“Water-wise” is a term bandied about a lot these days, particularly in the last three years in South Africa. In fact it’s so overused right? What does it actually mean…to be water-wise does my garden have to look like a desert?? Certainly not. Water-wise does not have to mean dull, hot and harsh looking. Paving and stoning our landscapes only creates hot micro-climates and so exacerbates the drought cycle. A colourful, lush and textured garden is very possible without the need for a wellpoint or bore hole and I will share with you what I have learned over the years to achieve this.

I have refined this technique using nothing but grey water and harvested rain water. Using what we can recycle and capture is far more sustainable than extracting from a source that may not be never ending. This leads to a more resilient garden in times of drought and a garden that is less reliant on unsustainable resources (I only lost a handful of plants over the last 3 very dry years). Believe me, it can be done!

To understand my technique, I want to take you back to the basics. These are the 4 basic principles that I stick to:

Tip 1:

Do as nature does. I find this so helpful in all plant related matters. A plant will most likely thrive if you can duplicate the environment in which it has evolved /adapted to survive.

Think of a lush natural environment, a forest for instance, how does nature take care of itself? How does it maintain a self sustaining, circular system that supports life? Trees drop leaves and they don’t get swept up! Leaves lie on the soil, cooling it, trapping moisture and creating an environment for microbes, insects and beneficial soil-building fungus. They decompose adding nutrients to the soil. This layer of organic material in turn cools the surrounding micro-climate making it a happier place for plants and animals i.e. if you want a hot desert in your back yard, leave your soil bare or uncovered. Cover your soil. This was a very long drawn out way of saying MULCH, MULCH, MULCH! Probably the cardinal rule of gardening and rightly so. And not just a sprinkle of bark chip, make sure its a layer at least 10cm thick. Don’t skimp on this, it is money well spent. Trust me! and will save you in the long run.

Speaking of micro-climates. You are very lucky if you have any large or even medium size trees on your property. Shade equals cool soil and therefore cool plant roots. Cool roots equal a happy plant. A plant is more likely to survive if their roots are cool. Hot roots mean a stressed plant that needs far more water. So in short, having shade in your garden is not a bad thing at all and there are many plants suited for shade areas. In a drought prone climate it is essential to, and all the more reason to, plant trees wherever you can.

Tip 2:

Water – remember the 4 S’s. The main building block for life. Without water there is no life…it’s as simple as that. The practice of permaculture teaches the four S rule that I like to remember – slow it, spread it, sink it, and store it. Soil is the best water reservoir there is. We need to be hydrating it and not constantly extracting from it. Try and keep all water that comes to your property in your property.

Slow, sink and soak water by using soakaways (a lined, gravel filled pit), gullies, swales and planting hole basins to prevent run off and give it time to soak into the ground. Store water by capturing the rain. If you are not capturing it, use soakaways or French drains at the base of down pipes to soak the water into the ground. Try not to let any escape off your property! Reuse water by utilising your grey water (plants love it!).

Tip 3:

Choose the right plants. You want to select those plants naturally geared to survive drought, but in this case we are also wanting plants that will give us a lush appearance. Over the years I have come to learn what these wonderful stalwarts are. Most are indigenous as these plants are accustomed to handling our drought-prone environment, but I don’t see the harm in using non-invasive exotic plants that come from a similar environment and are equally as tough.

When choosing plants, it is also good to know your soil type. Mine is good old Cape Flats sandy soil or oil sand (as water does not sink into it), but you may have clay soil and this will suit other species (don’t try grow them in soil they are not adapted to!). Look out for a future blog post where I’ll go through the types of plants that give a lush appearance and that I have had success with.

Tip 4:

Group plants with the same water needs. For example, if you wish to have plants that need a little more water such as Plectranthus, then plant these in one suitable location and ensure they receive your grey water on a regular basis. In areas that won’t get regular watering or will only rely on seasonal rain, again, plant accordingly.

Always try to plant new plants in the cooler months leading up to winter so that the plant has a chance to establish itself before the heat of summer (particularly pertaining to the Western Cape and its hot dry summers).

In future posts we will go into more detail regarding plant types, watering techniques and handling pests etc.

It can be done!