WATERWISE GARDENING
Gardens can use a significant amount of water; waterwise gardens are a great way to reduce water use and maintain sustainability.
Garden Design
Water Corporation has a number of articles on its website covering waterwise gardening, which can serve as a source of information and inspiration.
Lawns
Lawns can use a lot of water and should be avoided, unless it’s a size-appropriate patch of lawn that will be used regularly and enjoyed. Get tips for maintaining a healthy lawn here.
In cases where you have a lawn that is not being used, you can replace it with waterwise plants, groundcovers or mulch.
Verges
Verge landscaping requires approval from the Shire.
The Water Corporation has guidance on creating a waterwise verge here
Hydrozoning
Choose drought-resistant or native plants, and group plants with similar watering needs (hydrozoning).
Hydrozoning is the practice of clustering plants with similar water requirements to conserve water. Plants that need very little water can be grouped together, and higher water-using plants can be placed in a separate area. This makes for much more efficient watering and reduces water use.
Waterwise Plants
Local native species are a strong option, as West Australian plants are adapted to survive the dry conditions of our long summers, and the region's bountiful biodiversity offers a variety of species to suit any garden.
Be wary of native plants from the Eastern states. Although they require little water, they can escape gardens and become bushland weeds or fire hazards.
Find out more about Waterwise Plants, including species recommendations via the Water Corporation’s Website here
For a quick list of Waterwise Plants specifically suited to Northam, click here.
Wicking Beds
A wicking garden bed is a self-watering raised garden bed with a built-in water reservoir at the bottom, using capillary action (wicking) to draw water up into the soil, providing consistent moisture directly to plant roots, which reduces watering frequency, conserves water, and promotes healthier growth.
Wicking beds are a great garden design choice for our Northam climate. You can find details of how to make, or buy, a wicking garden bed via the internet.
Soil Improvements
Soil improvement makes a significant difference: adding clay and organic matter improves soil structure, helping it retain water and nutrients.
When planting new plants, add organic matter to the planting hole, mix it into the soil, and water thoroughly. The organic matter feeds the plant and promotes healthy soil life (microbes and worms) that support the plant’s health. It also helps improve soil structure, so it distributes and holds water more effectively. The rule of thumb is to add an amount of organic matter to the planting hole equivalent to the amount of potting mix in the plant pot.
Adding commercial soil wetting agents can also help soils absorb water and reach plant roots. Both sandy and clay soils will benefit from adding organic matter.
Visit the Water Corporation website for information on improving your soil
Mulch
Apply 5-10cm of mulch to your garden to improve the soil. Applying mulch to your garden will not only reduce evaporation but also add nutrients to the soil and reduce weed growth.
You can shred your own garden pruning’s, get free mulch from the Shire’s two landfill facilities, or order mulch from local tree loppers.
Please note that if using wood chips for mulch, it’s important to source locally due to the biosecurity risk of spreading the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer to our region from infected areas within Perth and the surrounds.
Watering
You can help your plants by watering when it matters most – at the right time, in the right amount, and only when needed.
Reticulation
Watering Days
The Water Corporation has implemented water restrictions for using reticulation, for both scheme and bore water, and allocates certain days for watering based on your street number and postcode.
Check your watering days here.
Watering Times and Amounts
Watering should be done early morning (before 9 am) or after 6 pm on your rostered watering days. Watering in the morning is best, as cooler temperatures reduce evaporation and allow plants to use water throughout the day when they need it most.
Your garden and lawn need only 10mm of water twice a week in summer to stay healthy. This amount of water is ideal for filtering down to most plants' feeding roots.
Watering beyond this point doesn’t provide your plants with any additional benefit. Overwatering can cause leaching of vital nutrients from the soil.
Sprinkler Types and Run Times
Different sprinklers operate at different rates and therefore require different run times to avoid overwatering.
You can find a summary of sprinkler times and suggested run times by visiting Water Corporation’s website here.
Irrigation systems should always be turned off when it’s raining. Switch your controller to ‘off’, select the ‘rain’ option, or press ‘snooze’. Some models have gutter-mounted rain sensors that will turn the water off for you automatically if you’re away or if it rains overnight.
Winter
Reticulation should be turned off during winter and used only in drier months to water the garden. Water Corporation encourages a ‘winter sprinkler switch-off’ from 1st June until 31st August each year, for both businesses and households. Although the Shire of Northam is not included in the designated area for this scheme, it’s a good date range to aim for annually.
Find more tips for preparing your garden for winter here.
Hand Water
You can hand water any day of the week, preferably before 9 am. Using a watering can or handheld hose (1 outlet) with a nozzle is the most efficient way to hit the root zone and target specific plants that need water more than others. It also helps to avoid overwatering.
Learn more hand watering tips.
Olla
An olla (pronounced "oya") is a porous, unglazed terracotta pot used for subsurface irrigation, a method dating back thousands of years where the pot is buried in soil and filled with water, allowing it to slowly seep out to plant roots, conserving water and promoting deep root growth by delivering moisture directly where needed.
You can find details on how to make or buy ollas online.
Swales - Stormwater Recharge
Stormwater is surface runoff from rainfall events. When stormwater is slowed and allowed to soak into the ground where it falls, it helps recharge underground aquifers and supports healthier soils.
Swales are shallow, vegetated channels or depressions in the ground designed to slow, spread and absorb stormwater runoff. They reduce erosion, filter pollutants and help hydrate surrounding soils.
Updated 05.02.2026