Saving water outside

Different soils retain different volumes of moisture as demonstrated in the table below.

Soil Type	Sand	Loam	Clay
Water (mm stored in 20cm depth of soil)	12mm	42mm	28mm
			Plants in sandy soil will require more water to survive as the soil retains relatively little water. However, applying more than 12 mm of water on sandy soil at a time is a waste of water, because it will simply drain through, past the root zone.

Tips

• Replace the soil with better quality loam.
• Treat the soil with a wetting agent or using water crystals.
• Add organic matter such as compost.
• Use plants which thrive in sandy soils, such as coastal plants and some Australian native plants.
• Consult your local horticultural specialist about how to improve sandy or poorer soils.

• Choose plants which have a low water requirement and are likely to thrive in the specific conditions in your garden.
• Native species are usually less thirsty than many exotics and require less nutrients, so you shouldn’t need to fertilise very often.
• Group plants that require similar watering regimes together.

We have compiled a list of beautiful plants suitable for our area that have a low water requirement. You can choose the category of plant by clicking on the name below:

Large trees | Small trees | Shrubs | Flowering perennials | Climbers | Strappy leaf plants | Ground covers | Grasses | Palms | Efficient irrigation for water conservation guideline

View our Brian Sam's native plants video.

 

Large trees

(over 8 metres)

Kurrajong

Brigalow

Canadian Maple

Lilly Pilly

Apple Gum

Moreton Bay Pine

Norfolk Is Pine

Coast Banksia

Lace Bark Kurrajong

Ivory Curl Flower

Leopard Tree

Cape Chestnut

Leichhardt Bean

Swamp Oak

Lemon Scented Gum

Spotted Gum

Moreton Bay Ash

Tuckeroo

Cypress

Exotic Cypress

Chinchilla White Gum

Yellow Gum

Tallow Wood

Crows Ash

Yellow Wood

Claret Ash

White Oak

Silky Oak

Native Frangipani

Bull Bay

Prickly Paperbark

Plane Tree

Red Cedar

Water Gum

Weeping Lilly Pilly

Chinese Elm (not celtis)

Broad-leaved Paper Bark

Narrow-leaved Ironbark

Illawarra Flame Tree

Western Australian Peppermint

Narrow Leafed Bottle Tree

Cape Chestnut

Small trees

(4 metres to 8 metres)

Fuchsia Gim

Black Tea Tree

ZigZag Wattle

Weeping Myall

Mt Morgan Wattle

Small Leaf Lilly Pilly

Silk Tree

Soap Tree

Queensland Holly

Irish Strawberry Tree

Orchid Tree

Belladonna Flame Tree

Dawson River Bottlebrush

Bottle Brush

Weeping Emu Tree

Gum Tree

Grafted Gum

Grevillea

Crepe Myrtle

Shrubs

Abelia (Dwarf)

Wattle

Flannel Flower

Heath Myrtle

Bremer Boronia

Bottlebrush

Diosma

Emu Bush

Grevillea

Native Rosella

Juniper

French Lavender

Sacred Bamboo

Pink Wax Flower

Rosemary

Lilac

Flat-stemmed Wattle

Queensland Silver Wattle

Orchid Bush

Ivory Curl Flower

Bushy Sugar Gum

Waterbush

Giant Photinia

Common Boobialla

Bracelet Honey Myrtle

New Zealand Christmas Bush

Big Poly

Showy Wattle

Midgen Berry

Little Kurrajong

Sun Rose or Rock Rose

Greenstead

Mini Ha Ha

New Zealand Tea Tree

Tiny Heath Myrtle

Polygala

Lavender Cotton

Native Rosemary

Knife-leaf Wattle

Bottle Brush

Hakea

Pittosporum

Baeckea

Lemon Scented Myrtle

Golden Glow

Pink Lady

Dwarf Book Leaf

Thryptomene

Flowering perennials

Yarrow

African Daisy

Bergenia

Native Daisy

Straw Flowers

Dianthus

Cone Flower

Pride of Madeira

Blanket Flower

Chocolate Plant

Billy Buttons

Hippeastrum

Lion's Ear

Perennial Statice

Alyssum

Daffodil/Jonquil

Geranium

Ivy Leaf Pelargonium

Mulla Mulla

Paper Daisy

Marmalade Daisy

Salvia (non weedy species)

Paint Brush Lily

Lamb's Ear

Thyme

Climbers

Bougainvillea

Clematis

Hardenbergia

Climbing Guinea Flower

Pandorea

Wonga Wonga Vine

Virginia Creeper

Petrea

Pink Trumpet Vine

Orange Trumpet

Banksia Rose

Chinese Star Jasmine

Ornamental Grape Vine

Wisteria

Strappy leaf plants

Agapanthus

Agave

Kangaroo Paw

Blue Sedge

Clivia

Barbwire Grass

Wallaby Grass

Flax Lily

Iris

Spear Lily

Poa

Grass Tree

Yucca

Lavender Grass

Blue Fescue

Day Lily

Red Hot Poker

Giant Mondo

Mat Rush

Lomandra

Mondo Grass

Native Iris

New Zealand Flax

Jacobean Lily

The Bird of Paradise

Nodding Blue Lily

Kangaroo Grass

Society Garlic

Cordyline

Echeveria

Ground covers

Baby Sunrose

Banksia

Hawksberry River Daisy

Pig Face/Ice Plant

Prostrate Wattle

Silver Morning Glory

Purple Morning Glory

Seaside Daisy

Blue Eyes

Gazania

Grevlillea

Woolly Grevillea

Native Sarsparilla

Golden Guinea Flower

Guinea Flower

Shore Juniper

Juniper

Creeping Boobialla

Rosemary

Cotton Lavender

Sedum

Bluebell Creeper

Star Jasmine

Pink Star

Grasses 

Buffalo grass

Couch grass

Zoysia grass

Palms

Ponytail Palm

Silver Fan Palm

Blue Hesper Palm

Wine Palm

Mediterranean Fan Palm

Cabbage Palm

Canary Island Date Palm

Date Palm

Dwarf Date Palm

Cliff Date Palm

Silver Date Palm

Mexican Sabal Palm

Dwarf Sabal Palm

Palmetto Palm

Windmill Palm

Calfornian Fan Palm

Cotton Palm

Ferns

Rough Maidenhair Fern

Birds Nest Fern

Soft Tree Fern

Creeping Shield Fern

Elkhorn (Fern)

 

Tips

• A hose with a trigger is handy when watering but remember to turn the hose off at the tap when finished.
• Manual method of watering (hose and sprinkler or by hand) generally use less water than automatic irrigation systems. These methods also allow you to direct the water exactly where you want it.
• Drip irrigation reduces evaporation. Existing spray irrigation systems can be converted to drip systems easily and cheaply by changing the spray heads to drip runners.
• Let your plants indicate when they are in need of water and only then apply enough water to reach the plant root zones.
• Water at dawn to avoid evaporation and fungal diseases.
• Use greywater from your washing machine, laundry tub, shower, bath and sinks for watering purposes. 
• If you have an evaporative airconditioner, direct the overflow into the garden.
• Use a timer on your sprinkler so you don’t forget to turn it off.
• Water small areas by hand to avoid waste.
• Watering less frequently but more thoroughly encourages plants to develop deeper root systems, allowing them to better prepare for drought.

Planning irrigation for your garden 

When planning a new irrigation system or modifying an existing system you should select the system and emitters which are efficient and appropriate for your:

• soil type of your garden
• plant selection
• microclimate

For example, drippers are an excellent and water-wise irrigation option for most gardens, but may not be suitable for sandy soils.

You should consult your local irrigation professionals, horticultural specialist or nursery to determine which system(s) are right for your garden. Your irrigation specialist may design a different type of system for different parts of your garden.

Take a simple plan of your garden along to your local retailer or irrigation specialist so that they can help you design a system which will distribute the right amount of water in the right places.

Installation of new irrigation systems

If you are planning to install a new irrigation system for your garden then you will need to be aware of, and comply with the Efficient irrigation for water conservation guideline.

• Keep your gardens weeded. Weeds compete with the grass for water.
• Mulch, mulch, mulch. Mulch allows the garden to retain moisture in the soil and controls weeds.
• When adding new plants to your garden, prepare the garden bed with good soil, water storing granules and wetting agent.
• Prune plants in spring to reduce leaf area which in turn reduces the plants water usage.
• Improve your soil. Soils with high water-holding capacity, effective drainage and infiltration need less frequent watering. All soil types improve with the addition of organic matter.

• If planting grass on a new block, use water efficient turf varieties such as buffalo grass, couch grass or zoysia grass.
• The depth and quality of soil beneath your lawn influences the water retention of your lawn.
  • The underlay soil should be a minimum of 100mm deep.
  • The underlay should be quality loam with sand, silt, clay components and organic matter.
• A less-than-lush lawn is acceptable when being responsible with water. Just because grass is brown, doesn’t mean it’s dead – it’s just dormant. Dormant grass only needs water every three weeks. When the rain comes, it will turn green quickly.
• Keep your lawn weeded as weeds compete with the grass for water.
• Apply the minimum amount of fertiliser needed to reduce watering demands. Apply fertiliser during the spring and summer months when there is higher rainfall and your lawn is actively growing. Use small amounts of an organic fertiliser as this will require far less water post-application than a chemical fertiliser.
• Install a rainwater tank for watering purposes. To find out more about tanks, read our Rainwater tanks article.
• Only water your lawn when required. Signs that your lawn is ready for watering include: changing colour, the soil below is difficult to penetrate using a sharp object and the lawn doesn’t spring back after being walked on.
• Turn off the automated sprinkler system when rain is coming.
• Check the spread of your sprinkler system.
• If you have an evaporative airconditioner, direct the overflow into the lawn.
• Reduce your lawn area with attractive water conservative plant options and ground covers e.g. pebbles.
• Aerate your lawn so water can reach the roots.
• Winter lawns require less watering than summer lawns.
• Adjust your lawnmower to a higher setting. Longer grass will reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation.
• Less watering means slower grass growth and gives you an excuse to ignore the mowing for longer! Mow outside of the heat of the day so your newly cut lawn doesn’t dry out.

• Sweep your driveways and paved areas rather than wash them down.
• An annual maintenance wash down of windows, surfeit and walls will preserve surfaces longer and reduce the need for a major clean.

• Use a bucket and sponge rather than a hose to wash your car. When using a hose for rinsing, attach a trigger nozzle so you can control the flow of water.
• Use a waterless car wash or low water car wash.
• Wash your car in the rain.
• Wash your car on the grass using biodegradable cleaning chemicals, so the runoff water waters your lawn for free.

• Use a pool cover to dramatically reduce loss of water by evaporation.
  • Simple leaf covers will reduce evaporation by approximately 40%.
  • Thicker blankets and security covers will save up to 90% evaporation.
  • A liquid pool cover will reduce evaporation by up to 40%.
• Increase shade over the pool to reduce evaporation.
• Protect your pool from the wind to lessen evaporation.
• Backwash only when necessary.
• Keep the pool and filters clean to reduce the frequency of backwashing.
• A sand filter can use up to 8000L of water each year for backwashing. If installing a new pool or changing your filter ,swap to a cartridge filter which doesn’t require backwashing.
• Keep the water level a bit lower to prevent spillage.
• Use a rainwater tank or downpipe rainwater diverter to fill the pool or spa.
• You can still have fun in the pool without wasting water. Discourage dive bombing and constant jumping in and out of the pool. Pool users can skim the water off their body on the top step before getting out so the water is returned to the pool.