Cape Town - The dams that supply water to the Cape metropolitan area are uncharacteristically low for this time of the winter rainfall season.
This is the situation according to the Cape Town Weather Office. Even though the region saw patches of good rainfall during June and July, the current cumulative total is well below the annual average.
What does this mean for gardening? The Wemmershoek Dam is currently sitting at just over 60 percent capacity. While August is still a rainfall month in the region, water restrictions may well be on the cards for summer.
If water sharing is on the way, what strategies should you consider in your garden this summer?
Waterwise principles
Reducing your garden’s demand for water is an investment for the future, a future where water shortages are likely to increase. A water- wise garden can also save you money. Less municipal water used in the garden translates into a saving on your household utility bill.
How can you implement the principals to conserve water and still grow an attractive, sustainable garden? Design, plant selection and how you water your garden are just some of the principles to follow.
Choose the right plants
Waterwise gardens don’t have to be lacking in colour or inspiration. Plants that are indigenous to your area are an excellent choice for your garden as they are well suited to coastal conditions and are able to cope better during drought periods.
Succulents like aloes and vygies with their bold structures and bright flowers are adapted to drier climates and a popular choice for waterwise plantings.
Create hydro zones
When selecting plants for the garden be mindful of the water requirements. By grouping plants with similar water needs you can conserve water in your garden while still giving plants the best possible conditions in which to thrive.
Check water wise labels on plants at the nursery. “One Drop” plants have low water requirements; “Two Drop” plants have medium water needs and “Three Drop” plants are those with higher water needs.
Group plants that require moderate to low amounts of water together and limit thirsty plants to a few smaller areas of the garden. Plants that are grey in colour are usually hardy and suitable for low water zones. Three Drop plants should be placed close to the house.
Reduce lawn surface area
Create a “no water” zone in your garden by replacing sections of lawn with hard landscaping materials like pebbles, paving and gravel. Some succulents can also be included in this zone. Where grass is required, use buffalo grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum). It does well in sun or shady areas and uses less water.
Use groundcover
Thick groundcover can help to retain moisture in the soil and keep beds cool during the hot, dry summer months. Groundcover, a living mulch, also discourages weed growth, unwanted plants that compete for water and nutrient. Ornamental grasses are bold and once established, need little care.
Mulch beds
Like groundcover, mulch reduces the amount of moisture lost to evaporation, prevents the soil from drying out and keeps it cool. Choose organic mulches like bark or wood chips, straw, nutshells, or compost. Pebbles and gravel are inorganic mulch materials that do not decompose and are cost-effective. Before applying mulch, loosen the ground lightly to improve ventilation.
Feed the soil
Water drains quickly through sandy soil, common in coastal regions. To improve the water holding capacity, dig in plenty of compost. Nutrients are returned to the soil to feed plants.
Manage water features
Water features are a popular focal point in the garden. They also attract birds and insects to the garden. Choose the smallest water feature with the biggest impact for your size garden. To reduce evaporation, place the water feature in the shade.
Harvest rainwater
Older rainwater tanks were bulky and difficult to place in smaller, suburban gardens, but new products are aesthetically pleasing, with a slimmer design that is easy to fit into a space alongside the house. The system allows you to harvest rainwater from your roof and gutter.
Water wisely
Consider installing a drip-irrigation system that delivers water directly to the soil, ensuring that less water is lost to wind and evaporation. In summer water your garden in the early morning or late afternoon, never on a windy day.
Water-wise plant list
These plants have low to moderate water requirements.
Groundcover: Sour fig (Carpobrotus edulis), carpet geranium (Geranium incanum), osteospermum (Osteospermum fruticosum), sea lavender (Limonium peregrinum), fairy crassula (Crassula multicava), Jordaaniella dubia, gazania spp.
Shrubs: pink mallow (Anisodontea scabrosa); butterfly bush (Buddleja salviifolia), Felicia aethiopica, Felicia filifolia, wild iris (Dietes grandiflora), beach salvia (Salvia africana-lutea), strelitizia (Strelitizia reginae), Cape may (Coleonema album), dune crowberry (Rhus crenata), wild rosemary (Eriocephalus africanus)
Perennials, grasses and succulents: Agapanthus, vygies, aloes, pelargoniums, lavender spp, jelly burn plant (Bulbine frutescens), Felicia amelloides, red-hot pokers (Kniphofia spp), carex spp, festuca. spp.
Kay Montgomery, Weekend Argus