I’ve used the word resilient in the title as opposed to water-wise as I feel it explains the type of garden or technique we want to achieve more clearly.

What is resilience? A resilient garden can survive change beyond the normal, and then recover well. A resilient garden will continue to give you pleasure all year round even with minimal or no supplementary water after establishment.

After setting up the basic infrastructure and design of the garden (referring to the 4 tips in my last blog), planting is the easy and fun part. If on a budget, you really don’t want to go and do an impulse buy of plants you like the look of as at the end of the day you may just be wasting your money. This is what worked for me.

Tips for choosing plants:

1. Observe

When driving or walking around your neighbourhood, look at what plants are thriving in your area and where they are situated. How much sun are they getting? What type of watering are they receiving? Do they look like they are receiving very little maintenance? Ask what they are if you are not familiar or take a photo and ask a local nursery, garden app or social media group.

2. Research

If you are lucky enough to be given some plants or cuttings, or love the look of a plant at the nursery, take a little time to research the plant and make sure that you choose the correct spot to plant it in. My heart goes out to all those Bromeliads or Clivia planted in full sun positions as I watch the poor things struggle and burn.

3. Hacks to get hold of free or cheap plants

• Check out your local municipal dump. Seriously. If you have one in your area that collects garden waste (my go to is Rosmead Ave recycling dump), pop round from time to time or when dropping off your garden waste (that you can’t compost on your own), especially in pruning season.

You will be amazed at what people throw away! I have found large aloes, Agave, dietes etc. Plants which would cost a fortune at a nursery!

• Cuttings from friends. A given ….or …..and you didn’t hear this from me…..verges offer some great pickings. No stealing of whole plants now! But a cutting or two won’t hurt. Ask rather, most folk won’t mind.

• Look for the plant you want in 6 packs. You have to wait a little longer for bigger plants but you get bang for your buck. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of patience. Gardening teaches this in droves!

• Wait for plant sales (generally in early spring or late summer) and stock up!

4. Common plants are common for a reason

Many “old fashioned or common” varieties like Mother in Laws tongue (Sansevieria) or Hen & Chickens (Chlorophytum comosum) are coming back into “fashion”. Common is not a bad thing it means they are hardy stalwarts that stay around when others fail. This is what we want in a low maintenance, resilient garden and these are some of my personal favourites!

5. Buy and plant in the cooler seasons

Cool roots make happy plants (a benefit of mulching and shade gardens). They also require less water when they are cooler. If you live in a winter rainfall area then the water is provided at the same time so there is not much additional watering needed for the plants to establish before the heat of summer arrives.

Happy gardening! Next blog we look at my favourite plant list!