Gardening Tips 'n' Ideas

Ideas to save water in the garden

2008-10-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

Whether you're experiencing a drought - like most of Australia at the moment - or you're just trying to be waterwise when it comes to your garden, there are quite a few way to save water. And, they don't always lead to installing expensive rainwater tanks.

Here's a list of 10 water saving ideas but I'm sure they can be added to and I will update the list if others have some neat ideas as well.

Re-use your greywater - greywater is a byproduct of your sinks, dishwashers, laundry washing machines and bathroom showers. Depending on how much you wish to save - and what your local authorities will allow - will determine how much this exercise will cost.
If you're wanting to keep it cheap you could limit your water saving to the kitchen and laundry sinks. A simple plumbing deviation can give you the option to save the water into a bucket or run it straight off into the garden.

A more expensive option is to have all your greywater plumbed into an underground reservoir for later use by your garden reticulation.

Keep in mind though that greywater will be high in alkalinity due to many of the soaps we use to was ourselves, our dishes and our clothes. Therefore, this water is not generally useful in vegetable gardens as vegies much prefer more acid soils.
Use drip irrigation - drip irrigation is one of the most effective methods for dispersing water into your garden as it's aimed at the plants roots rather than a generalised broad spread. If you currently use sprinkler reticulation, try modifying at least part of your system to accomodate drippers instead. You'll save mobey and water.

Grow drought tolerant plants - lawns are the biggest users of water so to cut down on your water use, cut down on your lawn. Also, when buying plants choose ones that have low watering requirements and plant them together.
You can still have some high watering plants in your garden but don't disperse them through your gardens. Rather clump them together where only one watering station is needed to operate on a daily basis. The others may only require watering once or twice per week.
Collect rainwater - this option, like the greywater idea, can be as cheap or as expensive as you like. You can opt for a quality rainwater tank to be professionally installed or another option might be to harvest the rain using barrels or buckets.
Large barrels can be accessed through many food wholesalers who've used them for pickling or storing food items. These can then be plumbed using some DIY resources to feed into your garden reticulation or just oozed into garden beds.
Install a lap pool, instead - if you're planning to add a pool to your backyard landscape then choose a lap pool, like the Endless Pool I've previously reviewed. They take up less space, use less water and can be just as effective.

Divert your gutters - rather than allow your rainwater from your gutters just empty into your soak wells, divert them into drainage pipes that run the length of your garden beds. These drainage pipes are usually peppered with holes allowing the water to disperse into the soil. They should be encased with a layer of aggregate to stop them from getting clogged up but they are a very effective means of saving water.

Try aquaponics for growing vegetables - Aquaponics is another idea that I've already discussed on this blog. As a water saving idea it is by far one of the most effective.
With normal vegetable production, any watering seeps through the soil and drains away but with aquaponics, and it's sister hydroponics, the water is constantly reused.
Use water bottles for container plants - the beauty of using water bottles for container plants is that they give a measured dose of water each day. It's a great alternative to using watering cans which can be cumbersome and ineffective at watering your plants.

Mulch your garden beds - one of the greatest forms of water loss is evaporation so if you mulch your beds with a decent blanket of mulch this will slow the process down and reduce the amount of extra watering your plants will require.

Angle your garden paths - most landscapers will try to convince you to keep your paths level or at least so that any runoff is diverted away from your garden. Do the opposite. Use some fall from your garden paths to allow water to filter back into your lawns or garden beds where it can be used.

Cheap garden fence ideas

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If you're trying to save money on your garden fence there are many ways to be creative and stick within your budget. It all depends, however, on what you want your fence to do.

If it's just for the sheer aesthetic value making a cheap garden fence is very achievable. But, if you plan to secure your home and make it more impenetrable than Fort Knox you may have to fork out a few dollars.

Rustic Wooden Fence

This wooden fence is high on the aesthetic value and low on the security side and would be quite easy for an DIY landscaper to construct in a spare weekend. Depending on your location, sourcing the materials shouldn't be hard and in most cases can be accessed from your own property or local forest. Even secondhand wood from building sites would work well.

White Picket Fence

This garden fence is almost an institution especially amongst cottage gardeners. Your budget will dictate what's possible with erecting a white picket fence but if your trying to keep it cheap I would recommend scrounging through demolition or salvage yards.

One of the big downsides to picket fences is the constant maintenance. So, while you may be able to buy cheap pickets it would certainly be worth your time investing in a good exterior white paint and using galvanized nails or screws. They will both cost a little more but will save you years on maintaining it.

BTW - picket fences don't have to be white!!

Dry Stone Wall

If larger rocks can be easily and cheaply accessed in your area then a dry stone wall is possibly the best option for a high security fence made within a limited budget. There is no mortar or steel rods to purchase and no footings to be laid. It's just a matter of positioning your rocks so that the wall interlocks with itself.

The added advantage of a dry stone wall is that once it's completed there is no further ongoing maintenance and it will last for centuries - if it's been well constructed.

Bamboo Fence

Like the dry stone wall, if bamboo is easily accessible (try areas where it has become an invasive weed) then erecting a bamboo fence is also going to be a relatively cheap option. Bamboo is also very strong so if the garden fence is constructed well it should offer some degree of security as well as looking great.

The bamboo fence is another option that is low in maintenance and won't require painting or costly oils. If bamboo isn't available in your area, then brushwood may be worth considering as well. Both types of fence will take some time to tie up but it is much cheaper to do it yourself than buy sheets already prepared.

Rusty Iron Fence

The beauty of garden fences is the ability to hide them with creepers and climbing plants. Thus, you can easily source old rusty iron fencing from a salvage yard and then hide it as you allow your creeping plants to grow over it. An iron fence like this should offer some privacy and also a high level of security. Plus, once it's grown over will also prove to be incredibly aesthetic.

This is also another low maintenance garden fence and you may even decide to allow some of it to show between your plants to add to the effect.

Brick Fence

Using recycled bricks, a brick fence can be one of the cheapest yet high security garden fence options on offer. Unlike the dry stone wall you will need to also purchase and mix up some mortar to hold them together but this shouldn't be too expensive.

Leaving the gaps in the fence like this will compromise whether you're after privacy or a cheap fence. If you would rather more privacy then make the gaps smaller or non-existent. Otherwise, relish in the knowledge that you saved yourself some extra bucks.

Bottle Fence

For a slightly more eccentric look you could construct a bottle fence. The idea is that from the street it looks like a wall of bottles that you would find in a cellar but it's been glued together with mortar to form an impenetrable garden fence. If you have an abundance of large bottles then this is not only a cheap option but also a very easy one.

You also have the ability to make patterns in the wall with different coloured glass bottles. Even adding some paint to the mortar joints or using a pigmented mortar can add some extra aesthetic value.

Stepping-Stones

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Large Blocks

Carved and shaped blocks lie in this pond seemingly floating above an eternal void. This type of path is not something to try if you have a few hours to pass. The sheer size of the blocks, even if they are already cut, will take more than one person to maneuver.

Floating Steps

However, a stepping-stone path like this could easily be constructed within a weekend. Brick piers rising out of the watercourse are topped with a pebbled slab. The only precaution with this style is ensuring that the slab is fastened securely and maintained over time. While this style of path looks quite intriguing they can become very dangerous over time and vigilance will need to keep them maintained.

Pre-Fab Stepping Rounds

If you're after a less intensive stepping-stone path then buying pre-fabricated rounds, squares or any shape and then surrounding with pebbles is a great option. Log rounds, sliced across the grain of a hardwood tree, work really well too but be prepared to replace these within 5-10 years as rot and nature take their course. If you're going to use logs then check for white-ant infestations before you add them to your garden.

Inset Paths

While stepping-stone paths are usually based on a stepping platform raised above ground level, insets are paths that are set at ground-level or below. They are created to seamlessly mesh into the environment in which they will reside.

Lawn Insets

One of the most common form of inset paths is laying the step directly into lawn. It's a very easy path to make and one that can really standout aesthetically. The downside, of course, is the level of maintenance needed to keep these looking great. The edges will need to be regularly trimmed and in the warmer months this may need to be a weekly chore. One other maintenance issue for this type of path is that the lawn will, over time, grow above the inset steps. Therefore, within a few years you may need to lift each step and re-align it with the level of the lawn.

Garden Bed Insets
Another option is to inset this path directly into the garden bed. This pathway could be constructed using wooden blocks, flagstones or any other flat material that isn't unnatural in its shape. As a base isn't constructed to hold these insets in place they need to be heavy and broad enough to handle the weight of those traversing it. Insets that wobble or can easily be displaced can become hazards later on.

Pebbled Paths

Some of the easiest paths to create and maintain are ones that are created with pebbles or stones. Gravel, aggregate, river stones, crushed bricks and crushed limestone - there are many more - are great options for weaving a pathway through your garden.

Loose Pebbles and Stones
This is a great example of an easy path solution. While loose pebbled paths require some barrier or border, once this has been completed then shoveling loads of pebbles is a very quick task. And, it's a garden path that can easily be completed within a few hours - depending on it's length - or at least within a weekend. The benefit is once it's down there shouldn't be too many ongoing maintenance issues, either.

Fixed Pebbles and Stones
If you have enough time, and plenty of patience, then challenging yourself to create a fixed pebble or stone path is certainly rewarding - when it's finished! But don't expect that to be anytime soon as these paths need to be done in stages and can take weeks, months or years. The base of the path is usually concrete but could also be cemented limestone. As the slurry begins to set, pebbles or stones are set in decorative arrays and held fast over the years.

Paved Pathways

Paved paths can be traced back as far as the Romans as their roads were all built with paved clay-fired bricks. And there's no prizes for guessing what they perceived as the benefits such construction. Strength, endurance and the durability to weather the elements were all positives for this type of pathway.

Brick-paved Paths

These are one of the more common styles of paved pathways mainly because they are easy to lay, will last a long time and are strong enough to withstand most climates. Depending on the pattern selected - herringbone, brick-pattern, basketweave, stretcher-bond etc (here's a link for more patterns)- will determine the amount of time it takes to construct such a path. However, regardless of the style, most of the work goes into preparing a base for the bricks to sit on. If you get this right then your paved path should outlast you, but skimp on the effort at this level and you could be repairing dips, raised bricks or ones that are falling away for the rest of your life.

Tile-paved Paths

While you may expect that tiles are an indoor medium, they are starting to become popular outdoors as well. There are three ways to do these; the first is similar to the Fixed Pebble path in that they are inset into concrete (usually coloured). The second is like brick paving where terracotta tiles are laid on a gravel/sand base while the final option is to fasten them onto a concrete path with some form of adhesive. The third choice is great if you're wanting to give your garden a new look to an old path. Instead of removing that ghastly 1950's concrete path, provided it is still structurally sound, you could easily give it a face-lift with some mosaics or tessellated patterns.

Build a water feature or fountain

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Build a Gazebo from a Kit

2008-10-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

There is nothing nicer than when walking through a garden you stumble across a gazebo positioned intimately into a landscape. You are automatically drawn to entering it, taking a seat to relax and enjoy the surroundings benefiting from the respite of a tranquil setting.

There are different reasons gardeners and landscapers build gazebos. Some construct them for the protection they give to an area such as an outdoor spa. Others build them as a feature to their garden considering the main factor to be aesthetics. Whatever the reason and whatever the budget a gazebo is not out of reach of the average gardener.

We plan to build a gazebo within the next 2 years to cover the outdoor spa we also need to construct. However, it won't be built from a gazebo kit. I'm too much of a purist for that. No, it will come from my own design and tenacity.
But not everybody's as stupid as me.

Gazebo kits come in all different shapes and sizes (and budgets). The main materials used today are treated softwoods, hardwoods (although more expensive) and galvanized steel, wrought iron or aluminium.

A gazebo in kit form can be easily assembled by yourself or with the help of a friend and minimal tools. Depending on the size and ornateness of your gazebo it may only take a few hours to construct with a more elaborate kit taking perhaps a day or two to erect and install.

When shopping around for a gazebo kit there are a few questions you might need to ask yourself to help select the best option for you garden and lifestyle.

Wha's the purpose of installing a gazebo kit? Aesthetics? Shade? Somewhere to rest?
How big is the area where it will eventually be located?
How high can the gazebo be? Are there any factors that would limit the height - e.g. tree limbs, council regulations etc?
How much do I want to spend on a kit and would it be better for my lifestyle to have a tradesman build it instead?
Do I have the time, inclination and tenacity to install a gazebo kit myself?
What material is going to best suit our lifestyle? Wood will need repainting at least every 10 years while wrought iron, aluminium and galvanized metals won't need much maintenance

Once you've answered these questions you will be much more informed to make a wise decision in selecting a gazebo kit to install.