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Lisa Roberts

9 Things You Need to Know About Hardy and Resilient, Water Wise, Easy Care, Environmentally Sensitive Landscapes

  • Climate and lifestyle changes have brought about new ways of thinking about and planning our gardens.  Water wise, easy care gardens are experiencing a growing appeal for both their contemporary and stylish appearance and their ability to cope with increasingly extreme environmental conditions, smaller living spaces and a busy modern lifestyle.
  • Global warming is now an acknowledged fact, and with the advent of drought, water restrictions and the increasing trend towards higher temperatures and more fires, water conservation and the ability for plants to withstand harsh conditions is essential.  Match this with the time constraints of a busy modern life and maintenance requirements are often neglected
  • With less reliable rainfall patterns and a reduction in the availability of public water supply, there has come a distinctive shift in public awareness that acknowledges the necessity to use plants that are able to cope with our climatic conditions.  There has been a push to find better ways of conserving, storing and re-using water in the garden, and to more economical watering systems that target water where it is needed. We understand that organic mulches assist in reduction of water evaporation and weed suppression.


  • We’ve arrived at a new style of gardening that creates a distinctive, Australian style of garden using our indigenous plants. Using plants that belong where we live not only helps conserve our ecological resources, it gives our gardens a sense of place. Thanks to the extraordinary diversity of stunning native plants, we can interpret any garden style from formal to cottage garden, tropical to contemporary minimalist.  This new Australian outdoor space also reflects our love of outdoor living, with outdoor kitchens or cooking, dining and entertaining areas becoming common in most designs.
  • Improved planning and design of outdoor spaces has significantly reduced maintenance requirements and so saves water and resources.  A better understanding of user and lifestyle needs means gardens are designed around our busy lifestyles and the times that people are available to enjoy their spaces.
  • Garden and landscape designs that conserve water are often referred to as ‘Xeriscapes’, pronounced ‘zerry scape’.  This is a term derived from the Greek word ‘xeros’ meaning dry and from the word landscape, to form a new term for water conserving gardens
  • A water wise, easy care garden is easy to create and has numerous benefits.  Not only does it save water and resources but it also saves time and money on maintenance (with fewer weeds and less fertiliser and pesticide use).  By incorporating smaller, drought tolerant lawn areas with improved soils, effective use of mulching and an efficient drip irrigation system, water wise gardens are less work than conventional gardens.
  • A water wise garden doesn’t mean a desert garden, nor does it have to mean a lawn free garden - you can have a lush green drought tolerant lawn and healthy abundant vegetation.  A water wise garden uses efficient watering practices which means taking advantage of rainwater, recycled water, greywater and reducing reliance on mains water.
  • There are numerous things you can do when planning, planting, reinstating and maintaining your garden, all of which will reduce your reliance on mains water, benefit the environment and make your garden healthy and pest free.   Blending protecting tree canopies or shade structures with outdoor living areas, low water use plants, space for food production and clever water storage solutions are the way of the future.  Following the principles of water wise, easy care gardening in a water sensitive design, you’ll create a beautiful garden environment that will require minimal water and maintenance and be sustained in the long run.  Design cleverly for permanent sustainability.