Garden Tips

Did you know that by planting selected plant life in your backyard, you can allow your garden to flourish on as little water as possible, making it vastly water-efficient and its survival a lot more self-sufficient to thrive, especially when there are dry days without any rainfall?

Different plants have their own individual factors which use less water consumption than others and if you haven’t already done this, now is a good time to start the planning before the weather decides to change and shower down again, like in some part of our country. Also for the drought- stricken areas, this is the answer to your dehydrated, dying garden beds.

Choose your plants wisely, determine which ones soak up too much water and which ones can survive better down the line without much moisture. However, before you begin your water-wise digging journey, first examine theproblem areas in your garden and resolve them, such as: increasing your soil’s water-retention capacity to preparing your lawn properly.

Group plants with similar water needs together and water them separately, such as; low, medium and high users, and try to replace plants that need a lot of water with low water users. This will in turn reduce your water bills and if you can create plants that are totally reliant on rainwater, you can save even more.

Many plants lose moisture through their leaves, so plants with smaller, fewer and needle-like leaves minimise less surface area from which water can evaporate, and plants that have wax-like leaves, miniscule hairs, and ones with a strong internal skeleton,all prevent more moisture to be lost. In addition, succulents and aloes store waterfor a lot longer and are excellent water-wise plants. Blue/grey coloured leaves reflect the sunrays, keeping the plants cooler so these are also wonderfully water-efficient plants, plus they’re rather striking to have in your stylish garden. It is also suggested to cut grass blades at a higher level than recommended and also less often, to create a drought- tolerance lawn.

Lastly, rather choose plants that are indigenous to your specific region to save both time and water as these local plants have adapted to the soil conditions, humidity and climate in the area, making them more prone to succeed. Select plants suitable to your climate and rainfall pattern so you can create a low-maintenance water-wise yard that’s beautiful, eco-friendly and one that costs a whole lot less on the water bills! Indigenous grasses, shrubs, bulbs, succulents andperennials are some of the best water-wise plants.

So become a serious water-conscious gardener and don’t be afraid to ask for help to seek specialised informative help from your local Mica nursery or your trusty landscaper.