Why save water in your garden?
Saving water in your garden can save money and energy: Water uses energy to be pumped, heated and treated. Why not try using rainwater instead of your tap water to wash your car, water your plants and other garden/outdoor activities? You’ll save money, energy – and money – if you are on a water meter!
Saving water in your garden can help reduce the risk of flooding in your local area: By collecting rainwater in a water butt to use in your garden, you’re not only saving water but also preventing that water from just sitting on hard surfaces such as tarmac, or running directly across surfaces and back into rivers too quickly – both of which can contribute towards localised flooding.
Saving water can help your garden to thrive: Some plants, for example Acers, prefer to be watered with rainwater anyway so give them what they want – helps your garden thrive and saves water, helping to cut your water and energy bills too!
Top Water Saving Tips
Save your rain and tweet your butt!: More than 21,000 litres of rain falls on the roof of an average UK home – a water butt can capture this rain, allowing you to use it in your garden. Tweet a picture of your water butt to us @waterwise using #watersavingweek!
Choose your plants appropriately: Choose British plants that are appropriate for your local climate. A lot of native British plants are also in fact drought resistant – ask at your local garden centre or check with the Royal Horticultural Society or Horticultural Trades Association.
Clean sweep: When you clean your drive, patio and paths, use a bucket of water and a broom – if you do have to use a pressure washer, save it for the deep clean and when you do, try and get a pressure washer that connects to your water butt.
Water at the right time and in the right way: Use a watering can or hose with a trigger to water plants for more direct and less wasteful watering. Try and do this in the morning and evening – midday watering means more water will be lost via evaporation.
Weather watcher: Did it rain last night? Keep a bucket and ruler outside to check if it rained overnight so that you know if your garden needs watering or not.
Nursery School: Garden Centres and nurseries will often run free gardening demos – go along and learn how to mulch, water and compost more effectively.
Permeable parking: If you’re an urban dweller and have a parking space instead of a front garden then make it permeable paving to help drainage and reduce the risk of localised flooding – permeability=sustainability.
Stop your butt from freezing: Place a couple of tennis balls in your water butt to stop it from freezing over.
Download the Waterwise Garden Info Sheet
Waterwise Water Saving Week is dedicated to raising awareness of how to save water by using it wisely. This is an annual event and coincides with World Water Day which this year is on 22nd March 2016. Each week day has a unique theme that will focus on saving water in a particular area whether it be at home, in your garden, at work, at school or in your local community. These information packs (one for each themed day) will help you think about how to save water by giving you challenges to do each day as well as some extra water-saving tips! So get involved, take on the challenges, try the tips and let us know how you’re doing by tweeting @waterwise using #watersavingweek.