Drought Insurance

This week we insured against the likelihood of a complete garden watering ban (Stage 4 water restrictions) by installing 8000L of rainwater storage. I am very excited about the prospect of being able to water the garden whenever it needs it rather than the current 6-8am on Wednesdays and Saturdays, only by hand (no sprinklers). I also suddenly feel more in touch with the local climate, and suspect I will be more aware of ways to save water around the garden. My garden to-do list now includes:

• Further enrich beds with organic matter
• Mulch, mulch, mulch (still deciding on which mulch to use...)
• Install dripper irrigation and timer switches (I feel a future post coming on)
• Aerate the lawns with a garden fork

I know having water-thirsty lawns in a dry climate is a contentious issue, and watering them even more so. The previous summers we've let our lawns turn brown and dusty, but this year we are hoping that by using our own water supplies (rain water and grey water) we may be able to have a decadently green patch for the boys to run around on.

So now, let it rain!!