Gardening and water saving tips

Its official - South Australia has had the longest hot spell (over 35C) on record. This is the kind of weather that makes you just want to sit inside in front of the airconditioner all day and pretend your garden doesn't exist.

If you have a storage based hot water service, either installed inside or outside, you'll find it has a relief valve on the side that vents water as the service heats up and the water inside expands.

You really can't say many bad things about mulch. It's amazing stuff - a layer of something that you put over the soil to keep the moisture in, which means you don't need to water your garden as often and your plants won't be as stressed.

I live in South Australia, often referred to as the driest state on the driest continent. While this is true, the populated areas of SA aren't exactly the Sahara desert, and it does rain here. To save water and get around the current water restrictions in force, a very sensible thing to do is to install a rainwater tank or two to water your garden with.

Here's a tip that will keep your plants in better condition by giving them water slowly in a sustained manner over a few hours - or even days.