Gardening
Keep your garden looking beautiful all summer long!
Find out how to grow plants successfully and reduce water consumption
Install a water butt in the garden
The average roof collects 85,000 litres of rain a year, enough to fill a water butt 450 times, so help your garden and your wildlife by saving your water from the drain. If it's going to rain, transfer the water in your water butts to watering cans or buckets to save even more water.
Reuse paddling pool water
Don’t forget to keep the water in your paddling pool for another day or reuse it to water your flowerbeds.
Use a watering can instead of a hose
A hose can use enough water to fill twelve baths every hour! So use a watering can when you can. Garden sprinklers and hosepipes left running can use between 500 and 1,000 litres of water an hour.
Plant drought resistant plants
Climate change means our summers are getting drier and so plant plants which tolerate drier conditions and relieve the pressure on our water and our environment.
Stop watering your lawn
Wait for the rain to water your lawn. It’s ok to let your grass go brown during dry spells – it will bounce back as soon as it rains again.
Water butts
Think about fitting a water butt to collect rainwater off your roof. Water butts usually store about 200 litres of water. As well as being better for watering your plants, using rainwater in the garden reduces the amount of treated water you use.
Double pot your plants
Stop water from dripping out of your plant pots with a second pot or tray to catch it. Don't forget to reuse the excess water soon.
Reuse your bathwater for watering
Reuse your bathwater to water your houseplants or garden (but not on fruit and veg or for water fights!)
Water your plants at cooler times of the day
Water your plants early in the day when it’s cooler so your plants will retain more moisture and won't need watering as much.
Don't cut your grass too short
Shorter grass dries out quicker so needs watering more often. Watering using a hose or sprinkler uses enough water to fill 12 baths every hour. So water less by growing your grass longer.