Dry garden on show

With water prices rising and summers getting drier it may be time for Central Otago residents to re-think their traditional lawn and gardens. A dry garden is one way to reduce water use and cut household costs long-term.

Otago Polytechnic’s Bannockburn campus is having an open day next week to show off an 18-month-old dry gravel garden.

On Wednesday horticulture lecturer Bruce Thurlow will offer a tour of the 46mx10m garden, designed specifically for Central Otago conditions.

It was packed with dry-thriving, low-water plants that prove constant irrigation is not necessary to have a stunning garden, Mr Thurlow said.

On Wednesday the day will offer a free dry garden tour. From 10am Mr Thurlow would talk about how the garden was built, what worked, what didn’t and what was next.

There would also be mature flowering plants grown in the polytech’s nursery and authority advice on replacing water-hungry lawns with resilient, climate-smart planting.