During January we upgraded the Eco Garden’s irrigation system with a high-tech solution that further minimises the use of water in the garden. The system which is run by an app installed on a phone contains several water-saving features.

Firstly, it draws its water from our series of rainwater tanks that collect rain from the roof of the Eco House and will only switch automatically to town water if these tanks are empty.

The technology around the watering itself is also impressive. The garden is divided into 9 separate zones and the watering schedules are set to accommodate the needs of each zone. For example, watering more frequently for shorter periods in our nurseries.  But before that even happens, a sensor high above the garden picks up current conditions and if sufficient rainfall has occurred, will not start the scheduled watering. We even are hooked up to weather forecasting which can anticipate rain and hold off on scheduled waterings. All of this is powered by our solar system installed on the Eco House roof.

Our Eco House and Garden is full of tips and examples of how to live more sustainably and our new automatic irrigation system is another example of things you can do to reduce your environmental footprint at home or at work. Visitors are welcome to visit the Eco Garden during our site opening hours, or for a more formal introduction to sustainable living, try one of our regular workshops. Upcoming workshops are included in this newsletter or can be viewed on our website.