Gardening

Environmentally friendly gardens

Indigenous plants

You can create a sustainable garden using local (indigenous plants).  Attract native birds and animals to your garden and enhance our natural vegetation by planting indigenous grasses, rushes, lilies, trees and shrubs. Indigenous plants are adapted to local conditions because they have grown in the local area for thousands of years.

List of local nurseries

For more information and to obtain a copy of the Sustainable Gardening booklet(PDF, 9MB), contact our Natural Environmental team on 03 9747 7200.

Composting and mulching

You can create your own compost at home and utilise your food waste.  Sustainability Victoria has information on compost, it's benefits and how you can start your own.  Additionally, using mulch on your garden beds helps your garden retain moisture. Mulch along with other water-saving techniques can cut outdoor water use by up to 50%.

Growing your own vegetables

Vegetable growing has good impacts on our health and the environment. By growing your own food, you'll eliminate all packaging, plus the energy and emissions that are associated with transportation of food.  It is also an opportunity to save money on your groceries.

Raingardens

A raingarden resembles a regular garden except that it has a layer of sandy soil beneath. A residential raingarden is a garden that receives stormwater (rainwater) from hard surfaces such as a roof (via a downpipe) and paved areas. The raingarden is planted with a combination of native shrubs and grasses that filter the pollutants from stormwater (rainwater) that would otherwise flow to our rivers and creeks.

For more information visit Melbourne Water or contact our Environmental Services team on 03 9747 7200.