With the possibility of a long hot summer comes seriously bad news for gardeners with the threats of water shortages. Flooding actually can be even more of a problem with dried surfaces unable to absorb moisture readily. Consider changing concrete areas to bark and gravel types to allow better draining.

At a time of drought , a hosepipe can use 250litres every 15 minutes which far exceeds what an average garden requires. Alternatives are the humble watering can, supplied from collected water in a butt. For the ultimate in water retention put a layer of mulch material on the soil and use water retaining crystals in pots. Filtered water from washing up or  washing appliances  may be used in most areas of the garden, the soap content providing a natural mild pesticide. There are varieties of drought resistant grass seeds available for lawns. In most cases lawns can cope with severe drought, recovering reasonably well from scorched brown, but to help protect it leave the grass longer but not mowing so closely. An unattended lawn sprinkler can use more water per hour than an average family would use in a day.
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