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The Western Cape drought continues to affect lives and livelihoods. While water restrictions mean people are grappling with daily challenges, one positive aspect of the crisis is the realisation of the critical value of water and its necessity for all life forms.
South Africa is a water-scarce country, with an average rainfall of 464mm a year, or about half the global average.
According to the South African Weather Service, Cape Town’s average rainfall is 820mm a year, as part of rainfall district 4. In 2013 and 2014 rainfall exceeded the annual average, but in the past three years the rain has fallen short - 549mm in 2015, 634mm in 2016 and 499mm in 2017 - making last year the driest year since observations began in 1921.
Changing weather patterns and extreme weather are compelling South Africans to manage their gardens differently.
“Extreme events such as flooding and droughts have become more common,” says Norah de Wet, national chair of the South African Landscapers Institute (Sali). “Cape Town is not alone in experiencing water shortages. A few years ago Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal had similar issues. As extreme events become more frequent we need to adapt. Resilient landscaping is one part of the solution to improving ecological and human safety and health.”
De Wet says the idea of resilient landscaping is to create an ecosystem capable of withstanding and recovering from extreme natural events such as droughts and floods. “It is working with nature rather than trying to control nature.”
A verge garden should be resilient and self-sustaining, surviving on rainfall alone. Picture: Roomtogrow Gardens
Many gardeners are apprehensive about continuing to garden in the face of the water crisis. De Wet says it is vital we don’t stop gardening but rather change how we garden.
“Please do not feel guilty about having a garden,” says Marijke Honig, landscaper and author of Indigenous Plant Palettes (Quivertree Publications, 2014). “Gardens form an important part of the urban ecosystem and are not a luxury. They are a necessity - vital for our wellbeing and as habitats for wildlife.”
All green areas, including public parks, suburban gardens and weedy roadside verges, contribute to the urban ecosystem. They produce oxygen for us to breathe, filter pollution, absorb storm water and reduce flooding, purify water and help to maintain an amiable temperature.
“Without sufficient planted areas and infiltration - due to the many tarred and paved areas, and reflective surfaces - the city heats,” says Honig. “This is known as the urban heat island effect: pollution levels rise and our quality of life decreases. On summer days, especially when there is no wind, the raised temperature is already evident in the City Bowl, which is a few degrees hotter than the suburbs.”
How can you help preserve the urban ecosystem?
Change garden practices
Look at your old gardening practices and embrace a “new normal” - do less. This means less feeding of plants, less watering, less pruning, no more digging or skoffeling (this upsets soil micro-organisms and disturbs plant roots) and no more spraying for pests. Choose plants that survive with the least human input.
“Instead of working against nature and forcing a static state, allow natural ecosystem functions to take place. For example, pioneer species will colonise open areas, fallen leaves and branches will decay on the ground, thereby mulching the soil and releasing nutrients through the natural process of decomposition,” says Honig.
Choose plants for their resilience
Use plants for their ability to tolerate a diverse range of conditions and to bounce back after an extreme event.
“When resilience is the main criterion, weedy and self-seeded plants are not a problem, but an asset because they contribute to the long-term sustainability of the landscape,” says Honig.
“Plant new types at the right time, which is the start of the rainy season for your area. Do not pamper with too much water, compost or fertiliser as this stimulates top growth (leaves) at the expense of root growth. In the first year you want plants to develop strong, deep root systems, and put on a little growth. It is not what we are used to.”
Make your garden a haven for wildlife. Picture: Kay Montgomery
Don’t remove successful plants
Value plants for their resilience and ecological function. A thriving common or weedy plant is better than nothing green at all.
Add mulch
All planted areas should receive a 5cm to 10cm layer of much. This helps reduce water loss from the surface of the soil and keeps it cool. Choose organic mulch that breaks down over time and feeds the soil.
Choosing plants over paving
Rain water needs to infiltrate the soil. This is important for recharging ground water and keeping ambient temperature down, so keep areas planted rather than paved.
If you do need a durable surface, choose permeable paving to allow water to soak into the soil below. Permeable paving also allows air to pass through the openings and permits the ground, by thermal action, to breathe naturally. This provides oxygen to roots and to beneficial aerobic bacteria in the soil.