This document is the contents page for a book about waterwise gardening. It lists 5 chapters: 1) Water-smart Garden Design, 2) Soils, 3) Water-guzzlers, 4) Waterwise Plants, and 5) Plant Descriptions. Chapter 1 discusses garden design, climate, lawns, and watering zones. Chapter 2 covers soil types, how plants gain and lose water, and soil improvement. Chapter 3 identifies lawns, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, annuals, and plants in containers as water-guzzlers. Chapter 4 provides descriptions of high, medium, and low drought-tolerant plants.

1. 71115_CTP_001-029revised_DJHNv6_03:71115_CTP_001-027 22/5/09 12:42 PM Page 4
Contents
Introduction 5
Chapter 1 Water-smart Garden design || 11
garden Design 11
Work with Your Climate | 13
your climate 11
Reduce the Amount of lawn | |17
amount Lawn 15
Designing the Lawn||24
lawn 22
Create Watering zones | 25
watering Zones 23
Chapter 2 Soils | 28
30
What Type of soil do you have? || 28
type of Soil Do You Have 30
How Plants gain and lose water | |38
plants Gain Lose Water 36
Improving Your Soil | 39
your soil 37
Chapter 3 Water-guzzlers | 43
Water guzzlers 41
Lawns and their Alternatives | 43
alternatives 41
Vegetable Gardens | 49
gardens 46
Fruit trees |
Annuals | 4850
Annuals | |
Fruit Trees5249
Plants | containers | 53
Weeds in50
Published in Australia in 2009 by
Published in Australia in National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data:
Plants in Containers | 50
Reed New Holland
an imprint of Walsh, Kevin, 1957- .
Walsh, Kevin, 1957-
Chapter 4 Waterwise plants | 57
New Holland Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd Waterwise gardening.
Waterwise gardening / Kevin Walsh. Chapter 4 Plant descriptions | 63 | 54
Waterwise Plants
Sydney • Auckland • London • Cape Town 4th ed.
Unit 1, 66 Gibbes Street Chatswood NSW 2066 Australia 3rd ed.
9781877069642 (pbk.)
High dry-tolerant plants 58
The Plant Descriptions | | 65
14 Aquatic Drive Frenchs Forest NSW 2086 Australia
218 Lake Road Northcote Auckland New Zealand Includes index.
Includes index. Medium dry-tolerant Plants 85
High Drought-tolerantplants | | 61
86218 Lake Road Northcote Auckland NewKingdom
Edgware London W2 2EA United Zealand ISBN 1 877069 01 9. Low dry-tolerant plants | Plants
Medium Drought-tolerant115 | 79
86 Edgware Road London W2 2EA United Kingdom
80 McKenzie Street Cape Town 8001 South Africa Xeriscaping--Australia.
Low Drought-tolerant Plants | 110
80 McKenzie Street Cape Town 8001 South Africa
First published in 1993 by Reed Books as Water-saving
1. Xeriscaping - Australia. 2. Xerophytes - Australia. 3.
Xerophytes--Australia.
Landscape gardening - Water conservation - Australia. I.
Landscape gardening--Water conservation--Australia.
Chapter 5 Mulching | 128
Published in 1993 by Reed Books as Water-saving Gardening
Gardening, Revised in 1995, Third edition published 2004 Walsh, Kevin, 1957- Water-saving gardening : water-wise Chapter 5 Countering mulch’s downside | 128
Mulching | 122
Revised in 1995 plants and practices in Australia. II. Title.
635.0994
Copyright © 1993, 2004, 2009 in text: Kevin Walsh
Third edition published 2004
How to mulch | 129
Countering Mulch's Downside | 122
Copyright © 1995, 2004, 2009 in photographs: Lauretta Zilles 635.0994
Publisher: Louise Egerton Selecting a mulch 132
Before You Mulch || 123
Copyright © 1993, 2003 in text:Kevin Walsh
and as credited Editors: Jennifer Lane and Diane Jardine How to Mulch | 123
Copyright © 2009 New Holland Publishers (Australia) Pty and
Copyright © 1995, 2003 in photographs: Lauretta Zilles Ltd
as credited
Publisher: Illustration: saso content & design and
Design & Louise Egerton
Editor: Jennifer Lane
Hayley Norman
Chapter 6 Selecting a Mulch | 124 | 145
Efficient watering
Copyright © 2003 New Holland Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd Design & Illustration:Olga Dementiev design
Production Manager: saso content & Avoid wasting water | 145
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be Production Manager: Linda BottariLtd (China)
Printer: SNP/Leefung Printing Co. Chapter 6 Harvest your Watering150136
Efficient own water | |
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any Reproduction:
form or byrights reserved. No part mechanical, photocopying,
All any means, electronic, of this publication may be Cover photographs, clockwise from top left-hand corner:
Printer:
Using greywater | 158
Avoid Wasting Water | 136
recording or otherwise,awithout the prior or transmitted, in any
reproduced, stored in retrieval system written permission of front One-sided bottlebrush, Dusky Correa, Kaffir Lily, Stocks Watering techniques | 165
Harvest Your Own Water | 141
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
the publishers and copyright holders. [Any picture captions for cover and prelims can be included
back Japonica Using Greywater | 148
Installing a watering system | 172
recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of here]
Watering Techniques | 153
the publishers and copyright holders.
Useful resources 185 a Watering System | 158
Installing
Useful Resources 170
Index 186
DISCLAIMER: Neither author nor publishers take any responsibility for any results, effects or outcomes
connected with any advice or method provided in this book, however caused. Index 171

2. 71115_CTP_001-029revised_DJHNv6_03:71115_CTP_001-027 22/5/09 12:42 PM Page 6
Acknowledgments Introduction
My thanks go to a number of people for their help with this edition and
Australia is often called ‘the driest inhabited country’, yet for too long garden-
ongoing support for this book in its various forms over the past
15 years.These include all at New Holland including Diane Jardine for ers have been trying to defy the climatic reality of this land—one which is far
editing and Hayley Norman for the map drawing; Lauretta Zilles for pho- removed from the British model on which our gardens and gardening practices
tography; Debbie Golvan; Jenny McSwain; Robyn and Frank Lewis; and
Jimmie Morrison. The illustration on page 10 is based on that of the are largely based. The time has come to discard this ‘horticultural cringe’ and
Bureau of Meteorology and is used with permission.Thanks to all who to make gardens that respond to the true nature of the Australian climate.
helped with earlier editions and whose plants or gardens are
photographed. In particular, a special mention to Lauretta, Natalie and
Callan for their ongoing support and patience. In a country as
dry as Australia it
makes sense to
design our gardens
to the conditions.
A waterwise garden
Key to symbols used in this book can be as colourful and
vibrant as any garden;
Throughout this book plants are listed by their common name and then it just uses less water.
alphabetically by their Latin name, then by their level of dry tolerance.
Reduce lawn
H High dry tolerance It is easy to create a garden that is waterwise and environmentally
friendly, yet full of colour, interest and variety. All we have to do is to
adopt six vital principles.These are:
Group plants
M Medium dry tolerance
1 Reduce areas of lawn
Dry tolerant
L Low dry tolerance
2 Group plants according to their water needs Did you know...
By following the tips
Maintenance G Water guzzler
3 Use dry-tolerant plants in this book you could
easily cut your garden’s
Mulch
H High heat tolerance 4 Maintain the garden consumption of drinking
water in half, or even
5 Use mulch more.
Water efficiently
M Medium heat tolerance
6 Water efficiently
L Low heat tolerance
Any one of these six vital principles will help save water, but if you
can incorporate all six in your garden you will really begin to notice
significant savings in your water bill.

3. 71115_CTP_001-029revised_DJHNv6_03:71115_CTP_001-027 22/5/09 12:42 PM Page 8
8 Waterwise Gardening Introduction 9
The environmental benefits Reducing water use does not
mean gardens should become
One significant benefit of a waterwise garden is the protection of our deserts of pebbles sparsely planted
environment. If we don’t curb our rising water consumption soon, with cacti. With a little imagination,
authorities will need to create additional dams and weirs, which in turn careful planning and preparation you
means altering natural watercourses and submerging large areas of can create an extremely colourful
native vegetation. Saving water in the garden will help reduce the need garden with low water require-
for new water storage facilities. ments. Such gardens can be formal
Collecting and using rainwater in our gardens could provide up to or informal, modern or traditional,
40 per cent of our garden’s water needs, and is one positive way to and designed to fit in with the condi-
reduce the amount of water we are taking out of our natural environ- tions of a particular location.
ment. Some estimates also suggest that using ‘greywater’ in the garden Furthermore, designing a water-
could reduce a household’s total consumption of drinking-quality water efficient garden does not rule out
by up to 20 per cent. using water as a feature. Indeed, a
Our current garden-watering practices result in large amounts of recirculating pump will use very little
fertilisers and salts leaching into waterways, causing pollution, salin- water. The cooling effect of water
ity and outbreaks of blue-green algae. Waterwise gardening can features adds to our enjoyment of an
largely prevent this by eliminating the over-watering which flushes outdoor lifestyle in this hot, dry land.
these materials into our groundwater.The use of soil improvers, such Water features bring a cooling effect to a
as compost, can also help to bind these nutrients in the plants’ root The economic benefits garden, and are water efficient if the water
zones. Practices such as composting not only improve the fertility is recirculated by a pump.
and water-retaining capacity of our soil, but reduce the volume of Most areas of Australia now operate
waste going into landfills. under a ‘user pays’ system for household water.
This system is believed to better reflect the real cost of water.
The horticultural benefits Although it differs a little between states and regions, it is generally
based on a two-part system.The first is a ‘service fee’ for getting water to
A waterwise garden requires less maintenance, not only because it uses your door.You pay this fixed amount on each water bill whether you use
less water (which reduces the time you spend watering), but also the water or not.The second part is the ‘usage fee’—the more you use,
because many techniques used to reduce water demands also reduce the more you pay. It is this second part where most households can save
maintenance requirements in general. For example, reducing the size of money simply by reducing the amount of water used in the garden.
an area of lawn reduces water use and results in less time spent It has been estimated that between one-quarter and one-half of all
mowing. Using mulch reduces evaporation from the soil but also domestic water use is for gardens. The potential for reducing this
reduces weed growth, and so on. amount—and your water bill—is enormous.
The lower maintenance properties of a water-
Did you know... wise garden make it an ideal approach for
More garden plants commercial and industrial properties, flats and
probably die from units, weekenders and holiday homes.
over-watering than A waterwise garden is also a healthy garden.
from lack of water. The soil is improved and plant stress is minimised
through appropriate plant selection, maintenance
and watering.

4. 71115_CTP_001-029revised_DJHNv6_03:71115_CTP_001-027 22/5/09 12:42 PM Page 10
10 Waterwise Gardening Introduction 11
Main climatic zones of Australia (based on rainfall) desalination plants. Unfortunately there are serious environmental reper-
cussions from desalination, including the disposal of the waste products
and brine water which are by-products of the process. Desalination is
Major seasonal rainfall zones of Australia also a huge consumer of electricity, therefore further adding to the
greenhouses gases which are largely responsible for climate change.
Weipa
Kalumburu
Katherine Kowanyama
What the future holds
Halls Creek
Broome Normanton
Our water supplies are under increasing pressure. Australia’s popula-
Tennant
Creek
Townsville tion continues to grow and yet our water supplies are actually
Telfer Mount Isa
Mackay
dwindling. Climate change means that for most parts of Australia there
Giles will be higher temperatures leading to greater evaporation. Generally
Newman
speaking, rainfall will be reduced and when it does come it will be
Wiluna
Oondnadatta
more often in heavy downpours that tend to run off the surface rather
Geraldton
than soak into the ground.
Kalgoorlie-Boulder
Cook Additional demands for agriculture and industry to service the expand-
Coffs
Port Augusta Dubbo Harbour ing population also put pressure on the little we have, and further impact
Port Lincoln Mildura on the natural environment. The El Niño phenomenon is not always an
Horsham
accurate indication of when drought will occur or for how long.
We need to start doing something immediately to conserve this most
Orbost precious and finite of resources on which all life depends.We can all do
Bureau of Meteorology
Summer Dominant Summer Uniform
Marked wet summer Wet summer and Uniform Rainfall
Cape Grim our bit by saving water in the house and, in particular, in the garden.With
and dry winter low winter rainfall Strahan the six vital principles of waterwise gardening explained in this book, we
Winter Winter Dominant Arid
Wet winter and low Marked wet winter Low Rainfall can create bright, attractive, economical and low-maintenance gardens.
summer rainfall and dry summer
Understanding when rain occurs in your area will help you plan your waterwise garden.
What is El Niño?
Where Australia’s water comes from El Niño is a phenomenon often associated with droughts. The waters off the western
coast of South America are usually cool with high surface pressures. The air from
Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world: more than 70 per this area travels on the easterly trade winds across the Pacific Ocean towards the
cent of the continent receives less than 500mm of rainfall in an average warmer tropical waters and lower atmospheric pressure north of Australia. The
year. Many areas, too, have long seasons where little or no rain falls. strength of this circulation is measured by an index called the Southern Oscillation
The majority of our water is collected from surface sources—typically Index, which is the pressure at Tahiti minus the pressure at Darwin.
run-off that is collected and held in huge storage dams and reservoirs.The Occasionally, unusually warm waters off the South American coast disrupt the
water is then piped from these catchments to major population centres. circulation, giving weaker trade winds and resulting in less moisture being carried
Most Australian capital cities rely on such systems for their water, except over the ocean to Australia. When this happens and the Southern Oscillation Index is
Perth (which relies heavily on groundwater) and Adelaide (which utilises negative, it is likely that some parts of Australia might have lower than average
waterflow from the Murray River, catchment facilities and groundwater). rainfall and possibly drought.
Increasingly, authorities are turning to desalination as a source of
fresh water, with all mainland states actively considering or installing

5. 71115_CTP_001-029revised_DJHNv6_03:71115_CTP_001-027 22/5/09 12:42 PM Page 12
Chapter 1
Water-smart garden design
Most Australian gardens are not designed with water use in mind. This chapter
explains the process of designing—or redesigning—a garden to make it more
water efficient. Along the way it puts two principles of waterwise gardening into
practice: limit areas of lawn and group plants according to their needs.
Those contemplating making a new garden have the opportunity to
apply the principles ‘from the ground up’, and get it right from the
start. Long-established gardens can also be made much more water
efficient, however, by making simple changes to the design.
To design a waterwise garden you must take into consideration the
peculiarities of your site. Basically, this means taking a critical look at
various aspects of your garden, including existing features, proposed
inclusions, the way you intend to use the garden and any other aspects
such as the slope of the ground, soil type and, of course, climate.
Work with your climate
To design a garden that makes best use of the advantages of your site,
and at the same time reduces the impact of negative factors, you need
to understand the elements of climate that influence your garden.
Climate is divided into three categories: macroclimate, mesoclimate and
microclimate. Macroclimate is the climate of a large area, such as a met-
ropolitan city or provincial district, while mesoclimate is the climate of
a more specific part within that general area. Microclimate is the
climate of small areas, such as those found within a property boundary.
The macroclimate of your area will broadly influence your plant selec-
tion and water use in the garden.Things to be aware of include average
temperatures at different times of the year, periods of low rainfall, occur-
rence of frost, proximity to the coast (and therefore salt-laden winds) and
so on. Microclimate, however, has the most bearing on the layout of your
Four-o’clock Flower garden, and this is particularly true for established houses and gardens.

6. 71115_CTP_001-029revised_DJHNv6_03:71115_CTP_001-027 22/5/09 12:42 PM Page 14
14 Waterwise Gardening Water-smart garden design 15
Understanding your microclimate Windbreak planting
Hot winds dry out lawns and gardens rapidly, and make your garden much
Factors affecting microclimate include the orientation of the property to less enjoyable. A windbreak planting can reduce the impact of these
the sun, the direction and temperature of the prevailing wind, the influ- winds.(It may also change the amount of sun getting to parts of the garden,
ence of nearby buildings, topography, the amount of reflective surfaces, however, so bear in mind the effect this will have on plants in the vicinity.)
and the spread and foliage type of existing trees. Observing these factors
will help you to either take advantage of the circumstances or put in Trees for windbreaks
place appropriate steps to overcome the negative ones.
Monterey Cypress Cupressus macrocarpa H
This sunny Yate Eucalyptus cornuta H
and exposed Coral Gum Eucalyptus torquata H
area is planted Norfolk Island Hibiscus Lagunaria patersonia H
up with sun- Olive Olea europaea H
loving plants. Aleppo Pine Pinus halepensis H
Cork Oak Quercus suber H
Peppercorn Tree Schinus molle var. areira H
Sydney Golden Wattle Acacia longifolia M
Golden Blackwood Acacia melanoxylon M
Coast Banksia Banksia integrifolia M
Silky Oak Grevillea robusta M
The southern side of a house and areas underneath trees often have Coastal Tea Tree Leptospermum laevigatum M Norfolk Island
a microclimate that is shady and less exposed to hot, drying winds. Brush Box Lophostemon confertus M Hibiscus
While lawn won’t grow well in these places, they are often great spots Osage Orange Maclura pomifera M
for shade-loving plants. Because such areas do not dry out so rapidly, Flaxleaf Paperbark Melaleuca linariifolia M
they make a good watering zone for plants of low dry tolerance. New Zealand Christmas Tree Metrosideros excelsa M
The north and west sides of the house are generally hotter and more Stone Pine Pinus pinea M
exposed to the elements.This could be a good spot for a lawn or veg- Holm Oak Quercus ilex M
etable garden, as these need plenty of sun. Lillypilly Acmena smithii L
Sometimes you may be able to
adapt the microclimate of your
garden. For example, if your outside Coastal exposure
sitting area is north of the house Gardens situated close to
and you wish to create shade to the sea are often particularly
make it pleasant in summer, the windy. This wind carries
addition of shade sails or a timber salts onto plant foliage,
pergola with a deciduous climber which not all plants tolerate.
will help achieve this.
Coastal gardens often have to contend
This grape-covered pergola creates with high winds, and windbreaks can
a shady sitting area north of the house. help reduce the negative effects.