With summer just around the corner, keen gardeners gathered at Nutrien Water in Busselton for a workshop on designing and maintaining gardens that can survive our harsh conditions and thrive in sandy soils. The event brought together local experts and passionate gardeners to share valuable knowledge on best-practice irrigation and sustainable gardening techniques. The workshop was well-attended, with community members eager to learn how to prepare their gardens for the challenges of a long, hot summer.
One of the key sessions was led by irrigation expert Mark Jury from Nutrien Water, who demonstrated the most effective irrigation techniques. Participants learned how to set up irrigation systems that help gardens withstand extreme heat while maximising water efficiency.
“Understanding the pressure and flow rate available from your garden tap is the first step to designing an efficient irrigation system. Then you need to design a system that matches the water available with the correct sprinklers and emitters, that’s where we come in. Different types of emitters can have very different flow rates, so the design is important to ensure that all areas of your garden receive enough water without wasting it,” said Mark.
Another highlight came from EcoGrowth representative Gary Pott, who offered practical tips on saving water and applying fertilisers to ensure plant health without unnecessary waste and runoff into the local catchment. Attendees were also introduced to the fascinating world of native plants and how they have evolved to reduce water loss. Bay OK Gardens Project Officer Lisa Massey inspired participants to consider incorporating native plants into their gardens.
“Our local native plants have adapted to survive and thrive in our sandy soils with very little nutrients. For example, some of our eucalypt trees will curl their leaves and turn them away from the sun to avoid water loss in the heat of the day. Others, like the Allocasuarina (sheoak), have needle-like green branchlets to minimise surface area”, said Lisa.
Additionally, the workshop covered the six Bay OK gardening principles, guiding participants through the process of turning sandy soil into fertile ground, a key step in creating a thriving garden in challenging conditions.
Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with many commenting that they were now ready to tackle their gardens with some new knowledge. Anna Hall, from Broadwater, has been redesigning her garden and was looking for some inspiration and advice on how to make it as low-maintenance as possible. “To create a vibrant native garden, I realised I need to work on my soil first. Unless you create healthy soil, you’re fighting an uphill battle,” said Anna.
For more Bay OK gardening tips, visit geocatch.asn.au. This event was delivered by GeoCatch as part of Bay OK Gardens with support from Busselton Nutrien Water, Eco Growth, Busselton Water, Busselton Bunnings and Irrigation Australia.
Photo 1: Lisa Massey (GeoCatch), Mark Jury (Nutrien Water) and Gary Pott (EcoGrowth) with workshop participants.
Photo 2: Mark Jury from Nutrien Water demonstrating different sprinklers
