A gardening enthusiast has shared an easy way to keep flowers and plants happy while also cutting down on your water bill as the hot weather continues, and with hosepipe bans in force in many areas of the UK. There’s a lot to love about summer, but this year’s onslaught of extreme temperatures and damaging droughts has put a bit of a downer on the season.
The warmer months typically spell the arrival of beloved barbecues in the garden, lighter and more relaxed evenings spent outdoors, picnics in the park and much more. Unfortunately, the sticky, sweaty conditions that have dominated recent times have got many of us dreaming of autumn. Until the season changes though, the warm weather looks as though it’s here to stay – and this is having a dramatic impact on many people’s gardens.
In some parts of the UK, a hosepipe ban came into force on July 10. Water UK states: “Affinity Water, Anglian Water, Cambridge Water, Essex and Suffolk Water, Southern Water, South East Water, South West Water, Thames Water, Welsh Water and Essex & Suffolk Water have announced they are implementing Temporary Use Bans (hosepipe ban) – for some or all of their customers.”
And the Met Office reports England and Wales have had “the driest July on record, with drought declared in half of England.” Water UK adds: “The hot weather has led to an unprecedented demand for water with some companies seeing demand rise by up to a third.”
Many people are seeing the effects of this in their gardens, with plants and flowers drying out and, in some instances, dying due to the dry and hot weather. DIY and gardening enthusiast Olivia took to TikTok with a video detailing her solution to keeping her hydrangeas and other plants happy in these conditions – self-watering globes that can be added to a range of plant pots.
Narrating footage of her Water Buddy balls in action, Olivia explained: “Let me show you the balls in my garden. These are the Water Buddies and I absolutely love them – I’ve got them mixed between two sizes spread across my front and back garden.
“You fill them up with water and screw the lid on and they slowly release water depending on how dry or wet the soil is. I have these smaller balls in my pot plants – it’s because I do notice they dry out quicker. They’re also great for hanging baskets as well.”
Explaining how long the water lasts in the balls, Olivia said: “I’ve noticed the smaller ones last about a week when it’s not as hot, but during the recent heatwave I did notice I was filling them up every three to four days just because of how hot it was. This is one of the bigger ones – it’s 1.5 litres that I use for my hydrangeas.
“I have not watered my front garden for three to four days now. I actually can’t remember the last time.
“Hydrangea is still very happy and if anyone has these in their garden, you know how dramatic they are if they get too dry. We also have one in the shade that I was checking up on, but this hasn’t gone down as much.
“They are genuinely worth investing in – and for a pack of three for less than £30, not only does it keep your plants happy but also cuts down on your water bill.”
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