Subtropical, Lush – No Watering!
An ornamental garden that uses nothing but rain and, barring cyclones, should cope with whatever the climate is likely to throw at us over the next fifty years.
The original plan for the front garden was to showcase water-wise ornamentals. When we realised that the drought meant we’d be getting occasional dumping rain and long periods with nothing useful, plans changed
The native and exotic ornamentals here are not merely water-wise, they are never watered.
Only the native hibiscus hedge needs to be watered weekly during dry spells – another myth exploded!
Video from a 2007 Gardening Australia Expo presentation
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- Front garden, midwinter solstice 2004.
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- By this time we’d put in the front fence.
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- Work begins – excavating soakaway pit Aug ’04
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- The soakaway, block retaining wall and gravel lining.
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- Accent plants in place.
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- Soakaway planted with local swamp plants. Sept ‘04
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- The soakaway works! Oct ‘04
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- Driveway border before planting…
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- …”I feel so alone”…
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- …and after planting Oct ’04
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- Council lets us plant Banksia aemula street trees Feb ‘05
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- Looking established Feb ’05
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- Philip Island hibiscus hedge, Hibiscus insularis in flower July ’05.
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- Hibiscus insularis detail of flowers.
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- Sept ‘05
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- Plantings around the soakaway, Sept ‘05
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- Path Oct ‘05
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- The view from the train April ‘06
05/09/2012 at 9:59 am
My small front yard at manly west showcases a no watering garden . In fact no maintenance at all , because i am a shift worker . No watering , no weeding , no mowing or whipper snippers (just some light pruning) . What type of garden , a tropical rainforest garden using australian tropical rainforest plants from specialist nurseries . cheers .
08/11/2012 at 2:37 pm
Here is some plants that can be seen from the road in my front garden at manly west (quarter acre block) .
scarlet bean,red myrtle,mango pine,ylang ylang tree,golden bouquet tree,shiptons glory,johnstone river apple,pink satinash,daintree hickory, zig zag vine,Sankowskya stipularis, many more . It would be nice if someone else reads this that has the same interest in rainforest plants . cheers .