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Last Updated: Thursday, 07 July 2022 10:10
Garden

You can create a sustainable garden in your own backyard, on your patio or high-rise veranda. The following tips include sustainable practices, how to design your garden, soil types and which plants are best.  

To incorporate sustainable practices into your garden:

  • use wood or organic fencing such as tree branches, stumps, recycled timber
  • use wooden plant tags
  • use high tolerance low-watering plants
  • fertilise with manure or compost
  • plant trees
  • grow fruit, vegetable and herbs
  • make your own mulch
  • use plants to rid insects
  • save your seeds
  • use local products
  • make your own worm farm
  • create self-watering garden beds.

How to design your garden

The way you design your garden can help bring your indoor and outdoor living spaces together. This can create a sense of freshness no matter the space you have-to work with.

A good design will consider:

  • location
  • size
  • weather
  • sustainable or recycled materials
  • access to water supply
  • aesthetics.

Planting location

Take your time to find out the most suitable location. Ask yourself:

  • Will it need shade?
  • Could the plants out-grow the allocated space?
  • Will the garden give you privacy or stop you from having a play space?
  • What ground cover could you use?
  • Do you want to encourage wildlife?

The best plants for our region include:

  • natives
  • shrubs
  • climbers
  • grasses
  • ground cover
  • flowers, lily
  • edible plants

Choosing the right size garden

Plants can be hung, grow on trellises, create boundaries, grow on walls or along the ground.

Think about how can you create a suitable sized garden with the least harm to the environment while trying to enhance your living?  

  • Think out-side-the-box when it comes to space. Look in all directions.
  • Can you use a teared design with multiple layers?
  • If you have a large outdoor space, can it incorporate an edible garden?
  • Does the space allow for fruit trees, shade trees, natives?

Soil types

Thanks to our rich volcanic soil in our region, we can plant many types of trees, shrubs and vegetables. Our region has different types of soil including red and black soil.