Eden Project water saving tips as Cornwall hosepipe ban starts

From one minute past midnight on Saturday, reaching for the hose to water the garden or wash the car is off limits for households across Cornwall and Devon. The ban arrives in the middle of a summer that has bleached lawns gold and left soil cracked and dusty, and the Eden Project has stepped in with practical advice on getting through it without watching your garden give up.

More than half the UK is now in drought

The Environment Agency has declared flash drought conditions across the Central, Eastern and South West, pushing water scarcity out to seven regions of England and all of Wales. More than half the UK is affected, with hosepipe bans now covering more than 20 million people. For households in Cornwall and Devon, the ban comes into force at 12.01am this Saturday, 8 August.

Sunshine and intense heat, including record-breaking temperatures above 35 degrees on at least seven days this summer, have combined with low rainfall in recent months to parch the land, flora and fauna. Farmers are raising concerns about crop and livestock productivity, and forecasts offer no substantial rain or end to the drought in sight.

Eden Project responds in its 25th year

The Eden Project, the educational charity near St Austell that marked its 25th anniversary this year, wants to raise awareness of how people can adapt their water use at home and take positive action to help ease the crisis.

Andy Jasper, CEO of the charity, said: “Eden Project focuses on connecting people with the wonders of the natural world, showcasing plants, and exploring the story of life on our planet. Since we opened our doors in Cornwall, we’ve welcomed more than 25 million people in to enjoy our incredible global gardens. We’ve created a different climate example including our dry Mediterranean Biome to inspire our visitors and explore how to make changes in their everyday lives to care for nature and help mitigate climate change.”

He added: “Drought conditions and wildfires we’re seeing this year remind us that we need to take action to improve our connection with the natural world and support nature to recover. There are so many positive things we can do. The future is ours to make.”

How Eden keeps its own plants alive

Eden Project showcases plants suited to different climates, with adapted soils, a geothermal water supply and experimental water recycling systems supporting a tropical rainforest, a Mediterranean Biome and temperate outdoor gardens. It collects two-thirds of the water it needs on the site itself.

Charles Sainsbury, Eden Project’s Head of Regenerative Sustainability and Energy, said: “The Eden Project collects two-thirds of its water needs on site. Being situated in a former clay mine, the site water systems are critical. Groundwater is collected to flush water-efficient loos and rainwater is harvested to irrigate plants.”

The charity’s planting for climate resilience includes a new Thriveway garden exhibit, showing a different way to plant, alongside the mature Mediterranean Biome, a snapshot of hotter, drier regions of the world and the plants that thrive there. As the UK summer starts to mirror a drier Mediterranean one, the Biome has become a place to learn about plants that will cope better in a changing climate, and how gardens can adapt to help pollinators and biodiversity survive.

Peter Jones, Eden Project’s Director of Horticulture, said: “Drought caused by extended periods of dry weather and extreme heat this year have impacted flora and fauna across the UK. Grasses are bleached a striking gold, soil has become dusty and hydrophobic with moisture deficit reducing microbial activity. Plants are struggling, but there is a lot we can do to help. Eden Project’s diverse demonstrator landscapes feature adapted planting and simple approaches that can be replicated in the UK’s gardens too.”

Household water saving tips

The charity’s advice starts indoors, where small changes add up fast.

• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth to save 6 litres of water a minute.
• Shorten your showers. Showers use between 6 and 45 litres a minute.
• Use full loads in your washing machine and dishwasher to cut the number of washes.
• Fix a dripping tap. A single drip can waste 15 litres of water a day.
• Fit a water butt to your drainpipe to capture and store water when it rains.

Water-conserving gardening

Out in the garden, the aim is to lose less of the water you do use and put what is left where it counts.

• Mulch your plants. Put a thick layer of bark, compost or straw around them to trap moisture and keep the soil cool, before the surface has dried out.
• Use a watering can with a rose attachment rather than a running hose, so you control where the water goes and stop soil washing away.
• Use stored water. Rainwater from a water butt, or clean grey water such as old washing-up water, as long as it has no bleach in it.
• Prioritise plants. Focus limited water on food crops, young or newly planted plants, and containers. Established trees and shrubs usually cope on their own.
• Keep water where it is needed. Use tree bags that release water slowly over 48 hours, or make your own with upside-down plastic bottles at the base of plants.
• Water early or late. Watering in the early morning or late evening stops water evaporating quickly in the sun.
• Soak deeply. Water the base of plants heavily once a week rather than a light splash every day, which helps roots grow deeper and builds resilience.
• Check pots daily. When they are dry, top them up, but use saucers to catch any water that escapes.

Planting for dry weather: right plant, right place

The longer-term answer is choosing plants that can take a baking summer and a wet, mild winter. Mediterranean herbs, deep-rooted perennials and silver-foliaged plants naturally lock in moisture and need little watering once established, though it pays to pick varieties that can also handle prolonged wetter winters.

Peter said the key is to start as you mean to go on. Choose plants for resilience that can cope with a range of conditions, and when establishing trees and shrubs, leave gaps between waterings to encourage the roots to grow deeper.

Ten dry and heat-resilient plants

1. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) for borders, pollinators and fragrance.
2. Russian Sage (Salvia yangii, formerly Perovskia atriplicifolia) for long flowering.
3. Sedum (Stonecrop) for ground cover, containers and rock gardens.
4. Agapanthus varieties for dramatic summer flowering.
5. Verbena bonariensis, very easy to grow and great for pollinators and airy borders.
6. Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), a classic evergreen herb with excellent structure.
7. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), a native wildflower superb for pollinating insects.
8. Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) for striking colour, long-lasting blooms and autumn seedheads.
9. Santolina (Cotton Lavender) for its handsome silver foliage.
10. Gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri) for continuous flowering through hot weather.

Peter Jones said the small choices matter more than they look. “We can improve our planning for wetter winters and extremely dry summers and learn to be more careful about how we use water, and recycle it. Every action we take has a cumulative impact on water supply, benefiting nature and people as a result.”