RHS Garden Hyde Hall and Essex & Suffolk Water (ESW) have enjoyed a long relationship.

We are grateful for their support over the years that has enabled us to undertake projects that enhance the garden, educate our visitors about the wise use of water in the garden and take a positive step towards the conservation of a precious resource.

Wise Watering

Essex is situated in one of the driest areas of the United Kingdom and with water being one of our most valuable resources, we need to do all we can to conserve water and make sure that we use water in a responsible manner to avoid waste.

Ten Tips for using water wisely in the garden

1. Collect rainwater using water butts.
2. Recycle your domestic waste water or ‘Grey Water’. Water containing household soaps and detergents are harmless to established plants, but don’t use water containing bleach, disinfectants or other harsh cleaning agents. Make sure that you vary where you use the grey water.
3. Water accurately by making sure that you place the water at the stem base of the plant, underneath the foliage canopy. If you use a hosepipe, fit a trigger gun to the end so that you can turn it on and off easily.
4. Water early in the morning or in the evening to avoid the water being wasted through evaporation by the sun.
5. Water thoroughly. Lightly watering a dry soil will only penetrate the surface and will not reach the plant’s roots. In dry weather, a thorough soaking a couple of times a week is better than a light sprinkle every day.
6. Remove weeds as they will compete with the plants for water.
7. Mulch around your plants using organic matter, gravel, stone or mulching sheets. This reduces water loss from the soil.
8. Cultivate your soil so that it can retain the maximum amount of water. A sandy soil will drain very quickly and a heavy clay soil will hold the water so tightly that the plants cannot remove it. Digging organic matter into any soil will improve its capacity to retain water.
9. Choose the right plant for the right place by picking drought tolerant plants for hot sunny areas. Have a walk around our Dry Garden for some inspiration.
10. Lawns use a lot of water in hot dry weather. Leave the grass longer during the summer and consider cutting it less frequently.

Highlights from the partnership include:

1999

• With help from ESW we were able to construct a reservoir. The reservoir collects rainfall and irrigation runoff from the garden, maximising the ability to store this valuable natural resource.
• ESW provides sponsorship for a full-time education officer to work with children and schools.
• Support was also given by ESW for construction of the Farmhouse Garden.

2000

• Work began on the Dry Garden, sponsored by ESW. This was a major project involving ambitious and contemporary design concepts using plants that are drought and exposure tolerant.

2005

• Purchase and installation of an automated weather station courtesy of ESW. Weather has an important effect on day to day horticultural practices. The station gives us an accurate system of recording data and any patterns that demonstrate climate change.

2007

• The RHS embarked upon a project to encourage people to grow their own vegetables and at Hyde Hall we were able to construct a vegetable plot, supported by ESW. Innovative plots show different methods of cultivation and cropping to create locally produced food without excessive use of water. Good news for our planet!

• For further information go to www.eswater.co.uk