After all the rain we’ve experienced over the winter it’s easy to forget just how hot and dry it was last summer.  Climate change now means that water - something which we all used to take for granted - is now a precious commodity and last year’s hosepipe bans were a stark reminder of that. 

Here are some tips from Waterwise which will help you do your bit too…

Be sprinkler savvy: Sprinklers can use as much as 1,000 litres of water per hour-that’s more than a family of four can use in a whole day.

You can with a watering can: Your hosepipe can spew as much as 18 litres of water a minute. By using a watering can you can significantly reduce the amount of water wasted; or consider fitting it with a trigger gun to control the flow.

Invest in a butt: Your roof collects about 85,000 litres of rain each year which then just runs straight into the sewers. This could fill 450 water butts with free water.  Water butts are available from Millbrook, prices start from £31.50.

Magnificent mulch: Mulching is one of the greatest things you can do for your garden. Mulches such as pebbles, gravel, cocoa shell, chipped bark, and grass clippings should be applied as a five to eight centimetre layer over soil which is already moist; but do avoid mulching too close to plant stems as this can lead to rotting in winter. Mulching will not only keep away weeds, but it will also keep the soil cool, decrease evaporation, and reduce soil compaction.

Soak, don’t sprinkle: Giving your plants’ roots a good soaking once or twice a week in dry weather is much better than lightly watering them every day because most of that water just evaporates away. Do remember, though, that new plants do need regular watering until they are established and try not to water in the heat of the day!