Save Water around the Garden
Landscaping Quotes
from local landscapers
Looking for ways to save water around the garden? This helpful article will give you some great water saving advice, from choosing the appropriate plants to landscaping ideas to using greywater and rainwater.
Plants
The first thing to consider when you're looking to save water in your garden is the plants that are in your garden. Some plants require more water or attention than others, especially if they aren't in their native environment, so selecting plants that are able to withstand the local conditions is important. For a great, interactive guide on selecting plants visit SaveWater.
Some things you might want to consider when selecting plants are:
- Where you live. Are you in a tropical region? Do you get snow in winter? Does it rain in Summer? Is it dry all year round?
- Would you like native plants or exotic plants?
- What is the growing environment like? Full sun? Part sun? Shaded?
- What sort of maintenance requirements would you prefer? Very little? Lots?
If you intend on saving water it is advised that you select plants that require little maintenance and are native to the region. Your local nursery should be able to give you some great advice.
Landscaping
The next thing you'll want to consider is the landscaping of the garden. It is possible to design a garden that takes advantage of the micro-climates contained within, in that you use the fall of the land and the kinds of plants to direct runoff to certain areas and make the most of the water available.
Things that influence micro-climates include shade, paths and pavings (soil close to pavings will be warmer than in other areas), trees, direction of wind and wind breaks such as the side of a building, fences or large, bushy trees. If you use the micro-climates in your garden to your advantage then you will find the plants require much less attention and water and are far happier. You can also alter the micro-climates to be more conserving of water, by adding extra wind-breaks and shade.
You can also consider planning your garden so that plants with similar water requirements are grouped together. This can save a huge amount of water since you aren't over watering plants that are fine without, and you can also organise it so that plants with a high water requirement are in a nice shady, sheltered part of the garden where the water you do give them is less likely to evaporate. Break your garden into different water zones, with high water use separate from medium water use and low water use plants.
Lawn
A big part of any garden is often its lawn. However it can also be a big water consumer. Things to consider when putting in your lawn are:
- The purpose of the lawn - Is it purely ornamental? Is is a play area for children?
- Length and texture
- How much sunlight is available
- How much water is available
Different varieties of lawn require different levels of watering. If you are finding it especially hard to find something suitable for your garden then you might want to consider installing an artificial lawn. Artificial turf is becoming more and more popular here in Australia as a gardening solution to drought troubled areas. Learn more about synthetic grass.
Using Greywater and Rainwater
Greywater is the water collected from showers, baths and washing machines. It is collected by installing a diversion pipe that prevents this water from going into the sewerage system. It is considered recycled water, as it is being reused. Rainwater is the water that falls during rains and lands on your roof. It is collected by redirecting the water that enters your gutters so that instead of going into storm water drains it goes into a tank beside or underneath your house.
The advantages to using recycled grey water and rain water are many, from reducing your impact on the environment to saving on water bills. Both are perfect for watering the garden during times of drought and allowing you to help save drinking water for drinking purposes.
While rain water is clean and generally free of impurities, there are some things that you will need to consider before using grey water on your garden. Because greywater is collected from your bathroom and laundry it is important to be aware of what chemicals are going down your plug holes.
- Many clothes washing detergents and powders are high in phosphorus. This is not good for the garden, so try to find low-phosphorus alternatives.
- Avoid always watering the same spot with grey water. If there is a high concentration of chemicals in the water then this can harm your soil.
- Stop using the greywater if your plants appear unhealthy or if you're smelling odours.
- Do not water vegetable patches with greywater if you plan on eating the vegetables raw.
- Ensure children and pets will not have access to the grey water so that they will not drink it by accident.
- Do not use grey water that has come from the kitchen. Kitchen greywater is typically full of contaminants including particles of food and oil that are definitely not good for the garden.
Another advantage to rainwater and greywater is that they don't have to just be used on the garden - during the winter months when your garden requires less watering you can switch the system over so that this water is used when flushing your toilets, saving around 20% of your household water.
Landscaping Quotes
from local landscapers
