Clean and green… Saving water in the garden
Australians love the great outdoors, which explains why the majority of household water gets used outside. On average, 44 per cent of water used in a household goes to beautiful lawns, gardens and swimming pools.
You can help save water by doing the following things
Instead of hosing leaves and debris down the driveway, use a rake or broom.
- Instead of hosing leaves and debris down the driveway, use a rake or broom.
- Cover your garden with mulch to reduce evaporation. Your plants will thank you.
- Cover your swimming pool to prevent too much water from evaporating.
- Water your plants early in the morning or late at night. This prevents too much water from evaporating through in the middle of the day before it can soak into the soil, and ensures plants get the most moisture for the least work.
- If your family has water sprinklers, make sure they actually water your lawn and flowers and are not dribbling water down the driveway. We want to grow plants, not concrete!
- Too much water can be a bad thing for plants. Ensure that your garden is watered as much as needed, but not more. In good soil, less frequent but heavy watering helps plants form deeper roots, which also helps lawns endure hot weather.
- Does your garden use drippers? Drippers let water go straight into where it is needed, preventing waste. It also saves money because when plants and trees get watered deeply enough, they’ll need less water. Talk to your parents if your garden does not use drippers.
- Use tap timers to control your sprinkler system, and make sure they are used when water demand is at its lowest – about 4.00am to 6.00am.
- If you are helping your parents design a new garden, try making lawn areas smaller and select plants that can withstand drought; Canberra often gets very dry. Divide the garden into sections by putting plants together with similar watering needs. You may also want to consider other ideas for saving water based on Xeriscape gardening principles.
Learn more about saving water in your garden 