The Urban Patch

It might still be spring (just!), but the temps are already creeping up…this lead up to summer in Australia’s cities is a bit like a cranky toddler – hot, unpredictable, and prone to tantrums. One week it’s rain, the next it’s 35°C and everything in the garden is begging for a drink. If you’re trying to keep your urban patch alive without watching your water bill go up in smoke, here are a few water-saving hacks I use. No complicated systems, no digging up pipes – just everyday little tricks that make the difference between wilted and happy basil.

1. Give your veggie rinse water a second life

Instead of tipping the water from washing carrots, herbs or leafy greens down the sink, carry it out to your garden. This water is perfectly safe for your plants and means less waste. If a bit of soil comes off the veg, that goes straight back where it belongs – into the garden. As I’m lazy, I’ve taken this hack to the next level and use a colander and basin basket combo to collect my produce in, then wash it in there with the garden hose. Then, I lift out the colander and re-use the water from the basin basket straight back into the garden!

2. Reuse cooking water in the garden

Boiled up some spaghetti, broccoli or a mountain of potatoes? Once the water has cooled, your plants will lap it up. It’s full of starch and trace nutrients, which is basically plant Gatorade. Just remember: no added salt! Salty water will harm your plants and soil.

3. Collect the “waiting for hot water” trickle

We all know that awkward wait for the shower or sink to finally warm up. In summer, letting all that clean water run away feels like a crime. Keep a bucket handy, and you’ll always have a stash ready for the morning or evening garden round – which, by the way, are the best times to water in summer before the afternoon heat (cool roots, less evaporation, no sunburnt leaves).

4. Put leftover ice cubes to work

Those sad little ice cubes abandoned in the bottom of your drink? Toss them into a pot plant. They’ll melt slowly, giving the soil a gentle drink. On really hot days, it’s like leaving a cool drink out for your plants.

5. Recycle pet water bowls

Odie has a habit of looking very offended at his day-old water in summer. Instead of tipping it out, I pour it into the nearest pot. He gets a fresh bowl, my plants gets a top-up. Everyone wins.

Why these hacks matter in an Australian summer

Urban gardens cop it hard in the heat – pots dry out in a flash, raised beds crack, and herbs bolt before you can blink. Using little bits of everyday water:

• Helps plants survive heatwaves without drowning your water bill
• Cuts back on waste (every drop counts in summer)
• Keeps your patch greener and happier through the dry spells

💡My Urban Patch Take

When it’s hot, water-saving isn’t about fancy greywater systems. It’s about noticing those little dribbles – the veggie rinse, the pasta pot, the ice cubes – and putting them to work. It’s oddly satisfying to know last night’s spaghetti water is helping your mint make it through another scorcher!