Join forces to beat the drought

As the temperature hots up many of us get our gardening gloves to enjoy the summer evenings, turning our gardens into sanctuaries for relaxation and enjoyment.

One thing's for sure - if you love your garden then you love water too, but there's a stark warming from the Environment Agency this year not to take water for granted.

The South East of England is experiencing one of the worst droughts in 100 years and seven water companies, including Three Valleys Water, have hose pipe bans in place but what does this actually mean for you?

By following these three simple steps, you can ensure you stay within the law and help protect our natural environment:

Step 1. START using a watering can or use a hose pipe to make use of rainwater collected in a water butt. STOP using your hose pipe connected to a tap to water your garden.

Step 2. START using a sponge and bucket to wash your car or take your car to a commercial car wash. STOP using your hose pipe to wash your car (including a motorbike or any vehicle that is drawn behind a car).

Step 3. START thinking about how you can save water. STOP wasting water. Before you connect your hose pipe to a fresh water tap, think before you use the water. Do you really need to use a hose to carry out your task, even if you are allowed to under the rules of the ban? If you can use an alternative, such as a bucket of water, please consider this first.

Here are some more hot tips for making the most of water in your garden this year

Don't go potty this summer! Cut down on the number of pots you plant up and go for one or two larger containers which don't dry out too quickly.

If you're buying new pots/planters go for the plastic ones with water reservoirs which store water underneath and the run off isn't wasted or make use of your existing pots by putting plastic pots inside terracotta to cut down on water loss through evaporation.

Plant up using biodegradable crystals which retain and store water for the drier days but remember be careful to follow the instructions on the pack.

Choose plants that like dry conditions

Use plants that need less watering - those with the full sun on the label in the garden centre or check out a list of drought tolerant plants on the Royal Horticultural Society web site www.rhs.org.uk

Hose pipes are out but watering cans are in!

If you haven't got a water butt to catch the rainwater off your roof there's a wide range available at local garden centres and a great offer on the Three Valleys Water web site www.3valleys.co.uk If you already have one is there a chance to install another to collect the rainwater off your greenhouse or shed?

There are also submersible water pumps on the market which can connect to a hose pipe and pump collected rainwater from the water butt around the garden

Save plastic water and soft drinks bottles, cut off the bases and bury inverted alongside newly planted trees and shrubs. Water into these, they act as funnels and direct water straight to the roots.

Water during the evening and morning to cut down on evaporation, evening is best.

Mulch where you can. Add a layer of mulch over the soil, this reduces evaporation. Mulches can also improve the look of planters, there's a whole range on offer from garden centres including: coconut shells, pea gravel, bark, slate, recycled glass, shells.

The added benefit of mulching is that it helps keep snails off the plants and keeps the weeds down – less work for you and more water for your lovely plants.

Water – essential for life, don't take it for granted! Often the perception of the Britain is that "it's always raining" but in reality there are marked regional variations in rainfall and the South East of England, with over 17 million people, receives less rain per head than Morocco!

Many of us have fast lifestyles and the use of appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers are designed to make our lives easier but the problem is that in the space of 50 years our water consumption has doubled.

As much as 30% of tap water is used within the bathroom, the majority of which is simply flushed down the toilet.

Spare a thought for the environment. Saving water is easy to do, check out our tips and you can do it too!

• Take a short, sharp shower instead of a bath. We'd suggest 5 minutes maximum and remember power showers can use more water than baths, so these should be limited if possible. (A bath uses 85 litres of water, while a quick shower uses 35).
• Avoid letting the tap run while brushing your teeth or shaving (this can save up to 14 litres of water each time you brush).
• Fix any dripping taps and leaking appliances or pipes.
• Use dishwashers and washing machines only when they are full and on the economy wash.
• Wash vegetables in a bowl rather than under a running tap and use the leftovers for watering your garden.
• Don't flush the toilet if you don't need to.
• If you have an old toilet cistern, put a water saving device, such as a Three Valleys Water hippo, which reduces the amount of water used in each flush.
• Use washing up water to rinse out cans and bottles for recycling.
• Keep a jug of ice cold water on the go in the fridge, this avoids needing to run the tap until the water gets cold each time you want a drink.

If you would like to do your bit to help the environment sign up to the online water saving pledge on www.beatthedrought.com or log on to www.3valleys.co.uk for further details about the hose pipe ban, the drought situation and what you can do to help.