A hosepipe ban is now in force in the North West and that could spell disaster for gardening enthusiasts. We’ve had some very dry weather of late so gardens have required a lot of attention, but from now on gardeners will have to be a little more resourceful when watering their gardens.

It’s always a good idea to have a couple of water butts to collect rainwater with which to water your garden. You can also collect bath and shower water for use in your borders and pots as soap rarely has any negative effect on your plants and flowers.

Window boxes and hanging baskets are a great way of giving your house a little extra visual appeal. If you have ever witnessed a little village life on the continent you’ll be aware of the incredible impact that colourful flowers and plants can have on the front and back of houses.

For full effect, select a few green creeping plants that will hang downwards beneath the basket and set these off with some thick, squat and colourful flowers. This will give maximum coverage on top and below the basket or window box.

Summer is the season when your window boxes and hanging baskets will flower at their best, so get down to the garden centre asap.

If you’re living in a house or flat with a small paved garden, you can still benefit from some effective gardening. The best way of decorating a small paved area is probably to place a bit of garden furniture in the centre and then invest in a number of plant pots of different sizes.

Place your pots around the edges of the patio and fill them with colourful plants and flowers. A couple of climbing plants on your fences is a good idea too. This will give the effect of foliage and bright flowering even though you have no borders or lawn.

You can also change the plants in your pots easily every season over the course of an hour or two.