Be water wise

We’ve no idea what sort of summer might be in store for us yet, so it’s worth taking steps now to conserve water for our pots, baskets, border plants and ponds. It has already been pretty dry in most places, so you need to be water wise and preserve as much as you can in efficient ways. Mix waterretaining granules into compost mixes for containers and baskets, and consider investing in an automatic irrigation system to cut down on time and effort spent watering if you have a lot of them. Surround border plants – especially newly-planted specimens – with a thick mulch of garden compost, grass clippings or bark chips, and top up during the season. Use uncontaminated old sink water to give plants a drink, and make room for another water butt if you can.