Water saving tips

Save water in your garden by following our water wise tips.

• Once a week is all the watering your lawn needs - even in the summer. Over-watering can weaken your lawn by encouraging roots to seek the surface.
• Use rainwater collected in a water butt. A watering can filled with rainwater from a water butt will save hundreds of litres of treated tap water a year.
• Water your garden in the early morning or late evening. This will minimise the risk of water evaporating from the soil.
• Choose plants that thrive in hot and dry conditions. Varieties such as lavender, buddleia and geranium are tolerant to drought.
• Grow your grass a little longer. It will stay greener than a close mown lawn and will need less watering.
• Regularly weed your garden to ensure that watering helps your plants and not the weeds. Weeds take up valuable nutrients as well as water.
• Use a mulch to retain moisture and supress weeds. Mulches such as wood chips, bark and gravel help save water and time spent weeding.
• Use large containers lined with plastic and topped with mulch for window boxes, roof gardens and patios. They don't dry out too quickly and are low maintenance.