With a hose pipe ban coming in from this Friday 5^th August for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, now is the time to implement water saving measures if you have not already done so.

Check your water butts, gutters and pipework for leaks so if any rain does fall it is all collected and stored.

Think how you can collect greywater from household use for watering the garden. Greywater generated by washing up (but not the dishwasher), your shower or bath (unless you have used lots of rich oil) and a stand alone rinse cycle from your washing machine (but not the wash cycle itself) can all be used. This is due to the smaller amounts of household soap/detergent within it and which is normally well diluted. If applied to soil, the soil itself acts as a further filter. We have even heard of one canny gardener keeping a watering can in the shower to catch the shower water as it warms up to an acceptable temperature before climbing in and then using it to water the garden after breakfast.

Just a couple of things to remember about using greywater:

Use it within 24 hours of collection to prevent harmful bacteria growth within it
Rotate the sources of water you use in the garden from mains water applied by watering can, to greywater collected from the house, to natural rainwater collected in your water butts. Again this helps prevent harmful bacterial growth.

If you have plants in pots that you cannot get in the ground, create a waterproof tank to retain water and pop your plants in them. A waterproof tarpaulin popped in a coldframe does the job very well. Keep it topped up as required with a watering can, none of the water will be wasted.

Protect vulnerable plants from the sun by creating a shade of green netting or horticultural fleece but remember to maintain a good air flow to reduce humidity.

Hold off on watering your lawn, as it will bounce back once rain returns. Instead focus on any flagging plants that can be revived. Individual plants in pots which have wilted can be immersed in water for an hour and then removed and put in the shade. This allows the rootball to become wet again but maintains channels through the soil for air to pass.

If you can relocate hanging baskets and pots to shadier areas of the garden.