Over the past decade, Melbourne has seen a gradual shift to lower than average summer rainfall and higher temperatures. Melbourne’s long term average rainfall figures would normally be sufficient to sustain a water efficient Earthculture Landscape. However, as the graph below indicates, in our current climate we cannot rely on the summer rains for watering our gardens or for regular top ups of low capacity water tanks. It has become evident that the more water in your tank as summer approaches, the more capable you are in maintaining your garden during dry, hot spells that are occurring more regularly.

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For this reason Earthculture has adopted an even stronger methodology of responsible water-wise landscaping with the ultimate aim for our clients to have their own Self sufficient garden. Our constant research of up-to-date and evolving water efficiency techniques allows our clients to make an informed decision based on our knowledge.

Water Tank Installation
In today's age of water restrictions it is essential that Melburnians do not rely on mains water to sustain their gardens. The perception of water tanks placed within a garden has changed. It has even been our experience that people in the street compete for the biggest water tank!! We have a constant supply and solid relationships with many tank manufacturers throughout Australia. We have successfully installed tanks as small as 1,000 litres up to 30,000 litres designed to sustain large lawn areas. Water tanks are incorporated into the design of the landscape so therefore we source tanks of many shapes, size and colours, including discreet under deck/house bladders.

Irrigation Design
As every house is different, every irrigation system is designed based on the unique catchment area and irrigation requirements of each property. There are many things to consider in the design of an irrigation system such as individual plant water requirements, soil type, annual rainfall, garden area, lawn area and personal usage. We are passionate about saving water and will advise to the most appropriate and efficient use of your tank or grey water supply.

Grey Water Recycling
The use of grey water recycling is often determined by the plumbing design in most old or renovated houses. For this reason it is not always the most cost-efficient solution. However with many different methods of recycling water, there is usually a solution for everyone. This all changes when we are designing our water recycling system for new or appropriately renovated properties as the recycling system can be considered in the plumbing design of the house. Which ever your situation, we will work hard to develop an appropriate solution for each of our clients' independant needs.

Native Gardens
The most important thing to consider when designing a water-efficient garden is to use water-efficient plants. For this reason and many others, such as, providing habitats and food sources for native birds and animals, Earthculture, encourages the use of Native Australian plants when and where appropriate. It is not to everyone's taste, however, Native plant cultivation has come along way in recent years. Nolonger do native gardens need to look scrappy and dry. Countless research hours have been invested to enable us to provide you with the horticultural knowledge required to build a sustainable water-wise garden. Your garden will be greener than your neighbours.