To mark Water Saving Week, which is running until 21st May, Bath-based Wessex Water is offering free kids’ gardening packs to its customers.
The free gardening pack | Image courtesy of Wessex Water
Wessex Water’s customers are able to order the gardening packs by signing up to the company’s free online water-use calculator, GetWaterFit.
Bethan Gray, a water efficiency coordinator at Wessex Water, said: “GetWaterFit aims to help customers save water, lower their water bills and raise money for charity.
“By signing up, you can order one of our free kids gardening packs, which contains a packet of cornflower seeds, a bottle top waterer and two soil growing discs to plant the seeds.
“The purpose of these packs is to help children grow an interest in nature, learn about the value of water and teach them how to save water in the garden.
“Stocks are limited so we encourage customers to sign up and order their packs before they run out. To sign up, visit: wessexwater.co.uk/getwaterfit”
With summer right around the corner, Wessex Water has also shared its top water saving tips for the garden, which include:
- Collect rainwater – plants prefer the naturally occurring elements in rainwater compared to tap water, so give them what they want and harvest rainwater throughout the year with a water butt.
- Retain water in your soil – spreading organic mulch, such as woodchip or homemade compost, over the top of your soil will help it to retain moisture during long periods of dry weather.
- Leave length on your lawn – mow your lawn so that it’s neat, but not very short. Longer grass, even a couple of centimetres, will mean it grows longer roots so it can reach water from deeper in the soil.
- Choose the right plants – there are many familiar species that would make great additions to your garden and are well adapted to cope with dry weather, such as lavender, geranium, verbena, alliums and sedums.
- Positive watering habits – the best time to water your plants is in the morning just as the sun is coming up because plants start using water as soon as it is light, but they use much less overnight when it is dark.
- Reuse household water – try reusing water from inside the home on your garden. Make use of the water left over from boiling vegetables and cleaning dishes.
More information about how to save water in the home and garden can be found at wessexwater.co.uk/savingwater.
