10 STEPS TO A MORE ECO-FRIENDLY BACKYARD

1 Choose drought tolerant grasses that stay looking good with less watering.

2 Choose slower growing grasses that need less mowing.

3 Consider an electric or push mower if your lawn area is small.

4 Raise the blades. Mowing too low reduces the drought tolerance of a lawn and promotes weed growth.

5 Harvest rainwater and use grey water on your lawn.

6 Use controlled-release fertilisers and feed lawns little and often to avoid wasted nitrogen leaching into waterways.

7 Remove weeds by hand before they go to seed.

8 Plant shade loving ground covers under trees and in other shady places where lawn doesn’t grow well.

9 Consider other planting options for slopes and other places where lawn is more time consuming than useful. Make good use of ground hugging plants that stay flat without mowing.

10 Use paving for the most trodden areas of the garden.