Episode: 9
Title: Waterwise Verge Makeover PT 2
Broadcast: Sunday January 8th 2017
Presenter: Faye Arcaro, Emma Britten-Jones and Trevor Cochrane

We join the Gurus in their part two mission to transform Perth’s verges, one garden at a time. Emma, Faye and Trevor prepare the soil and plants to complete this beautiful water wise wild flower garden.

• The soil has been applied to the verge garden bed with the Soilsolver clay products, and you can see how the soil is absorbing the water instead of in its previous state where the water just runs off- the enriched clay soil absorbs and holds the water for your plants.

• Our selection of plants includes some West Aussie favorites and wild flowers, Erigeron karvinskianus or commonly known as sea side daises and Lechenaultia which you will find growing in the bush lands in WA’s South West. Plants endemic to South Africa offer wonderful colour and contrast, which grow well here, as we are another place that gets very little summer rainfall.

• We’ve introduced a few low growing plants and also some slightly taller species like strappy leaf native grasses, which will add diversity and keep the landscape interesting. Kangaroo paws; a truly West Aussie beauty will do the same but add some colour and attract local fauna. We’ve also added some colour variation in the form of silver foliage, their leaves will reflect the suns rays and the small plant hairs will combat the drying effects of wind, often if a plants leaves are silver- it means its water wise.

• Convolvuluses are an excellent choice as living mulch their matt spreading nature will suppress weeds, minimizing evaporation saving water.

• To give plants the best start we have added Seasol planting gel to the planting hole before placing in the plant, the crystals absorb moisture that pass below the roots causing them to expand and retain water for longer supplying this moisture to the roots, this is clever gardening for dry climates.

• A layer of chunky much helps retain water in the soil by reducing evaporation this step is easy but vitally important in creating a water wise garden helping it survive without irrigation.

The Garden Gurus
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