Conserving Water in the Garden

This has been an unusually dry spring and some parts of the country are officially in drought. We all need to think about how we are using water and gardeners can make a real difference by using water wisely. Collecting rainwater is the easiest way to conserve water use in your garden. If you have a water meter it can also save you money. Proprietary rainwater diversion kits, together with rainwater storage butts, can be purchased from most DIY outlets but all sorts of containers can be utilised by the innovative gardener.
I installed my first rainwater butt (pictured) at the rear of the garage a number of years ago. Since then I have installed two others at the front and rear of the house, and two smaller containers collect rainwater runoff from the greenhouse. It's surprising how much water you can save with just a few storage barrels.
Another good way of preventing your garden from drying out excessively is by mulching your borders to reduce water loss, and by adding plenty of humus to your soil, especially if it is very free draining. Home made compost is excellent for this job and it's free, saving you even more money.
If you want to be more creative get advice from a plumber regarding a 'grey' water system. Grey water is what comes out of washing machines, washbasins, showers and baths. It may contain soap and detergent but this can mostly be removed by suitable filters. The objective is to pump this water to a special storage tank where it can then be reused for flushing toilets, washing the car and watering the garden. It's a great idea for water conservation but a bit of an expensive investment for the average gardener.