South Africa’s water consumption is increasing despite the fact that we live in country that is predominantly semi-arid with regions that experience regular drought periods. As a country our average annual rainfall is just 450mm per annum compared to the world average of 850mm. Waterwise gardening has therefore now become an essential facet of responsible water management that all home owners and garden lovers must actively consider and try to practice in their garden.
Waterwise gardening is an approach to designing and maintaining your garden that will minimise the amount of water it needs in order to stay healthy and full of life. This doesn’t mean that you’re going to have to dig up your lawn and replace it with a variety of hardy cacti – not at all, it’s just sensible gardening that with a little forethought, planning and consideration can make a big difference to your garden’s thirst for water.
Below are some tips and ideas on how you can employ waterwise gardening practices in your garden.
If you are not sure how these tips relate to your garden and your plants or you need more advice on how to practice waterwise gardening then consult an expert at your local garden centre. For an example of waterwise gardening in practice you can also visit one of the many National Botanical Gardens in the country like Kirstenbosch or Walter Sisulu (I can highly recommend the Lowveld Botanical Gardens in Nelspruit).
Source: Harmonious Living
Planting an indigenous, drought-resistant garden really makes sense in water scarce South Africa. We advise all the new country estates and eco estates to encourage homeowners to incorporate waterwise garden designs on their stands as part of holistic estate water management (see rain garden design tips). Exotic plants are not necessarily bad; many beautiful Lowveld gardens have a mix of indigenous and exotic drought-tolerant plants. Rainwater can be collected and stored in water tanks for household use and garden irrigation (rainwater has a very good effect on plants when compared to chlorinated municipal water). Grey water garden irrigation is another way of reusing water that would normally be flushed away and wasted. Greywater contains many nutrients that plants need and can save on your fertilizer costs. Apart from gray water irrigation, there are numerous other reasons why everyone should recycle graywater. Rainwater tanks and water tanks come in numerous guises; we can help you choose the right water tank for your circumstances. Water Rhapsody is an authorised South African JoJo Tank dealer so we often use JoJo water tanks in conjunction with our water systems. Water conservation and sustainable energy go hand in hand towards sustainable development in South Africa so consider solar water heating too! We have merged with Yes Solar Mpumalanga so we can provide you with high quality solar geysers, solar panels and solar power heating systems- all installed by Eskom-accredited installers (so you can claim the substantial Eskom rebate!). Contact us for a free quote!
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