Having a well kept garden full of Australia’s beautiful indigenous plants are a necessity for all those who love the Australian bush. However, it’s vitally important you understand the dangers your garden could bring to your home in the event of a bushfire. Homes are lost in bushfires when embers carried by the wind from the fire land on or near the house and ignite flammable objects nearby. That’s why it’s always a good idea to make sure your gardens and other vegetation around the home aren’t going to burn your home down! Here’s three easy tips to check if your garden is bushfire safe!
1. Trees and plants that drop a lot of leaf litter should not come in to contact with your home. If they fall close to your home – they should be regularly raked and removed. Leaf litter left unattended will ignite to an ember and be carried by the wind towards your home.
2. Ladders and creepers are a beautiful way to make your home look more integrated with nature. But they’re also very dangerous in a bushfire. Essentially, they provide an abundance of fuel for the fire right where you don’t want a fire to be.
3. Continuous lines of plants and gardens that stretch from areas that are more susceptible to fire (the bush) should be broken up. They will literally act as a fuze between your home and the bushfire.
4. Make sure your any grass lawns around the home are kept below 5 centimetres in length. Dry, long grass can easily ignite and spread fire around the home.
5. Although mulch is a great way to improve the quality of the soil, improve water efficiency and keep plants cool and moist in summer, it can also be very flammable when it dries out. There are plenty of other just as good alternatives that you could replace your mulch with. Gravel, scoria, pebbles, shells and recycled crushed bricks come in a variety of colours and shapes, so finding one that suits your garden should be easy!
Stay tuned for part 2 and some great tips to build a beautiful bushfire safe garden.
Leave a comment below with any questions, I would love to hear them!
Ignite Change 2014 