The greener garden

Hosepipe ban or not, it makes sense to re-use grey water from the bath, sink and washing machine

Provided you use eco-friendly detergent, it should have no detrimental effect on the soil or plants  over two or three months (though it is not recommended for edible crops); in fact, diluted soap can combat aphids. According to the Horticultural Trades Association, "the huge amount of rinse water used in washing machines will dilute detergents to the lowest level, and is safe to use". It warns against using water from dishwashers as the tablets contain concentrated detergent which could damage the soil structure. Wiggly Wigglers (www.wigglywigglers.co.uk) sells an easy siphon device to re-use bath water called the Drought Buster, £19.50.

For barbecues, buy British-produced, BioRegional Charcoal (sold at B&Q), which doesn't contribute to deforestation in the developing world. Forest Stewardship Council-approved barbecue tools are available from Waitrose, and you can replace toxic fuel with green briquettes made from newspaper with Natural Collection's Log-Maker, £29.95 (www.naturalcollection.com).

Wyevale, Britain's biggest garden centre, has stopped selling patio heaters, earning it greenie points after criticism for selling non-FSC-certified furniture. The propane-fuelled heaters use as much energy every hour as it takes to make 400 cups of tea. Wyevale has also pledged to stock only certified wood products by 2009 and is phasing out 90 per cent of its peat-based products.

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