As I wandered around the secret garden tour of Jasper a couple weekends ago, I was continuously surprised with the wealth of colour, and the abundance of vegetables that filled the yards of so many Jasper homes.

I remember well a Canadian telling me once that they were ready to live somewhere you have colour all year round, instead of the white coat that covers most of the country throughout the winter.

Maybe that’s why so many Jasperites feel the need to instantly colour their homes and gardens with a variety of flowers as the spring sets in.

It’s lovely and another beautiful addition to the quaint town of Jasper. 

While I love the beauty, I wonder: at what cost does it come? 

Coming from a country where water is like gold and not a commodity to be wasted, I guess my perspective is a little varied from your average Canadian.

According to Alberta’s One Simple Act, the average Canadian uses 125,000 litres of water a year. That’s over 300 litres a day! In comparison, Europeans use  73,000 litres.

Riding to work, in Jasper, I often see the early-morning business owner standing on Connought with a hose in hand, watering the pavement – to rid the pavement of dust or garbage.

Don’t you know that pavement doesn’t grow?

A wander around town and you’ll often see those vivacious gardens being watered. The hard work of our commodity being put to use. A sprinkler or hose with water squirting everywhere, including the pavement and road.

Really, I didn’t know that pavement could grow!

I’ve always applauded the way this country recycles. Where I hail from, Western Australia, I feel we’re a little behind the eight ball. I’m not sure where we were when the world started recycling, but I think we were too concerned with our water shortage to care about the ever growing landfills.

But, now I know – glass, tin, plastic, and organic waste, it’s not garbage. And, though sometimes painfully, I always walk my compost to the bins and ride my bottles over to the depot.

So, where Australia lacks in recycling it makes up for in water-saving and slowly, but surely, Aussies will learn to separate and divert their waste from the landfills. 

We’re learning that landfills don’t need to grow.

If we can follow your lead, than please can you follow ours too? Water is not isolated to one country. If we’re running out back home then guess what, you are as well.

I have a little suggestion. The next time you put your hose out, put an ice-cream or a yoghurt container out on the pavement near where you’re watering. Watch how it fills – in 15 minutes, you could probably have had a shower with the water.

Another pet hate, that my Aussie friends and I moan about over beers, is the inexplicable need for many people to water their gardens when it’s raining. I’m sorry, but we just don’t get it. 

Pavement certainly doesn’t need to grow so badly that it needs rain AND for you to be watering it as well. If you need to get rid of that pesky dust on your sidewalk, the solution is simple, use a broom!

Your flowers will still grow and your vegetables still be edible, even if your pavement doesn’t get watered. So please, remember, pavement doesn’t grow.