29/03/2005 - With thousands
of people expected to make a trip to a garden
centre this weekend, the Environment Agency
is encouraging gardeners to add drought resistant
plants to their shopping baskets, while top
TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh is giving his
tips for keeping things green.
March is shaping up to be the fifth consecutive
month of below average rainfall across Wales
and England, and gardeners are being asked
to think carefully about the amount of water
they use on their lawns, flowers, shrubs and
trees.
Every plant-lover wants to make sure the
garden remains beautiful, and that all the
hard work doesn’t go to waste. The prospect
of a brown lawn can be too much to bear for
many, but it is possible to keep gardens well-tended
without excessive watering.
Alan Titchmarsh said: "In the UK, it
is possible to have a beautiful and productive
garden using minimal mains water. A healthy
soil with plenty of organic matter will retain
its moisture and nutrients. We should also
choose plants that are tolerant to drought
and plant new shrubs and trees through weed-suppressing
membrane to retain moisture and control weeds.
Using loose mulches around existing plants
also has the same, good effect."
Alan continued: "Lawns are the thirstiest
part of the garden, so let the grass grow
slightly longer to shade soil and reduce the
need for water. Remember that infrequent soaking
is far more beneficial than regular sprinkling
and if the grass turns brown, it doesn’t mean
that it has died – it will recover when it
rains!"
Alan Titchmarsh and the Environment Agency
have put together the following top tips to
help us all avoid wasting water in the garden:
watering in early morning or evening helps
to reduce evaporation losses.
if established plants and shrubs are watered
too often they will remain shallow rooted,
weakening the plant. Leave them alone until
they show signs of wilting.
you can use a watering can to water plants
with rainwater collected in water-butts. If
you prefer to use a hosepipe, fit a trigger
nozzle to control the flow.
careful weeding and hoeing ensures that watering
helps plants and not weeds.
plant flowers and shrubs that can cope with
hot and dry conditions and suit your particular
garden soil conditions
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.
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.
Helen Phillips, Director of Environment Agency
Wales said: "Saving water is good for
the environment, especially when the weather
is dry. Simple actions can really help. We
are a nation of gardeners - if we all follow
Alan's tips, we can make a real difference
to the amount of water we use every day."
If you don't have a garden, there's no need
to feel left out. Log on to the Environment
Agency's brand new World Environment Day website
and pledge to save water with our easy suggestions.
Between now and World Environment Day on 5
June 2005, the Environment Agency is challenging
people to take a shower instead of a bath
and save 45 litres of water, and turn the
tap off while you clean your teeth and save
another 15 litres. Over a year, with these
two simple actions, one person would save
a total of 27,375 litres of water. For these
and a whole range of other simple green pledges
go to the World Environment Day section of
this website.
