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Saving Water in the Garden

"In the UK, it is possible to have a beautiful and productive garden using minimal mains water," says Alan Titchmarsh. Prepared for the Environment Agency in a bid to get gardeners watering their gardens more economically, here are Titchmarsh's top tips on saving water.

Water your garden in the cool of the early morning or evening. This will reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation.

If you water plants and shrubs too often their roots will remain shallow, weakening the plant. Leave them alone until they show signs of wilting.

Collect rainwater in water-butts and use a watering can instead of a hose.

Regularly weed and hoe your garden, to ensure that watering helps plants and not weeds.

Plant flowers and shrubs that thrive in hot and dry conditions such as thyme, evening primrose, rock rose, Californian poppy, pinks, lavender, buddleia and hebes.

Mulches such as wood chips, bark and gravel help to prevent water evaporation and also suppress weed growth, saving you both water and time spent weeding.

Lawns can survive long periods of dry weather if the grass is not cut too short. Even if the grass turns brown, it will quickly recover after a few days of rain.

Garden sprinklers can use as much water in an hour as a family of four uses in a day. If you use a sprinkler, many water companies require you to have a water meter fitted.

For more tops tips and advice on saving water at home and in the garden, visit the Environment Agency website.