Make your garden bloom this summer with these brilliant watering tips

Summer is here and that means more time in the garden but not necessarily more time out watering plants. The sun has been out shining this week so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to remind you of some of the ways you can reduce your water use in the garden. Not only is this good for the environment, but if you are on a meter, good for your wallet as well.

Water saving starts right from when you are planning your garden. Mike Peacock, water resources manager for Affinity Water states:

“It’s important to choose plants that thrive in dry conditions, such as lavender, marigolds and cornflowers so look for the full sun symbol on the plant labels when buying new plants as this indicates their tolerance to dry conditions. When planting try to make the most of moisture by adding a layer of tree bark, gravel or compost to keep the sun off the soil; this will help retain the moisture in the soil.”

And for those of you who’s gardens are already planted and coming into bloom here are a few tips to make you all into super-efficient water saving gardeners:

• Make sure your lawnmower is set to a higher setting (approx. 4cm) this will help develop thicker grass which will trap early morning dew and reduces evaporation.
• Watering in the midday sun will mean more evaporation, try to water in the early morning or during the evening
• Move your hanging baskets and containers to shady areas of the garden where possible
• A few gel crystals mixed in with your compost are a great way of retaining water in pots and planters.
• If your planting trees or other plants that have deep roots consider burying a short length of pipe alongside your plant; then if you water into the tube the water goes directly to the roots where the plant needs it most.
• Water butts are a great way of storing unused rain water for a later date and if you are on a water meter, they will save you money.

For more on our great range of drought resistant plants that will help you achieve the look you want, without spending all day and night in the garden watering check out our outdoors section.