An experts guide for preventing flood damage to houses & gardens | Discovery | Gardening Australia скачать в хорошем качестве

An experts guide for preventing flood damage to houses & gardens | Discovery | Gardening Australia

Devastating floods in Queensland and NSW left many asking how we can better prepare ourselves in the face of a climate that’s becoming more extreme and unpredictable. This extends to where we choose to live, how we build our homes, and also how we garden. Subscribe 🔔 http://ab.co/GA-subscribe Sam Bowstead is an architect who’s built his practice on helping people design buildings that are more resilient to floods. THE HOUSE: Sam and his siblings bought a classic Queenslander in Wilston, an area with a higher flood risk, and compounded by the fact they’re adjacent to a creek. The 2022 floods saw water to a depth of 2 metres go through the lower part of the house, garden and property The home was “95% fine” and Sam and his siblings were able to move back in the next day, with power restored within a week. This was thanks largely to the renovations Sam had made to the house explicitly to prevent flood damage. The changes Sam made to the house were straightforward: The entire house was raised by 1.5 metres, to sit the living space well above the predicted 2 metre level of severe floodwaters Downstairs was retained as a utility space only, holding a garage and a laundry A polished concrete floor was laid downstairs, for ease of cleaning silt and floodwater “Single skin” walls (with no cavities) were installed downstairs, made out of water-resistant marine ply. Other materials used were selected for water resistance THE GARDEN: Of course, a home isn’t just a house-it’s a garden as well. The property holds a front and rear garden. The front garden was cleared to make room for the renovations, and the rear contains established plantings from the previous owner (mostly palms). The flood not only impacted the house, it impacted the garden. Spearheading the gardening efforts at the property is Peter, Sam’s brother. After they were able to get back onto the property, Peter turned his attention to garden triage. The steps he took were simple but were able to get the garden back on track. Many of the mature plants at the rear of the property survived the deluge, largely because they were tall enough to hold foliage above the water level. However, silt deposited on leaves below the waterline can block sunlight, preventing them from growing. As soon as he could, Peter washed this silt off with clean water from a pressure washer, to allow the plants to continue to photosynthesize. Waterlogged soils can become acidic. To remedy this, Peter applies a handful of lime per square metre on the surface. Compost is also applied to help restart the life in the circle. Before restarting any gardening, Peter sent samples of the soil off to be tested for contaminants. Flood waters can contain chemical and biological contaminants (like sewerage), and so by testing Peter was sure there wasn’t anything nasty brought in by the water still lurking in the soil. Since the flood, Peter has noticed the topsoil has changed and has become far more sandy due to deposits from the floodwater. Digging down to a depth of 400mm reveals a waterlogged, sloppy clay that is still retaining a large amount of water. Peter says engineers classify this as “problem soil” for its inability to hold loads, so any future plantings will need to have non-invasive root systems and not grow into large trees, to avoid them toppling over in the unpredictable soil. The force and velocity of floods mean that any exposed top soil is stripped away into stormwater systems, exposing roots and destabilising plants. Prior to the floods, Peter had laid down turf, and when he was able to return to the property noticed it was successful in stabilising the soil and preventing runoff. JERRY’S ADVICE: Since the floods Peter has put in a few things he thinks will do well in the garden. They’re deliberately avoiding edibles because of concerns about ongoing soil contamination appearing over the future. Jerry has brought a long a few plants he thinks may work in the conditions, including: Brisbane lily Proiphys cunninghamii Crinum pendunculatum var asiaticum Banksia robur, the Swamp Banksia Lemongrass ___________________________________________ Gardening Australia is an ABC TV program providing gardening know-how and inspiration. Presented by Australia's leading horticultural experts, Gardening Australia is a valuable resource to all gardeners through the television program, the magazine, books, DVDs and extensive online content. Watch more: http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/gard... Facebook:   / gardeningaustralia   Instagram:   / gardeningaustralia   Web: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening ___________________________________________ This is an official Australian Broadcasting Corporation YouTube channel. Contributions may be removed if they violate ABC's Online Conditions of Use http://www.abc.net.au/conditions.htm (Section 3).