JNF Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens
The Water Wise garden at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens (WSNBG) is the newest addition to the Water Wise gardens developed. This is a collaboration between Rand Water and WSNBG. The Garden was officially launched in March 2011 and is designed to demonstrate different hydro zones to ensure optimum water usage. The approach of hydro zoning allows the gardener to have areas for high water usage, medium water usage, low water usage and no water usage zones thereby enabling a saving on the total volume of water applied to the garden.
Collection of roof water
As South Africa is a water scarce country, water is a precious resource that needs to be conserved and not wasted. This is demonstrated by the water tank connected to the gazebo which collects rainwater from the roof through downward pipes into the high water usage zone of the garden. The lawn area demonstrated in this garden is a practical example of a stylish Water Wise garden with a reduced lawn area and also demonstrates the practical use of permeable surfaces by using gravel and low water usage groundcovers. Did you know collecting water from a 20mm rain storm off a 5m x5m roof will give you 500l of water.
Indigenous plants
The water wise garden is set in an indigenous landscaped garden and as a result all plants use are indigenous to South Africa. This garden provides some really great examples of indigenous plants that can be used in Highveld gardens.
This garden demonstrates practical ideas that can be implemented at your own garden.
Mamelodi Teachers Centre
Serapeng Street
Mamelodi