Maintaining Your Garden In A Drought

Northland has officially been declared a drought area and the farmers in the east of the North Island are really suffering due to this dry weather we have been experiencing. And what about our gardens?

Planning ahead for the hot summer months is great. You can select the best plants and species to deal with the heat, you can make sure that your greenhouse is prepared and your water butt is full. But what if you simply don’t have time and didn’t even see the summer coming?

New Zealand weather can be pretty unpredictable so if you didn’t have the chance to prep your garden for the hotter weather, don’t panic! You can still make sure your beautiful garden doesn’t turn dry and brown this season and keep it looking its best with these handy tips.

• Cut the lawn less than normal to give it a chance to grow and put the sprinkler on it in the evening. This way, the water won’t evaporate in the heat of the day, saving you water and giving your grass a proper drink.


• Investing and installing a water butt will save you a lot of water in the long run. You can then use the water stored for your garden when conserving water during the summer is a must.


• Mulch is vital! This great gardening must stops so much liquid evaporating from the soil into the air. It also helps stop weeds growing: these little nasties will suck all the water and nutrients from your precious plants during the hot summer months.


• If you have terracotta pots, use a plastic lining in them or paint them with a waterproof product. This stops the water evaporating out the sides of the pot as terracotta is a porous material. Or you can opt to use plastic pots for your potted plants.