'Budding gardeners need to resist the temptation of overdoing it by overwatering the garden' - top tips on being 'water smart' in your Harborough garden

People are being urged by experts not to waste water in their gardens as Harborough is hit by a hot dry spell.

The plea has come from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) as the entire country basks in sunshine with temperatures topping 24C (75F).

Janet Manning, the RHS’s Water Management Scientist, implored people to show restraint as rivers, lakes and reservoirs start to run down.

“What people may not realise is that nature is tough.

“Budding gardeners need to resist the temptation of overdoing it by overwatering the garden.

“It’s simply not needed even if we are in the middle of a dry spell,” said Janet.

“Lawns, in particular, are surprisingly resilient in hot weather conditions.

“They recover really quickly - and quicker if you raise the mower blades or stop mowing altogether.

“Even if the grass starts to look a bit dry, or yellow, there’s really no need to worry.

“It will bounce back and doesn’t need to be watered every day - so it’s best to leave the sprinklers off.”

Severn Trent said demand for water is “really high” as Leicestershire laps up Mediterranean weather after weeks of little rain.

A sprinkler can use up to 1,000 litres of drinking water in just one hour.

That’s more water than a family-of-four would normally use in a whole day.

“A water butt’s also essential for any garden,” stressed Janet.

“It simply catches rainwater ready to use in the garden.

“And now’s the perfect time to clear it out ready for when the rain appears again soon.”

Here are Janet’s top tips for keeping your garden green and healthy while being “water smart”:

- If you can, park on the lawn and wash your car with a bucket and sponge there to make double use of the water - and stick to a watering can instead of a hose

- Collect water in a bucket from when you first turn the shower on when the water’s too cold. Use this to water plants, flowers and hanging baskets

- It’s better to water plants that are planted in borders at the roots, not the leaves, every so often, rather than watering every day

- Don’t water plastic grass, there’s no need!

- Remember nature’s tough, it can adapt to and survive many conditions, including a hot spell.

“We all have a role to play in looking after the environment by saving water.

“But it doesn’t mean you can’t have a healthy, flourishing garden at the same time,” said Janet.

“Just remember that sometimes, when it comes to looking after our gardens, less is more and nature can cope and adapt to all conditions brilliantly.”

For more expert tips from RHS on how to save water in the garden, check out: rhs.org.uk/science/gardening-in-a-changing-world/water-use-in-gardens/managing-water-in-gardensYou can also find a full list of handy tips is available at www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/hot-weather-tips and get your water-saving devices at www.stwater.co.uk/savewater

And find out how to make your own watering container here: https://twitter.com/The_RHS/status/1261259986145083394/video/1