How to water well

May has thankfully seen a lot more rainfall than April, but if the dry spell gave you pause for thought, have a read through some of our top tips for reducing water usage in the garden!

POTS & PLANTERS

Install water butts to catch rainwater from roofs. Your plants will  prefer this to our limescale-clogged tap water

Mix moisture-retaining gel crystals into the compost to greatly reduce how often you need to water
 
Have saucers under all your pots to catch any water that drains through – plants will be able to draw it back up through their roots

Decorative bark chippings will reduce the amount of watering evaporating from the surface

BEDS & BORDERS

Right plant, right place. Some plants need damp or boggy conditions to thrive, whilst others need a lot of shade to prevent them from wilting.

Grow plants that suit the conditions in your garden and they will be able to look after themselves.
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If you have a very dry soil, pick drought-tolerant plants, such as succulents & Mediterranean Lavenders, Rosemary & Sage. Click here for our list of plants for Dry & Sandy Soils

Adding mulches, well-rotted manures or homemade compost will improve moisture retention in the soil
 
Decorative bark chippings will greatly reduce the amount of watering evaporating from the surface, and as a bonus they will help keep the weeds at bay!