3 Ways Your Garden Can Save Your Home From a Bushfire

Australians love a good garden, and why not, they’re often a wonderful reminder of the raw beauty of nature in an sometimes overwhelming urban backdrop. For those of us who live in or close to the bush it’s no different. There’s something strangely beautiful about a well-kept garden full of colours and extravagant plants in front of a wild and untamed Australian bush. As I’m sure we’re all aware and have seen too often, the Australian bush truly is an unbelievable, unpredictable and wild place at times – particularly in the summer! Understanding and reducing the risk (through landscaping) your garden poses to your home could ultimately be the difference its survival during a bushfire. Strategically designed gardens can actually help protect your home from a bushfire attack.

So here are 3 ways your garden can save your home from a bushfire!

1. Break Up Fuel Continuity

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) state that one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of fire within a garden is “to create separation between, plants, garden beds and tree canopies”. If plants, garden beds and trees are in close proximity to each other, the more fuel the fire has to burn and therefore the more likely it is to spread and grow in size. If there is a continuous line of vegetation leading up to and around your home, there is a very good chance the fire will spread to your house. There’s a few simple ways you can break up your garden continuity:

• Separating groups/beds of plants with low fuel areas like grass, gravel or mulch pathways.
• Pruning branches to a minimum of 2 metres above the ground.
• Locating shrubs or other flammable objects away from trees.

A good example of a localised garden bed with a grassed area surrounding

2. Place/Maintain Strategic Trees

Contrary to popular belief – trees can actually be useful in a fire. Of course this is only if they’re located a safe distance from the home, so if they fall they do not come into contact with any flammable objects close to your home. Strategically placed trees can act as a windbreak, absorb radiant heat, and catch incoming fire embers. This isn’t a foolproof strategy however, as the trees need to be meticulously maintained and particular species with no loose bark required. Of course, one can not simply plant a tree in time for this year’s bushfire season, or the next fifteen for that matter, so maintaining already existing trees may be your only short-term option. I should stress that if you’re considering this option, there are a lot of variables to take into account – so click here for more information.

Species like stringy bark can be dangerous as they drop a lot of flammable material

3. Clear Flammable Objects Within 10m of the Home

This is an easy one. Having your gardens within such a close proximity the home is an absolute no-no. To keep your home close to nature, try using moveable pot-plants that can easily be relocated during the summer months. Make sure the pots are non-combustible materials too. Apply your common knowledge to what could ignite close to your home. Doormats are usually highly combustible and will go up very easily if an ember comes into contact with them. Firewood stocks should also be kept at a significant distance away from the home, for obvious reasons. Don’t forget about gas tanks in the BBQ or outdoor furniture!

Pot-plants are easy to move in the summer

5 Quick and Easy Bushfire Prep Tips

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!