SMART GARDENING RECOGNITION GROWING
28 Feb 2012
Australia’s water conservation label Smart WaterMark is expanding its certification to cover commercial and industrial products used in the nursery, irrigation and turf industries.
Water efficient garden and horticulture products and services are gaining more recognition for their best practice through Australia’s water conservation label Smart WaterMark, which is now expanding its certification to cover commercial and industrial products that are used in the nursery, irrigation and turf industries.
Sprinklers, soil ameliorants, mulches and smart pots have recently achieved certification through Smart WaterMark, which identifies and promotes the most water efficient products and services. An independent Technical Expert Panel has assessed over 600 products and services of which more than 300 have been approved.
“Garden products and services were identified early in the scheme’s inception as the key area to save a lot of household water. Guidelines for various garden products were written with the support of the garden industry, to assist with applications from this sector. Since then, we’ve approved many innovative garden and irrigation related technologies,” says CEO of the Smart WaterMark, Mr Julian Gray.
“Thanks to funding from Horticulture Australia Limited, Smart WaterMark now can offer certification to cover commercial and industrial products for horticulture and other industries.”
The commercial smart pot ANOVApot was a previous winner of the Smart WaterMark Product of the Year Award, identified as being innovative in water efficiency. This original product is one of more than 85 other garden and irrigation-specific products and services proven to save water.
Smart WaterMark’s independent Technical Expert Panel has recently approved the following products:
• ezyGrow - a raised, garden planter pot, which recycles water from overflow to be used again. Finalist in the 2011 Smart WaterMark Product of the Year Awards.
• Lo-Flo Sprinkler - a water efficient end-of-hose garden sprinkler with a low application rate.
• Rain Bird HE-VAN nozzle - the high efficiency variable arc spray nozzles with patent pending flow control technology provides uniform coverage.
• Wobble-Tee Sprinkler - an Australian made and owned domestic sprinkler for connection to the end of a garden hose.
• Baileys Lawn Reviver - designed to be used when establishing lawns or as a top-dress for established lawns. The product saves water by improving the ability of the lawn profile to retain water.
• Baileys 3.1.1 Plus - a lawn fertiliser proven to save water. This product increases water retention in the root zone, improving lawn health.
• Baileys Premium Potting Mix - a fully composted growing media that provides full plant nutrient requirements as well as controlled release fertilisers and Grosorb.
• Biowise Garden-ARRT Compost - a blended organic material mixed with both sand and clay soils as a preparation for planting shrubs, trees, turf, annuals and bulbs including vegetables and fruiting plants.
• BioWise Garden-ARRT Earth Blanket - a coarse mulch with a smaller fraction of composted organic matter.
“Water conservation in the nursery and garden industry has been integral to the industry’s Nursery Industry Accreditation Scheme and EcoHort best practice so it’s good to see water efficiency being taken seriously. At this scale water savings equate to real cost savings for businesses.”
“Products and services which help the industry achieve even better water savings will now be eligible to achieve the Smart WaterMark.” Said Mr Gray.
With over 20% of certified products and services approved in the past year from the gardening and irrigation sector, not even the increased rain in some parts of the country can dampen the need for water saving infrastructure in the garden/outdoor arena.
If your company offers water saving product or service and you would like independent certification, visit smartwatermark.info and review the application process. The Expert Panel sits every four months in 2012 with the next round closing 1 June.