A watering can-do attitude can help

In the excitement accompanying the eventual return of warmer weather, preparing your garden for whatever the summer might throw at us, is surprisingly easy. With last summer’s drought still fresh in our minds, it is important to think about how to maintain your garden, keeping it looking beautiful, while also saving money.

If you are adding any plants to your garden, remember to choose them well. Choose plants that are well suited for the climate in the southwest – the more native plants the better. Locally grown natives will not only have a lower carbon footprint, but they will also be much easier to grow, require less watering and be fantastically beneficial to wildlife. When thinking about your planting plan, try to group plants according to their watering needs. You can save a lot of water by putting plants that thrive in drier conditions together, and the same for those that like a good drink. You should be able to find this information on the label when you buy the plant, but if that information is not there, simply look up the plant online. Be prepared for anything. Who knows what this year’s summer will bring, whether that’s torrential rainfall and another drought. Using ecofriendly moisture retaining granules around the roots of your new plants, or underneath new turf, will help your plants come rain or shine – and will save you money and water! Simply add the granules to the soil before you plant or plants. The granules will soak up redistribute it as and

Another great money saver is to use bark or bark mulch in your borders. This will also protect your plants from whatever the British summer throws at us. Bark will help to keep weeds down, retain moisture and stabilise the temperature around the plant’s roots.

It is always a good idea to be prepared, just in case there is another drought. Save water by making sure you have water butts to store water from rainy days to use on dry days. You can also save money and water by reusing grey water from the house to water your garden. Just make sure it doesn’t contain harsh cleaning chemicals that plants won’t like. Of course, the most important thing is to get out and enjoy your garden as much as possible. n For more advice, go to queenthorne.co.uk, or message us on Facebook or Instagram,.