Despite the recent downpours, waterwise, we live in unpredictable times. Warnings about climate change escape none of us. No longer can we expect nature to behave and give us rain when we think it should fall.

Pick your plants: With the prospect of Mediterranean conditions in the south, grow herbs and other plants from hotter regions. They need less water, which means less work for you.

Water conservation: Earth acts as a water-storage reservoir. By adding compost or organic matter to the soil, you are improving that capacity. To lessen evaporation, apply a mulch, a layer spread on the soil surface that stops the sun from evaporating all the water from the earth beneath it. Even gravel acts as a mulch, and if you have access to compost, a layer spread all over will be excellent. Aim for a thickness of about 2in.

Wait until it has rained and the earth is nice and wet. Mulching dry soil doesn’t work, as the mulch will stop the water getting through to the soil beneath.

In spring, invest in a water butt to beat hosepipe bans — by the time the hot weather comes they will be sold out.

How to water: Don’t water in the midday sun as you are immediately giving the sun half of what you use. Also, water droplets on leaves act like a magnifying glass and will scorch them.

Before you start, poke your finger deep into the earth: it would be daft to water when plants don’t actually need it. Keep the water near the roots; it’s wasteful to spray or use sprinklers.

Prioritise: Use tap water for seedlings in trays, as bacteria in butt water isn’t good for young plants. In hot weather, hanging baskets and window boxes need watering every morning and evening. Next come newly planted trees and shrubs, which need watering every day or so. Vegetables are greedy and get tough if they are not given enough. Then mete out supplies on newly planted perennials and any other transplants. Established beds and borders need little extra watering unless there is a heatwave.

Can I use household grey water? Yes, you can. Bath water is fine for plants, especially if they are established. Wait for it to cool, though. If you are very eco-minded, you can recycle the rinse water from a washing machine, as long as you use a biodegradable detergent.

If you have a container garden, use rain or tap water direct, and give the morning bath water a miss. Soapy residues can build up in containers and plants don’t like them, but the garden soil can deal with it much better.

Feeding: If your soil has plenty of compost in it, you won’t need to worry too much about fertilisers. But the best time to use them is when you plant — this applies especially to trees and shrubs, which have greater nutritional needs. Bonemeal or rock phosphate, chicken droppings or granular inorganic fertilisers and seaweed meal are the basic ones to keep to hand.

What is NPK? You will see this on the side of fertiliser packets. It simply means nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen encourages leaves and shoots to beef up. Phosphorus gives healthy roots. Potassium makes for good flowers and fruits and helps plants get tough for winter. A general-purpose all-rounder such as Growmore will have all the extra nutrients you need.

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