The effect of the current sustained drought on the gardens is unhappily all too obvious – yellow lawns and withered shrubs and flora struggling to survive.  Some residents have expressed concern at the use of sprinklers at a time when parts of the country are already facing hosepipe bans.

The water supply situation here is very different. At the present time Southern Water has not imposed a hosepipe ban and currently has no intention of doing do.  After a wet winter the reservoirs and ground water are at good levels and Bewel Water, the largest reservoir in the south-east, is amazingly at 95% capacity, well over the average for this time of year.

Jeremy is worried that without the use of sprinklers the gardens could be catastrophically damaged – thousands of pounds worth of plants will perish and butterflies and bees will be deprived of essential nectar.

Under these circumstances, notwithstanding an awareness that purified water is a precious resource, it has been decided that sprinklers will continue to be used, but in a strictly controlled fashion, at the optimum time of day and for the shortest possible duration in specifically targeted areas.  They will not be left to play unattended for extended periods, thus minimising the waste of water.

Obviously if the situation outlined above changes, this decision will be reviewed.