The spectre of hosepipe bans looms once again after spring and early summer turned out to be the driest in nearly 50 years.
Experts predict that gardeners in the north west of England could be hit with watering restrictions this summer. The prospect of a hosepipe ban will come as a surprise to many gardeners. The UK has experienced several washout summers in a row, while parts of Cumbria were devastated by flooding last autumn.

Met Office forecasters said last week that rainfall totals across the UK have been the lowest for 46 years for the first five months of 2010. A Met Office spokesman said: "Between January and May, average UK rainfall amounts were 318.9mm, which makes it the driest start to the year since 1964, when 307.9mm of rain was recorded."

Met Office data shows that East Anglia, the north, Midlands and Lancashire were driest, with less than 60 per cent of the average amount of rain recorded. April and May were the driest months, with less than 50 per cent of the monthly average rainfall over much of England and Wales. Director-general of the Horticultural Trades Association, David Gwyther, told AG: "Hose bans deter plants and gardening, and have a savage effect on growers and retailers of plants. Sales reductions of up to 20 per cent bring businesses to their knees, as seen during the previous droughts in the south east."

But an Environment Agency spokeswoman played down the threat: "With the exception of the north west, the risk of a drought this summer remains low. Across most of England and Wales, groundwater levels are healthy and reservoir levels close to normal." However, the agency said that continued below average rainfall this summer "would increase pressure on water resources" and called on gardeners to water responsibly.

United Utilities, which supplies seven million people with water in the north west, said its reservoir levels had "dropped below 80 per cent" and called on gardeners to use water wisely. The company said it was not seeking drought permits or introducing a hosepipe ban but added: "Should very dry weather continue into summer, we may need to consider these options to conserve essential supplies." Speaking about the dry start to 2010 at BBC Gardeners’ World Live in Birmingham last week, TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh said: "It highlights the extremes of gardening in this country."

5 top tips for wise watering:

1. Water in early morning or late evening - soak the soil
2. Add water-retaining gel to container compost
3. Use grey water from the bath to water your plants
4. Set up a drip irrigation system
5. Make the most of rainwater by collecting it in a water butt