This section will give you plenty of water saving gardening tips and also advise on drought resistant plants.
We have a number of handy hints when it comes to having a beautiful garden and being water efficient, so read on to see what you can do today...
Become a fan of the can
Your hosepipe or sprinkler can use as much water in one hour as a family of four in a whole day so get back to basics and swap your hose for a watering can filled with water from your water butt when watering your garden!
Be cool
Try to water in the cool of the evening or very early morning. That way less water will be lost immediately to evaporation. Direct the flow to the roots - not the leaves - to give the plants a maximum benefit.
Mulch ado about something
Mulches such as pebbles, gravel and chipped bark require low maintenance and are perfect for keeping moisture in and weeds out.
Don't hang around
Go easy on hanging baskets and small pots in summer; large containers are easier to keep watered and, plant for plant, use less water. Use moisture retaining crystals mixed with your compost to make an easy way of watering and reduce evaporation.
Let it go brown
Set your mower on a higher setting and don't cut the lawn too often - longer grass retains moisture better. Lawns don't need watering - a brown lawn soon recovers after a rain.
Around we go!
Water around plants, not over them, to reduce evaporation loss. Water less often but give the plants a good soak when you do, to encourage deeper rooting and sturdier plants
Plants are an essential part to the beauty of any garden. By combining water saving measures with a careful selection of plants, trees and shrubs, you can save yourself water and hard graft and sit back and enjoy your green haven.
The Royal Horticultural Society has a wealth of information on drought-resistant gardening. See http://www.rhs.org.uk/climate/advice/drought.asp for more information.
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