Want to maintain your garden in the drought? Here are some expert tips

Bathurst, and many other cities in the region, are already on water restrictions, and they are about to get tougher.

Next Monday, February 24, under the new restrictions, homeowners in Bathurst will be banned from using a hose, microspray system or other water-efficient irrigation systems.

Instead, gardens can only be watered using buckets or watering cans.

Watering times will also be varied, with watering allowed before 10am or after 4pm, on Wednesdays and Sundays only for 30 minutes of filling time. The 30 minutes will apply for the time it takes to fill buckets and watering cans.

Greywater which can be collected from showers, sinks and laundries can still be applied before 10am and after 4pm on any day.

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Leah Taylor from Riverside Nursery, said the heat, lack of rain and water restrictions had taken a toll on gardens across the city but said there are many options people can take if they want to maintain a garden.

She said there are many species of flowers, shrubs and other plants which are very hardy, and particularly suited to hot, dry conditions.

She said the nursery has a section with a wide range of plants which are ideal for the current climate, and many people had spoken to the staff about how they can maintain a garden while in a period of drought and while water restrictions are in place.

"When it comes to plants people are looking at I think they are looking to the future and longevity," she said.

She said salvias, a perennial that lay dominant in winter and come back in spring are especially popular in the current climate.

"They are a very hardy and still look great."

She said crepe myrtle was another option, as was any native plant, which are also very hardy in dry, hot conditions.

Ms Taylor said she also encourages people to consider things like a rockery garden, with a few succulents planted within it.

"I saw one on the weekend and it looked beautiful."

Another option for people was having indoor plants, which generally need less water and still make the house look amazing.

"They look beautiful, they purify the air, they have so many benefits," she said.

When it comes to watering, she encouraged people to use greywater when ever possible.

She also encouraged people to use mulch on the gardens, and said lucerne mulch is particularly beneficial, improving soil quality.