Save water in the garden

Collect rainwater

Catch rainfall from the roof of your home, shed or greenhouse using a water butt or large container, and then use the nutrient-rich water it collects in your garden.

A water butt could save you 1,000 litres of water every year. They also minimise the amount of rainwater entering our sewers, which can help prevent sewer flooding.

Water once a week

Watering plants thoroughly once a week rather than giving them a light watering every day allows water to soak into the soil and reach the roots, preventing shallow roots from forming.

Deeper-rooted plants are likely to be more resilient to environmental stresses and withstand periods of drought.

Use a watering can

Use a watering can instead of a hosepipe or sprinklers.

Hosepipes and sprinklers can use between 500 and 1000 litres of water an hour, with watering cans using a fraction of the water.

Leave your lawn alone

During summer, let your lawn go brown. As soon as the rain returns it will go back to normal.

Try letting it grow a little longer than usual too – this will help it retain moisture, while also supporting pollinators.

Water the roots

Water your plants at the root and not the leaves to ensure they get all the water they need.

You could even create a DIY funnel using an old plastic bottle to make sure the water reaches their roots.

Think before you water

Check the weather forecast before watering your plants as there is no need to water them if it’s likely to rain.

You can also prevent as much water from being lost through evaporation by watering your plants in the early morning or evening.

Create a water-efficient garden

There are a number of plants and herbs that you could add to your garden which require very little watering, such as lavender, geranium, verbena, rosemary, sage and lemon thyme.

A drought-tolerant garden will require far less water during the summer months. Ask your garden centre for more drought-tolerant plant varieties.

Take care of your soil

Add organic matter, such as compost or manure, to your soil to increase its nutrients and water-holding capacity.

Applying mulch (bark, chip, stone and straw) on top of newly planted seeds will also help your soil to retain moisture and fight off weeds.

Plant at the right time

We recommend planting during autumn when the soil is still warm from summer and the rain has started to increase moisture levels.

A wet winter will also mean you won’t have to water them as much.

Clean your car with a sponge

Washing a car with a hosepipe can use between 100 and 300 litres of water if the hose is left running.

Use a bucket and sponge instead to save water. You could even invest in a microfibre car wash mitt which retains water better than a sponge.

Fun in the garden

Kids love playing with water in the garden during summer. There are many ways they can do this without using as much water:

• cover paddling pools when they’re not in use to reduce evaporation and keep them clean
• reuse paddling pool water on your garden plants
• fill your paddling pool with less water than usual
• use water guns instead of hosepipes for water fights.