Long summer days and hose pipe bans will take their toll on your precious plants. Here are a few tips to help you cope in drought conditions.

Plant the right plant in the right place – don’t bother trying to grow a moisture loving ‘Hosta’ in full sun.

Encourage deep rooting by cultivating deeply into the soil and adding plenty of organic matter.

Mulch your soil when it’s moist, preferably in spring. This will lock in the moisture.

Don’t bother giving your plants just a dribble of water; this will encourage their roots to the surface. Give them enough to penetrate completely down into the soil.

Save rain water in butts – the more butts you have the better!

Remove all weed growth, weeds compete for water and nutrients.