Tips for waterwise gardens

Waterwise gardens in Dalyellup have been recognised as a part of the Water Corporation’s Dalyellup Waterwise Garden Competition.

Water Corporation South West regional manager John Janssen said he was impressed with the calibre of gardens in this year’s competition.

“A number of entrants purchased their waterwise plants from the Leschenault Community Nursery which is a great source of advice and inspiration for waterwise gardeners,” he said.

Spectacular water efficient gardens were on display when residents entered the Dalyellup Waterwise Garden Competition.

The competition encourages residents to incorporate water-wise methods in the design and development of their gardens.

Best New Garden was awarded to Mark and Rina Buswell and Best Overall Garden was presented to Rhonda and Peter Ashton, for the second year in a row.

The Best Established Garden award went to last year’s Best New Garden award winners, Herman and Linda Rabie, who said after their migration from South Africa they fell in love with Australia’s native vegetation.

We thought using native plants would be better for the native environment,” Ms Rabie said.

“There is such a variety of waterwise plants, there are so many you can use.

“Doesn’t take a lot of time, it is an easy garden but you do have to keep your hand on it.

“Apart from the waterwise section we just love Australian plants.”

Water Corporation South West regional manager John Janssen congratulated all the winners.

“It is so encouraging to see the increasing number of waterwise gardens being planted in Dalyellup, which is important in our drying climate,” he said.

“A number of entrants purchased their waterwise plants from the Leschenault Community Nursery, which is a great source of advice and inspiration for waterwise gardeners.”

WATERWISE TIPS

1. Make sure you know your rostered watering days and stick to the rules. They can change from season to season.

2. Only water once on your rostered watering day, either before 9am or after 6pm. It is generally best to water in the morning as it allows the water to soak to the roots and be available to the plant throughout the day when they need it most.

3. For pop up sprinklers, keep to 10 minutes per station. Different types of sprinklers have different watering rates and therefore different run times.

4. Check the recommended watering times for your sprinkler on our website.

Replace worn nozzles and broken seals and make sure you are not wasting water - water the garden and not the road.

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