rather than running off into drains.

Many water conscious gardeners go on to install their own rain barrels to collect and store rainwater from rooftops, which you can then store for dry periods.

Many drought tolerant plants can be identified by their silver or grey-ish leaves, which helps them reflect the harsh rays of the sun, and a coating of fine hairs on their leaves or stems, helping to trap moisture.