I bought water wise plants

Monday, 21 June 2010

A big part of the fight against climate change is the planting of gardens and forrests to offset carbon emissions caused by modern transport and industrial operations. Hence this week’s leg of My Green Journey took me down to the local nursery, where I found out that not all gardens are as green as they could be.

Many suburban gardens are filled with plants which are exquisite, but which require a lot of water. At the nursery Patrick, a strapping young lad with impressive plant knowledge, informed me that by filling your garden with water wise species you can reduce the amount of water you use in your garden by at least half.

At first I was sceptical because when I think ‘minimal water usage’ I think of rock gardens with thorny and unattractive cacti which are a bit harsh for my taste, much like this (photo courtesy of ‘Between a Rock’ on Flickr):

But, as Patrick enlightened me, mine is a common yet inaccurate perception as there are numerous plant species that can beautify your garden without sending your water bill through the roof.

Here in South Africa, and particularly the Western Cape, indigenous plants are the obvious choice as they are biologically designed for our climate and soil conditions. These are a few of my favourite water wise plants which I’ll be adding to my own garden:

The Cape Daisy (also called the Trailing Daisy or the Berg Bietou)

These South African plants are very similar to the traditional daisies pictured above. I love the simplicity of the flowers and the fact that they are perennial. They also come in hybrid form, in a stunning variety of colours like purple, pink, wine red and terracotta. I’m told that they flower predominantly from autumn to late spring and that they are resilient and low maintenance. An added bonus is that they are also very attractive to butterflies.

The Moss Rose (also called Portulana Vygie or Purslane)

I really am a sucker for bright colours so this little annual succulent caught my eye immediately. The moss rose comes with few pest problems and is ideally suited to the winter rainfall regions of South Africa. I also appreciate the name of the plant and I now consider it a suitable African alternative to the traditional English rose which, as Patrick informed me to my dismay, is unfortunately not so great in terms of water efficiency.

The Agapantha (or Agapanthus Africanus)

These evergreens bear their trademark umbrella-like flowers in Summer and thrive on neglect – the perfect choice for rookie gardeners such as myself. They come in a range of heights and shades and I was excited to learn that there is a white variety which is nice and different from the lilac and blue that commonly appear in South African gardens.

Those are just three of the water wise species I discovered this weekend. There are loads more and your local nursery will be able to tell you which are best suited to your specific area.

Being conservative with water doesn’t mean having to forego a luscious flowery garden – if you’re a seasoned water wise gardener leave a comment and tell us what’s worked best for you!