Ripping out the lawn: our first water-wise bed
Two weekends, a borrowed spade and a lot of cardboard. How we turned the front lawn into a bed.
Read more: Ripping out the lawn: our first water-wise bedA water-wise garden diary
A Highveld garden that gets by on the rain
Three years ago we took out the lawn. This is the diary of what we planted instead, what survived and what we would never plant again.
650 mmRain in an average year
40+Indigenous plants
3 yearsSince the lawn came out
2 tanksOf saved rainwater
Latest
From the diary
Five indigenous plants that survived the drought
Last winter had almost no rain. These plants did not seem to notice.
Read more: Five indigenous plants that survived the drought
Mulch is the cheapest thing you can do for a dry garden
A thick layer of leaves and wood chips did more for our beds than any irrigation.
Read more: Mulch is the cheapest thing you can do for a dry garden
Why water-wise
A garden that does not need us every evening
We wanted a garden that looks after itself through a dry winter, feeds the birds and does not need a hosepipe. It took three years and a lot of mistakes.
Plants that belong here
Most of the garden is now indigenous to the Highveld or the drier parts of the country.
Water caught, not bought
Two tanks off the roof water the beds through the dry months.
Soil that holds moisture
Thick mulch and compost do more than any irrigation system.
Questions
Things readers ask
Usually after a hot week.
Do water-wise gardens look dry and brown?
In late winter, parts of ours do. In summer it is greener than the lawn ever was.
Where do you buy plants?
Local nurseries that grow their own. Ask where a plant came from before you buy it.
How long until a new bed looks settled?
One full summer. Water new plants until they have been through a rainy season.
