When we establish our garden, overall garden design is often the last thing we think about when it should be the first. It is important and fun to develop a plan of how you want your garden to look and feel, and think about how you can reduce water use in your garden.
You may have a fairly traditional English-style garden with a large open lawn and flowerbeds of exotic plants around the outside. These types of gardens tend to need a lot of water and fertiliser. You can gradually modify this style of garden to use less water. As the high water using plants die, replace them with plants that need less water. In autumn look at moving your plants around to ensure they are grouped according to their water needs. Gradually extend your garden beds to add interesting curves and reduce the water-thirsty lawn area. In hard-wearing areas, such as a BBQ or around the clothes line, think about replacing worn turf with a permeable gravel or paving.
If you are designing your garden from scratch you have a fantastic opportunity to create an interesting and vibrant water-smart garden. The garden design you choose will depend on many factors such as children, pets, if you entertain outdoors, or like to grow vegies.
Think about your needs, the size of garden area you’d like, the type of plants you like from the point of view of foliage and flowers, the kind of surface you prefer and how much time you want to spend maintaining your garden. Consider the water conservation information in this booklet and incorporate as many aspects as is practical for you.
Take time to work out how you can create a garden that you feel comfortable with, you will enjoy and that suits your local soil and climate.
Garden Design Tips
List what you need (e.g. shed, washing line, kids swings, entertainment area) and what you want (e.g. vegie garden, shade area, pond, fruit trees).
Do a site analysis, (e.g. sun, shade, slope, privacy-all the problems that need solving) which will tell you what your site will let you do.
Do a scaled plan or mark out in the garden what will go where, practically and where it looks best. For example, placing a new shed in a shady corner, vegetables where they get full sun, a pond where it can be seen from inside the house, and a shade tree to the north of the house.
Find a style you like which suits your garden so all the paving, pots, water features, and plants match, especially in a courtyard garden.
Make beds bigger and lawns smaller. The best way to make bigger beds out of lawn space, is to mow the lawn low, cover with 8-10 sheets of newspaper (overlapping), put 10-15cm pea straw on top, wait 3-4 months and then plant directly into it. The grass should have all died. This must be done when the soil is moist, (autumn or winter). Plant before November or the following autumn.
More Information
'The Australian Garden' by Diana Snape.
'Beautiful Gardens with Less Water' by John Patrick
'Bold Romantic Gardens' by Oehme Van Swede