18th September, 2003

GRAHAM LEWIS

The following are just a few tips to enable you to garden with conservation in mind. Some - or all - may sound completely radical but if you just do one or two, you’re well on your way to becoming an environmentally-friendly gardener.

• Get rid of the lawn. Never has so much water been wasted on so little green stuff in such a short period of time as the last 200 years in Australia.

• When necessary, water in the early morning or evening - act as if we have water restrictions all the time.

• Purchase a rainwater tank, use grey water from your washing machine or put a brick in the toilet cistern to reduced the amount of water used when you flush.

• Plant only native species or those that are indigenous to your local area. These will be suited to you soil type and climatic conditions and will thus require less maintenance and water.

• Mulch, mulch, mulch! You can never have too mulch of it (other then burying the base of the plant below soil level).

• Recycle organic material using a compost bin or three - use different ones for different stages of decomposition.

• Start a worm farm. Worms, unlike other pets, do not require walking, registration fees, vet bills, boarding fees and do not kill local bird life.