All is not lost! You can still produce beautiful, green landscapes despite the continuing drought, water restrictions and the increasing price of water.
Qualified and experienced landscapers, landscape architects and horticulturists such as Easycare Landscapes and other members of the Australian Institute of Horticulture (AIH) and the Landscape Contractors Association of NSW and the ACT (LCA) can help you increase the value of your properties by more than 10%. We can show you how by considering the following:
- How to retain water that falls on the land
- How to re-use the water
- How to recycle the waste water
- How to reduce the amount of water needed
All of the above are best considered before the property is built as money can be saved by planning for it at the beginning. If you work with designers and horticulturists in the planning stages you will be advised on low-cost methods of water retention such as swales and physical barriers for preventing water run-off, on various ways of re-using and recycling on-site water (yes, there is a difference!) and how to reduce the amount of water needed by using correct soils, soil conditioners, organic matter, mulches and the use of plants suited to the conditions and the environment.
We will all eventually be required to be carbon neutral and should be aiming for it now. Planting is one good way of capturing carbon from the atmosphere. For plants to grow well they need to have healthy soil. For soil to be healthy it needs to have the following: minerals, air, water, living things in the soil (plants and animals), and occasional disturbance. Easycare Landscapes can work with you on methods to achieve this or do it for you.
On the political / public relations scene ACTEW has been meeting and consulting with various industry groups including AIH and LCA. As a result of these meetings, they have formed an Irrigation Smart Reference Group that is developing irrigation guidelines for the ACT. They are working with horticulturists and landscape architects to develop a list of hardy plants for the Canberra region and have formed a Community Reference Group for the potential development of a new water wise educational garden for the Canberra region. Other exciting developments in the pipeline will be discussed at a later date.
Our team of horticulturists, landscape architects, designers and landscapers will be able to help you with all your landscape design, construction or maintenance needs. Please contact Easycare Landscapes (02 6257 8122 or
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) or any other companies who are members of the AIH and / or LCA.
(This article by Vicki Berry appeared in Canberra Building News - Edition 1, 2009) |
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