The Learner Gardener
It finally looks like Summer is here! A great time to get out in the sunshine and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Whether that means Sunbathing on your patio, pottering amongst the flowers or taking a walk out it is finally time to enjoy! But that doesn’t mean that work on the garden stops...
If your plot is anything like mine, during the warmer weather the watering round can take a good chunk out of your day! However, there are a few things we gardeners can do to reduce our watering time and conserve the amount of water we use, whilst improving the health of our plants and the look of our borders.
Pop water reservoirs into your soil. Pieces of plastic pipe in the ground, empty plant pots or the tops of drink bottles sunk into the ground can act as reservoirs of water reducing time spent. Just fill them up to the top and let them slowly sink in.
Mulch. Applying a mulch of straw or bark around plants helps to keep the water in the soil when it does rain, reducing the evaporation significantly
Use water-retaining crystals in containers. Containers are the first things to dry out and can often take a lot of maintenance to keep the plants hydrated. Water gel or crystals retain water in your hanging baskets or pots and therefore reduce the need of constant watering.
Treat them mean. I am very harsh on my plants! It’s always better to water once and soak the plant completely, than water sparsely and often. This tough-love approach allows the plant to develop deeper roots and search for the moisture and nutrients it needs. As a result, you will have a much sturdier plant.
Install water butts. Put the hose down! Rainwater is much better for plants than the processed tap water which comes through the hose. I have two water butts; one attached to my summer house and one to the greenhouse. Environmentally, we gardeners must do as much as we can to help preserve our precious water, so reuse what Mother Nature gives us and conserve what you can.
Smart watering systems. There are many Smart irrigation systems available that will water for you. They are easy to install and many have the capability to be connected to a water butt using a pump. They are fairly easy to install and can be invaluable when you leave your plant babies to go on holiday. My personal favourite is the Gardena Micro-Drip system. I have tubes running all across the garden and into the greenhouse and you can buy a fairly well stocked Starter kit for less than £40.
Plant “drought-tolerant” plants. This is especially important in dry areas. I have tall conifer hedges surrounding my garden and I know that these drink up a lot of moisture from my rear flower beds, so I have under-planted my flower bed with a creeping perennial Phlox. It’s great for ground cover, hardy and can survive with little water - it creates an evergreen carpet under the taller plants in the bed and has a beautiful carpet of flowers in late spring.
As Gardeners, it is our responsibility to look after and improve our environment. That’s what gardening is all about! By applying some of these ideas we can save ourselves time, money, help the environment and give ourselves more time to enjoy our gardens.