Everyday watering tips:

When you are watering your plants there are many things you can do to make better use of water in your garden, for example:

•  Use a watering can instead of a hose.
•  If you do use a hose, use a trigger to control the flow.
• Water early in the morning or late at night so that water doesn’t evaporate in the heat of the day before it can reach the roots.
•  Leave plants and shrubs dry until they show signs of wilting – watering too often can keep roots shallow and weaken plants.
•  Weeding regularly makes sure that watering helps plants and not weeds.
• Prioritise young plants and seedlings – more established plants will survive longer periods without water.
•  Add water retaining crystals or gel to your containers and hanging baskets to keep in moisture.
• When growing thirsty vegetables, like courgettes, create a reservoir next to each plant – using a =plastic bottle cut in in half, with the top half buried in the soil. Fill the bottle and allow to drain into the root system.
•  Don’t waste water on paths and patios.

Long term solutions to Saving Water:

• Drip Irrigation systems are an effective way of saving water, as water is efficiently directed to the plants root system.
•  Improving your soil can help save water, adding mulch or compost can help stop moisture from evaporating.
•  Install a water butt – not only is rainwater the perfect PH for your plants, but this will save you money and keep your water usage low.
•  Design and plan a garden inspired by the Mediterranean, where many drought tolerant plants, rockeries and pots can be used to create a wonderful outdoor and natural space without very thirsty plants.

Saving water while keeping your lawn healthy

Lawns can usually be the thirstiest part of a garden, but there are a few easy steps you can take to cut the amount of water your lawn needs:

•  Try letting the grass grow longer in dry spells to help retain moisture in the soil.
• If you must water, try soaking the lawn more infrequently as this will encourage the roots to grow deeper in their search for water.
•  When re-doing lawn or reseeding, look for drought resistant grass varieties.
• Brown lawn does not mean it is dead and will usually recover when the rainfall improves.
• if you’re looking to re-do your lawn or re-seed part of it, choose grass varieties that are better suited to dry conditions like fescue grass or smooth-stalked meadow grass.

Drought-tolerant plants

Drought-tolerant plants have evolved structures that help them survive periods without water, so planting a few of these in your garden means using less water. There are plenty of different types of drought-tolerant plants, but here are a few suggestions:

These drought-resistant plants will look good in any garden:

• Rosemary
•  Lavender
•  Lambs ears 
•  Hardy geraniums 
•  Various alpines
•  Nepeta (catmint)
•  Succulents (Various)
•  Eryngium (sea holly)