How to be water-wise while gardening

In this episode we look at being water-wise when gardening. Adopt a waterwise approach to landscaping your garden through the following steps.

Observing your garden at different times of day to see where the shady spots are and which are the sun-drenched hot spots.
Design – Sketch your garden on paper, noting existing features such as large trees, pools, taps, pathways and benches.
Plot zones on your plan indicating what you’ll use each area for.
Group together plants that have similar water needs.
Layout – Outline garden beds using a rope and pegs for straight lines, and a hosepipe for curved lines.
Buy plants for each bed, according to your plan, and add a little fertiliser to each hole as you plant to give them a good start.
Spread a thick layer of mulch over the whole bed to ensure moisture does not evaporate too quickly and to keep weeds down.