Winter is the ideal time to save rainwater for use in the drier months.

Here are some easy ways to keep rainwater available for when you need it most :

• Install rainwater collection tanks below your gutters and downpipes. You’ll save yourself the hassle of dealing with a soggy, flooded garden after each rainstorm, and you’ll have water to use in your garden once the weather is drier. Alternatively, direct water from the gutters on your roof directly into your swimming pool.
• Mix plenty of water-absorbing granules into the soil of container plants. The granules will swell up and absorb the rainwater for use by the plants when water is scarce.
• When laying paving or driveways, make sure they are designed with a slope which leads run-off water into garden beds and onto lawns.
• Build water retaining dams around thirsty plants like roses, camellias and azaleas.
• Cover all your garden beds with a thick layer of mulch. It helps the soil to retain water and also prevents the topsoil from running off during particularly heavy rains.
• Where practical, opt for permeable ground services, such as gravel or stones, instead of paving, as they allow water to seep through to the soil, where it can be used by the plants in your garden.