Being Water Wise: What Does It Mean?

With people around Australia becoming more aware than ever before about the importance of water conservation, the practice of Brisbane landscape design is taking on a whole new meaning. Achieving the best look for your exterior landscaping while conserving as much water as possible, also is known as being water wise. You can be a water wise specialist by following a few of the general tips that we've provided. There's no reason you can't have phenomenal Brisbane garden design while keeping water usage to a minimum - learn how below.

Things To Consider

First of all, take a look at what you have to work with. Does your area of the country receive a decent amount of rain? Take that into consideration and plan accordingly. Educate yourself about various soil types and how much water they can retain. Select plants for your exterior landscaping that are best suited for the climate and weather of your area; if you live in an arid region, for instance, don't choose plants that need lots of water. Keep your plants grouped closely together to make watering easier and more efficient; keeping them spaced far apart means a lot of wasted water. These and other basic tips are very important if you want to be a water wise specialist. In other words, planning ahead and taking basic water conservation into consideration is the key.

The Importance Of Mulch

Mulch can be your best friend. Why is mulch so important? There are many reasons. Over time, mulch breaks down and provides essential nutrients and vitamins for your plants, making them healthier and stronger. Mulch keeps evaporation loss to a minimum, meaning that you lose a lot less water to evaporation. Instead of being sucked up into the atmosphere, more of the water you give your plants is actually used for their benefit. Mulch also helps keep wind and water erosion to a minimum. This is another good point, since eroded soil is less absorbent and less beneficial to the plants and grass in your exterior landscaping.

Irrigation Systems

Finally, finding a suitable irrigation system may be one of your most important tasks as a water wise specialist. Ideally, your irrigation system should strike a good balance between having water pressure that is too high - and water pressure that is too low. If applicable, using a groundwater bore can help keep your irrigation system much more environmentally friendly. Aim for sprinklers that spray coarse drops on areas of grass and turf. This will help keep evaporation to a minimum, meaning that you use less water. In gardens with widely spaced plants, use drippers; when plants are close together, micro sprinklers are the best option when you're trying to be water wise.