It’s not often that our gardens have to cope with such extreme weather as we’re seeing at the moment.

Temperatures are predicted to rise towards an unprecedented 40°C in the central part of the country.

For gardeners this isn’t the best news. Lawns are looking a little less green than usual, and container plants are drooping.

But before you reach for the hose, have you thought about how much water you’re using? Reservoir levels are impacted by heatwaves, and they have been falling in our region.

Use a watering can

Watering containers and borders using a watering can is more time consuming than using a hosepipe. But it’s a better use of water – you can target where it goes, rather than water the patio at the same time as the plants!

When to water

The reason that it’s sensible to water in the early morning or the evening is to do with the speed at which the water evaporates. There’s little point watering at midday in a heatwave as the soil will dry out again before the water reaches the roots.

Watering the lawn

Everyone loves a lush green lawn, but yours may be looking a little scorched. Watering lawns can use a great deal of water, so keep this to once a week. If you want to continue to mow the lawn, use a higher blade setting and cut the frequency of mowing.

Use shady spaces

If they’re not too heavy, it’s a good idea to move pots and containers temporarily out of the direct sun and into a shady space.