Catch and direct the wet season
Roof run-off and driveway water are resources, not nuisances. Directing them into planted areas and storage instead of into the street cuts irrigation demand later in the year.
- Grade beds to receive run-off
- Use gravel trenches and swales
- Tie tanks into the irrigation supply
Design for supply interruptions
Where municipal supply is intermittent, irrigation should run from tank or borehole with a controller that works around pump availability rather than a fixed municipal schedule.
Choose resilient structure planting
Indigenous and drought-tolerant species carry the garden through the dry months. Keep high-water feature planting small and close to the house where it earns its keep.