Over the last 10 years, we have seen a lot of changes to the weather, with longer drier spells causing drops in water resources, and only this week has there been a warning that there is a real danger of a drought – the last time this happened was in 1976.

According to the World economic forum, water scarcity is one of the five global risks and already affects a quarter of the world’s population.

Yesterday I posted about how to save water in your home in North Leeds, today we are looking at tips to save water in the garden (it’s raining today as I type too!)

• Water your lawn only when it really needs it - step on some grass if it doesn’t spring back then it needs watering and put a nozzle on your garden hose
• Water your garden at the coolest part of the day – early morning is the best time
• Deep-soak your lawn so that it goes right down to the roots where it is needed. A light sprinkling will simply sit on the surface, evaporate and be wasted
• Don’t water your garden when it is windy, as the water will be carried off to the areas that don’t need it
• If your children have a paddling pool, use the used water to water the lawn
• Use a broom to clean driveways instead of a hose and don’t use a hose when washing your car – soap down the car from a bucket and then use the hose to rinse off at the end – don’t wash your car as much in hot weather
• Check for leaks in pipes, hoses, faucets and couplings
• If you have a hanging basket, sandwich a layer of polythene between the moss and the liner of the basket to stop the water draining away
• Just water the base of the plants and soil as this is where they like to drink it - avoid over watering your plants as this is the most common way to kill them
• Use a water butt, you can then use the water to wash your car or feed your plants.

Bramhope and North Leeds has some beautiful gardens, so hopefully the hot weather will not impact them too much.

If you are considering selling your home and would like a free market appraisal call David Phillip FRICS on 01134 676 400 a: 86, Leeds Road, Bramhope, Leeds, LS16 9AN w:davidphillip.co.uk