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nelson mandela bay's family lifestyle
author:
brenda plakonouris & kim tucker
waterwise gardening
photography:
iky's photographic
issue:
9, winter 2009
2008 was one of the driest years in many decades, not only in our region, but probably globally. Climate change is a reality and there is no better time than now to really take our knowledge and work at saving the planet. Creating “waterwise” gardens are essential. They are much easier to maintain and in the long run have greater sustainability. Waterwise Gardening is in many respects about which plants you choose to have in your garden. It is also about grouping plants in such a way that those plants that need less water are not “drowned” while their thirstier companions are being watered. In the suburban context of gardening, to establish a waterwise garden you need to understand that watering new plants for the first two years of their lives is of crucial importance to ensure their long term success. Watering your new garden needs to be done with thought and planning, though. There is no such thing as a garden that does not need water - all plants need water to survive, just as we do. Using “waterwise” principles is the way to successful indigenous gardening. The first step is to consider your site. You should look at the different components such as the gradient of the garden, the sun and shade it is exposed to, as well as the effective wind it will have to survive. When working on a slope, retaining is essential to avoid water runoff. On a flat site you would need to evaluate drainage, as well as the wind and sun's effect on the site. If there are already established trees and shrubs on the site, they need to be identified. Should they be *alien invader plants (AIP's), they need to be removed as they will use up all of your garden's water. The benefit of their shade does not outweigh the amount of water they will suck from your soil. Chopping down a huge AIP is costly and difficult and not the most effective way to rid your garden of these thirsty and unwelcome visitors. Ring barking the offending tree is fun, liberating and much more effective. All that is needed is a panga, or chainsaw. On the lower section of the trunk, below the branches, cut a circular ring into the first layer of the bark. Do not get carried away and chop the tree down. Through ring barking you will ensure that the tree will start to die in its entirety, including roots, branches and leaves. Most importantly, by employing this method, the tree will not be allowed to reproduce its millions of seedlings, which will definitely happen if you chop it down. That is why they are alien invaders – because they just reproduce and sow those seeds to take over the place and drink your indigenous plants' water. Bear in mind that exotic plants also use a huge amount of resources and if you are working towards indigenous and “waterwise”, then these should ideally be removed in addition to the alien invaders. With AIP's and exotic plants removed, we can start zoning our garden, using our site as a key. Plants with high water requirements will be zoned together and plants with low water requirement s will be zoned together. When zoning new plants with established plants (trees) that could give shade, establish whether it is dry or wet shade you have available, as your plant choice will differ. Plants for dry shade would be Clivia miniata, Dietes grandiflora, Dietes b-color and Hypoestes. Wet shade plants would be Arum Lilies, Kniphofia and Sedges. Our favourite dry zone plant choice would be the wonderful aloes and succulents we have in our indigenous pantry. If we all chose to plant just one of our champion succulents, it would have to be Portulacaria afra, or the “spekboom” as it is generally known. Not only is it a fantastic hardy, water wise plant for the dry zone, it is also a huge success as a carbon monoxide absorbing species. Going indigenous is about discovering the true wonder of our unique flora. As history tells us, people have come from far and wide to marvel at our uniqueness. Your plant choice must always be well researched before planting ensuring that they are local, (endemic) plants. In that regard we would wholeheartedly recommend that your library starts to include some of our brilliant botanical authors. We highly recommend the two Helen van der Plank wildflower books and Pitta Joffe as your starting point. When visiting your local nursery, have a list of your plant choices and do not be tempted with unknowns, exotics or aliens. Your choice of plants should be dictated by your various zones and your desire to create a waterwise, indigenous and endemic garden. For hot sunny zones we like to use endemic plants such as Plumbago, Tecoma capensis, Euryops, Gazanias and Agapanthus. Once all your plants are correctly zoned, your watering programme needs to be regular and always in the late afternoon, as that is when plants benefit most from watering. Also a good heavy soaking once a week is far more beneficial than constant sprinkling. Keep in mind that you are only watering the roots of the new plants; therefore a bowl around the base of the plant to ensure deep watering is essential. A young tree needs at least 20 litres of water per week. Constant mulching of your new beds will help conserve our precious water supply. Always be grateful for the rain. By applying these principles and ideas, your garden will slowly but surely be transformed and begin to work as a waterwise habitat that “instinctively” understands our seasons and adapts to them. Have fun creating something new, that is really very old, well tested and can be trusted! *Alien invader plants: Syringa, Melia azdarach, Brazilian pepper tree, Schinus molle, Inkberry, Cestrum laevigatum, Rooikrans, Acacia Cyclops, Black wattle, Acacia mearrnsii
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