Waiting for Rain

29 April, 2024

We visited my Mum and Dad, (a few hours drive from ours) on the weekend and the lack of rain was much more evident than from just a few months ago.  The bushland now showing signs of severe stress. Trees and shrubs pulling back their lifeforce to the centre of their being, sacrificing their outer branches to ensure their survival.  This being the driest period on record in the southwest of WA.

Walking over the land I notice signs of life, hidden amongst the dry.  Patches of green scattered beneath the trees, little birds playing in the tree canopies above me and a few tiny wildflowers that continue to shine, despite the harsh conditions.  In the undergrowth, the hardy perennial shrubs, grasses and reeds provide habitat & protection for frogs, insects and other wildlife.  

There is a stillness to the land that is palpable, as if all energy is being conserved, waiting for the rains.

At times like this, it reinforces the value of water and the importance of finding ways to conserve our usage, as well as implement practices to catch & store water.  

Practices such as -

• Installing rainwater tanks to catch water off our roofs (even on a small scale),

• Installing grey water systems,

• Using wood chips in pathways to catch and store moisture,

• Mulching our gardens to help reduce evaporation and retain moisture and adding organic matter to improve soil structure and increase the water holding capacity of the soil; and   

• Planting trees and perennial shrubs as they play an important role in any garden landscape, creating shade to reduce water evaporation, as well as capture moisture at their root zone, providing support to the surrounding plants and organisms.  

All these little practices are just some ways we can collectively help to conserve our valuable water resource.

Til next time,

Alisa 🌾