4 tips for a water-wise garden

The key to creating a water-wise garden lies in good soil preparation before you plant and appropriate care immediately after planting. Follow these tips for a gorgeous garden.

• Dig over the soil to break up large clods and remove any stones. This will help moisture to permeate the earth particles.
• Check how well your soil drains. Good drainage is essential for a water-wise garden.
• Add lots of organic matter – compost, mushroom compost and manure – to the soil, digging it in to at least a spade's depth.
• Group plants according to their water needs. That way, you can water all the thirsty plants together and leave the tougher ones to survive on rainfall.
• Make a saucer-shaped depression around the base of each plant so that any rainfall will be directed towards the root system.
• Even the most drought-tolerant plant will need watering when it is first planted, so drench the area with a watering can full of water, adding it gradually and making sure that it soaks in.
• Cover the root area with mulch, taking care not to allow it to build up around the stem or trunk of the plant. Otherwise, the plant could develop collar rot.
• Allow the roots to become established and gradually reduce watering until the plants are surviving on natural rainfall.

Conserve water and save money by choosing your plants carefully. Research their moisture requirements before you buy.

• Native trees, shrubs and grasses from low rainfall areas all cope well with prolonged dry periods.
• Choose plants with silver or grey leaves, such as lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina). These are covered with a downy hair that reduces water loss.
• Most air plants, such as Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), need no watering at all, managing to survive on the moisture they draw from the atmosphere.

To find out how well water is held in your soil, dig a hole and fill it with water. Time how long it takes for the soil to absorb the water.

• Zero–60 minutes: You need to improve the soil before you start planting.
• One to four hours: Add plenty of organic matter.
• Four to eight hours: The soil is great, start planting.
• More than eight hours: The soil is badly drained, dig in some gypsum and try again.

Xeriscaping, or dry landscaping, is a garden design technique that aims to conserve water.

• Use contouring, in the form of low mounds and shallow channels, to direct the flow of any available water towards larger plants.
• Replace the lawn with paving and hard surfaces.
• Select plants that grow naturally in arid regions and will survive without additional water once they are established.
• To retain moisture, cover soil with mulch. Gravel or pebbles provide a decorative effect in low-water gardens.

Follow these tips to cut down on garden maintenance and conserve water, helping your garden stay lush and beautiful all season long.