As the mercury rises this summer, gardeners will be looking to reduce water usage without sacrificing beauty in their outdoor spaces.

Help horticulturalists who are environmentally-minded – or anticipating a hosepipe ban – with our tips for gardening that maximises beauty and minimises water waste with the clever use of stones and grits.

1. Spend time on soil

Water retention can be improved by adding horticultural grit sand to soil. The angular stones help to create small pockets in the soil which are essential for holding water and air.

Adding horticultural grit sand to compost will create the best open and free-draining potting material for plants.

Kelkay offers a full horticultural collection, including horticultural grit sand – we recommend putting on display close to soil and pots. Browse the collection here.

2. Use Pot Toppers

Small rocks or pebbles can be used as pot toppers to prevent water from evaporating and drying out the soil.

As a result of the small stones, water is more effectively absorbed into the soil, and evaporation from the soil surface is significantly reduced, meaning less watering is required over time.

Pot toppers also keep the soil and roots protected from weather fluctuations throughout the summer by acting as a layer of insulation.

We suggest placing Pot Topper display units close to pots and soil for summer promotion.

Browse our whole range of Pot Toppers here.

3. Remember timing matters

Watering plants early in the morning allows for more water absorption before drought sets in, to keep soil moisture levels up and prevent a water shortage. Remember to aim for the roots when watering plants as they will soak up water from the soil.

If watering and maintenance become a regular issue, there’s always the option of creating a gravel garden, which lends itself to Mediterranean-style, drought-tolerant plants like lavender and euphorbias. The RHS has a great guide to gravel gardens here.

Don’t forget you can shop the entire Kelkay gravel range here – place your order today for a 5 day lead time and merchandising service.

We also offer a selection of pot toppers, and you can find our Horticultural Grit as part of the new Kelkay Horticultural collection. To get them into your store, contact a sales representative and place an order.

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