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Saving Water in the Garden
Water use outside accounts for
over 39% of daily of household water use.
Therefore, it is important to
carefully consider how your garden is designed, how your plants are zoned
according to their water needs and the types of plants and watering systems you
put in place.
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Careful planning is the key to
saving water in the garden. Group plants of similar water needs together
and plant windbreaks to protect delicate species
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Soil moisture content is vital
to plant health, improve the organic matter level of your soil by adding
compost, manure and peat
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Choose the right plants, as
many plants, particularly some of our Australian natives, flourish on very
little water
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Watering should be done at
night or in the cooler part of the day.
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Watering leaves just increases
water loss through evaporation. Water the roots instead
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Train your plants to need less
water by watering deeply and less frequently
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Mulch every part of your
garden with a good mulch at 75mm thick. This can reduce evaporation from
the soil by as much as 75%.
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Regular maintenance will
ensure that your garden remains healthy
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Use a tap
timer
A forgotten sprinkler can waste more than 1000 litres
an hour. A timer makes sure you never forget.
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Reduce grassed areas as lawns
require more water than other areas of your garden.
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Leave grass
longer When mowing, don’t cut the grass
shorter than 2.5 centimetres to protect it from the burning sun.
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Sweeping the drive with a
broom is much quicker and more efficient than using a hose.
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Wash your car on the lawn and
the grass gets a good drink.
Waterwise Gardening
You can still
have a beautiful garden and save water. Below are a selection of Waterwise
gardening brochures in Adobe PDF format that recommends plants which are drought
tolerant for various garden styles. If you do not have the Acrobat Reader please click on the button below to obtain
your free copy.
Drought Tolerant Plant
List
Backyard Garden
Cottage Garden
Formal Garden
Mediterranean Garden
Subtropical Garden
Sustaining Gardens in Dry Times
Water Efficient
Shrubs
Waterwise Watering and
Irrigation Systems
Saving Water and Money with your Existing Lawn
Be mindful of
permanent water conservation rules in
place across the region, as well as any
water restrictions that may apply.
For
more information on developing Waterwise gardens visit
savewater.com.au or
www.sgaonline.org.au
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