12 ways to save water in the garden

1 Fix leaky taps and hose fittings and treat yourself to new watering equipment for a more enjoyable and convenient watering experience.

2 Cover the ground. On a hot day, every square metre of bare soil can lose two litres of water to the air. The very best way to prevent this is to cover any bare soil with a blanket of organic mulch or weed-stopping groundcover plants.

3 Plant shelter. The drying effect of wind is markedly reduced when a windy garden is protected with a thick permeable windbreak. Trees and shrubs provide much more effective shelter than a solid wall, which creates turbulence. Once established, tree and shrub roots grow deep into the soil where there is enough moisture for them to grow without irrigation once they mature.

4 Group plants according to water needs. Lawns, vege plants and flowering annuals have shallow roots and need the most watering. Pots are also very water dependent. But deep-rooted perennials, trees and shrubs last much longer without watering.

5 Make your own compost and apply it regularly to build up your soil’s organic content and by doing so, improve its water holding capacity.

6 Train plants to cope with less water by gradually increasing the days between watering. Watering deeply once every week or two is infinitely more sustainable than a daily sprinkle.

7 Water early in the morning before the sun comes up and evaporates half your water. If mornings are too busy, enjoy watering in the evening.

8 Save hosing for your plants. Hand-watering with a hose is a relaxing way to begin or end the day and puts water where its needed but a broom, rather than water blasting with the hose, is best if you need to sweep the patio.

9 Install a trickle irrigation system. This delivers water exactly where plants need it and to the soil, not the foliage. Wet plants in summer can invite disease. Attach trickle irrigation to a timer to prevent waste and make things easier at holiday time.

10 Choose dry tolerant plants (see page 20 for ideas) and drought tolerant lawn seed.

11 Use a wetting agent in pots and hanging baskets. This prevents dry potting mix from repelling water and helps distribute the water evenly throughout. A wetting agent, such as Saturaid, can also be used to retain summer moisture in garden soil.

12 Install a rainwater tank, even if just a small one just for the garden.