How To Save Water In Your Garden This Summer

Learn how to conserve this precious resource in the warmer, drought-prone months of the year.

Here's our top 15 tips on how to save water in your garden:

1. Water plants early in the morning or in the evening when it’s cooler. Avoid watering in the middle of the day when it’s hotter and moisture will start to evaporate.
   
   
2. Set up a water butt to make use of the free rainwater! Most plants prefer it to tap water too. Shop water butts online.
   
   
3. Apply water directly to the base of the plants Watering plants individually helps to stop wastage which can be caused by watering the leaves from above.


4. Use a watering can instead of a hose. As well as saving water, it’s also better to aim the water directly to the base of your plants, where it's needed. Shop our range of watering cans.


5. Get rid of pesky weeds! As they will steal vital moisture from your important plants. We have a great range of weed control products to choose from.


6. Move plant pots underneath hanging baskets to catch those drips and make the most of your watering!


7. Add mulch to your beds and borders as this will help the soil retain more moisture. Shop mulch products.


8. Get composting! Use as much organic matter in your soil as possible, as it will help retain more moisture. If you don't have a composter, check out our range here.


9. Plant large trees for shade If you’re lucky enough to have a south facing garden, it’s not always great for your plants in the hotter months of the year. Find out more about the ornamental and flowering trees we have available.


10. Add water storing crystals to your baskets, pots and soil to retain more moisture. Find these here.


11. Move your pots into the shade to ensure as little moisture as possible is lost to evaporation.


12. Set up an automated irrigation system. Water will slowly trickle where you set it, allowing more water to soak into the soil rather than run off. We have lots of options to choose from on our website.


13. Give the mower some time off. Grass survives drought much better if it's left long and not mown too short. The longer grass shades the roots so they are kept cool and don’t dry out as quickly.


14. Don’t worry if your lawn turns yellow, it will recover when the rain comes. Watering your lawn during a drought isn't a good use of precious water.


15. Consider using the waste water that would otherwise go down the drain. Collecting used water from washing up bowls and baths is a good solution during a hosepipe ban, but avoid using this on edible plants.

Need more advice? Come and talk to our experts in store, who can advise on how best to manage watering in your outdoor space during spells of hot weather.