How Do I... Fireproof My Outdoor Area in 8 Easy Steps?
Bushfire season is upon us – keep your garden and home safe with these eight hot tips from a landscaping expert
Georgia Madden
30 November 2019
Senior writer, Houzz Australia
In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning home and garden questions. Here, Matt Leacy, a landscape designer, co-founder of Landart Landscapes, and landscape expert for Network 10’s TV series The Living Room, reveals the essential safety precautions to take around your garden this bushfire season.
Bushfires are a fact of life here in Australia. While it’s not possible to entirely fireproof your home and garden, there are steps you can take to mitigate the fire risk. Here’s how:
1. Maintain your garden
Tidying up your garden and trimming back trees and foliage are two of the most important fireproofing steps you can take. Focus on:
Need help with your garden? Find a landscaping contractor or gardener near you on Houzz
Tidying up your garden and trimming back trees and foliage are two of the most important fireproofing steps you can take. Focus on:
- Removing all old, dry leaves that have fallen over the cooler months.
- Cutting away dead branches.
- Trimming back any overhanging trees and plants.
- Cleaning guttering, especially if your house is surrounded by large trees that drop lots of leaves.
- Also, consider installing some fire irrigation on your roof or some extra hose points. If a fire borders your property, being able to wet down your house and put out spot fires created by embers from multiple angles can make a critical difference.
Need help with your garden? Find a landscaping contractor or gardener near you on Houzz
2. Get plant-savvy
No plant is completely fireproof, but some are less flammable than others. So it pays to have even a basic knowledge of what’s growing in your garden – and how much of a fire danger each plant poses.
No plant is completely fireproof, but some are less flammable than others. So it pays to have even a basic knowledge of what’s growing in your garden – and how much of a fire danger each plant poses.
- Trees that are known to ignite quickly (or even explode) include tea tree, cyprus, pines, eucalypts and various other natives.
- If you have a well-established eucalyptus tree in your garden (which might also be home to local wild life) you probably won’t want to remove it. But you can make it safer and reduce the fire risk it poses by pruning it back (especially any dead branches) and clearing the area around the trunk.
- Be sure to check with your local council as to how much of a tree you can remove each year.
- If you can’t identify all the trees and plants in your garden, consider engaging a professional to help you.
3. Choose less-flammable greenery
If you’re planting new varieties in your garden, seek out ones with a higher moisture content. Generally speaking, fire-retardant plants will have large, thick leaves rather than fine, hard ones.
If you’re planting new varieties in your garden, seek out ones with a higher moisture content. Generally speaking, fire-retardant plants will have large, thick leaves rather than fine, hard ones.
- Some less-flammable species to consider include saltbush, lavender, hydrangea, white cedar, succulents, grey or silver mulga, wattles, lilly pilly, kangaroo paw, palms, Moreton Bay figs, scaevola fan flower, cyathea, dianella, native frangipani, myoporum, senecio, syzygium viola and various species of flax and pigface.
- Remember that when some of these plants dry out, they may then still burn.
4. Add vegetables
Adding a vegetable patch – especially if it is bordered by a pathway or pebbles – is another smart way to reduce the flammability of your garden.
So Your Garden Style Is: Cook’s Garden
Adding a vegetable patch – especially if it is bordered by a pathway or pebbles – is another smart way to reduce the flammability of your garden.
So Your Garden Style Is: Cook’s Garden
5. Plant for fire resistance
When planning your garden, try to create a buffer zone by planting fire-resistant trees and plants in a shield layout. This is especially important if your home borders bushland. Focus on:
When planning your garden, try to create a buffer zone by planting fire-resistant trees and plants in a shield layout. This is especially important if your home borders bushland. Focus on:
- Choosing plants with smooth bark rather than plants with rough bark.
- Opt for low-level shrubs and ground covers rather than tall trees or hedges.
- Before buying new plants, be sure to check with your local nursery that they are suitable for your area.
6. Consider the landscape and surrounds
Create fire breaks by including paved sections such as pebbled, tiled or concrete pathways or barbecue areas. This can be done in a number of ways.
Create fire breaks by including paved sections such as pebbled, tiled or concrete pathways or barbecue areas. This can be done in a number of ways.
- Plant trees at least 10 metres from your house.
- Avoid overhanging trees or having trees clumped together, which can create a canopy to carry fire.
- Rather than mulching with combustible woodchips, use stones, gravel or pebbles instead.
- If your property backs onto or is surrounded by bushland, consider a garden design that integrates a pool, tennis court or large stretches of lawn between bushland and your house.
7. Love your lawn… and add water provisions
Your lawn can act as a physical fire barrier, so try to keep it green.
Let It Rain: 20 Questions to Ask Before Installing a Water Tank
Your lawn can act as a physical fire barrier, so try to keep it green.
- Boost your water provisions by installing water tanks now. Once it rains, these can be used to keep your lawn healthy.
- Or, put in a drip-watering system. These are a simple and cost-effective way to water your garden.
- You might also look into the feasibility of constructing a bore for watering. To do this, you will need to obtain the correct approval/licensing. This can be a bit of a costly process, but it’s very worthwhile.
Let It Rain: 20 Questions to Ask Before Installing a Water Tank
8. Help wildlife
If you live in an area that has been affected by bushfires, find ways to support local wildlife.
If you live in an area that has been affected by bushfires, find ways to support local wildlife.
- In most cases, a back-to-basics approach will be required – leave out buckets of water or incorporate water features with fresh water or bird baths into your garden design.
- If you know which animals are in your region, you might look at establishing plants and garden features that wildlife can seek refuge in and use as a food source. You could also buy seed to feed birds and other animals in extreme situations.
- If you’re encouraging wildlife into your garden, you should be more vigilant with cats and other domestic pets that may hunt displaced fauna seeking refuge in your outdoor spaces.
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Want more practical expert advice? Don’t miss this How Do I… Choose the Right Tiles for Around My Pool?
Did you find this story useful? Tell us in the Comments below, save your favourite images for inspiration, and like or save this story. Join the conversation.
More
Want more practical expert advice? Don’t miss this How Do I… Choose the Right Tiles for Around My Pool?
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Great article, however, would love to see more focus on helping the wildlife - destroying / removing eucalyptus at this point will probably kill what is left of our koalas. What else can we be doing to fix the damage? Surely native plants need to be all of our priority.
Thank you - all reminders how to fire proof your property are useful and this is very thorough. The Diggers (gardening) Club continues to advise people to plant "a selection of oaks suitable for the Australian climate, including Sawtooth Oak, Algerian Oak, Bur Oaks. Oaks have shade canopies, deep tap roots and are long lived protectors from the flammability of eucalypt bush fires". Fires are so pervasive now (we have already been under threat from two and it is not yet summer) that I would not be surprised to soon see nurseries include a flammability rating of some kind on their bush and trees for sale, alongside other growing information.
Lillypillies are another fire resistant native plant which can be either a formal or informal hedge