Water Saving Tips for the Garden
Top Water Saving Tips for the Garden this Summer
Traditional English gardens require a lot of water. Conserving it in beds and borders is becoming more of a priority to many of us, especially after the long hot summer we had last year. It just shows that we can’t always count on rain from heaven to keep things green and growing and it seems inevitable that us green-fingered folk will have to make some changes in our approach to maintaining gardens. Here are some easy top water saving tips for the garden we can put into practice to save time and money.
1. Don’t water the lawn
Establishing a pristine, green stripy lawn was challenging last year, yes, lawns turn brown in hot weather but it’s not worth wasting water on them as the grass will soon recover after a good downpour. If you must water, really soak the turf once a week, rather than a sprinkling every day. New lawns, however are the exception, it is vitally important that they don’t dry out, until they have become established (normally after about two weeks.)
2. Use a Mulch
If you’ve never used a mulch before this might be the year to consider it and now is the time to do it before plants have put on too much growth. Mulches are basically ‘coverings’ placed on the surface of cultivated soil. They can be applied to bare soil or to cover the surface of compost in containers. Over the years, I’ve tried all sorts of materials as a mulch and have found the best one to be well rotted bark, which will break down gradually to release nutrients into the soil and help improve its structure. The key is to apply a really thick layer. An 80L bag will cover an area of about 1 meter. In addition to preserving water, a thick layer of mulch suppresses weeds, improves soil texture, deters some pests, protects the roots of plants from extreme temperatures and give a decorative finish. If there’s one thing I’d encourage all gardeners to do this summer it would be to become a mulcher!
3. Choose plants that cope with drought
The best way to ensure that you have a garden full of abundant flowers all summer is to choose plants that will cope with some drought. Silver leaved plants in general are good choices, although they can be less hardy and need full sun. One of my favourite plants is Convolvulus cneorum, with its serrated silver leaves and goblet white flowers, it used to be considered too It looks great with other silver leaved plants and decorative grasses such as Briza media, Festuca Glauca and Stipa gigantea. Herbs such as Rosemary, Thyme and Salvia are also great choices for a dry garden (and useful in the kitchen too.)
4. Water in the morning and evening 
Plants in the dormant season will not need watering but, depending on the weather, from about April on, new plants will normally require some water. Unless it absolutely pours with rain, this will be necessary; a summer shower is simply not sufficient to get new plants through the season. It’s much better to give a newly planted tree or shrub a good soaking two or three times a week rather than a little sprinkling every day. Water in the evening or early morning before the heat of the sun evaporates the water. Make sure that the ground is very wet and that the water gets through to the roots and doesn’t just sit on the surface.
If you have to water in the middle of the day, try not to let the water fall on the leaves, get to the bottom of the plant with your hose pipe or watering can and water the soil.
Pots, Containers and Hanging Baskets
All plants in containers rely on someone to water them or they will die. Even if we have a bit of rain, plants in containers need a lot of water. The smaller the container, the more watering it will require. Adding water-retentive gel when planting containers helps.
Irrigation Systems
If you have a large garden and little time, you may find it pays to set up an irrigation system using a ‘leaky’ hosepipe and a timer. These are easily available from garden centres and relatively simple to install.
