Segment: The Wrong vs. Right Trees and Plants
Episode: Autumn 2020, Ep 1
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane
TX Date: 22 February 2020

Garden design is vitally important when it comes to getting the most out of your garden in a dry climate. Trev talks you through the best options for your garden.

• In nature in dry climates, plants grow in spaced out placement, allowing each plant to get its fair share of what water is available. In domestic gardens we tend to intensely pack plants into garden beds.
• When a designer brings a garden to life, they are working on exposure to wind and sun, soil types and rain fall as considerations.
• Designing gardens with large external barriers provides the owner privacy but also breaks up wind flow! Strategically place trees will thro down shade, cooling a garden.
• Lawns delineating the gardens on the outside edge of a property, will cool the property but also provide a green wet carpet that suppresses flames to some extent.
• Native plants provide a food source to many animals, whilst deciduous and finer foliaged plants work best as flame retardant options.
• Irrigation is important in dry locations. Sub-surface irrigation may be best in extremely dry area. You can bury these pipes below mulch, eliminating evaporation and delivering only the basics of what your plants need.
• Recycled water systems may be your only option, so run these systems before sunrise and after sunset!
• Thinking of redesigning your garden? Pop down to your local garden centre and ask what plants work best for your area!