Giovanna Fletcher has kept her tomatoes thriving despite the summer heatwave thanks to this clever watering system – 'it's like building LEGO'

One sunny afternoon in Richmond, I had the pleasure of sitting down with best-selling author, broadcaster and vegetable grower, Giovanna Fletcher, to chat all things gardening and water-saving tricks. I came away convinced that I need to try one irrigation system in particular: micro-drip watering.

Drip watering is an irrigation method that I’ve been keen to test for a while, and Giovanna told me it’s been a game-changer in her garden this year – particularly for her tomato plants. Giovanna is working with GARDENA in support of UNICEF’s WASH campaign, raising awareness about water scarcity across the globe (more than 2.1 billion people don’t have access to safely managed drinking water), and the importance of becoming more conscious about water usage. We really can make a difference in our own gardens here in the UK – it’s just about changing the way we hydrate our plants.

As luck would have it, micro-drip irrigation systems have a ton of other benefits in our gardens, from seeing us through hosepipe bans (depending on your local water provider's rules) to ensuring consistent watering and healthier plants. Here’s why Giovanna is such a fan.

According to a recent study commissioned by GARDENA, 94% of Brits don’t know how much water they use, and 71% don’t usually think about it. Just 20% view water as a precious resource – and I think we’re all guilty of being a bit too blasé with the hosepipe.

When I spoke to Giovanna, she told me that her gardening practices have changed over the years – her watering methods, specifically.

‘I’ve been much more aware of how much water I’m using with things like micro-drip irrigation systems,’ she said. ‘We’ve really seen the difference this year, with a system that’s set up to be very accurate and efficient, compared to me or my children being quite willy-nilly about it.’

Micro-drip irrigation kits like the GARDENA Micro-Drip-System are ideal for containers. They deliver water at soil level, exactly where it’s needed, and take the guesswork out of correctly watering your plants. Plus, many water providers allow micro-drip irrigation systems during a hosepipe ban (but check the website to make sure!).

‘Not only is it a time saver, but you know that everything’s actually getting watered properly,’ Giovanna told me. ‘It’s been a massive, massive game-changer, and my husband loves me a lot more this year because there’s an irrigation system in place while I go away.’

One of Giovanna’s crops has benefitted from her micro-drip irrigation system in particular, and it’s her favourite thing to grow: tomatoes.

‘Last year, my tomato plants had so much bottom-end rot from inconsistent watering – doing it at different times, with different amounts – but now, I know what’s happening every day,’ she said.

Inconsistent watering can also stop tomatoes from turning red – so I’ll definitely be trying the system out with my tomato plants.

Giovanna actually uses smart garden technology alongside her micro-drip system to streamline the process even further. The GARDENA Smart Irrigation Control is exactly the kind of thing that can upgrade an irrigation system, and you can control watering schedules from the GARDENA smart app.

‘Irrigation can be a bit smarter and think, well, what’s the weather doing? Do I need to put the hose on today? Is the soil dry? It’s having those little bits in place, and that can have such a massive impact on what you’re doing outside,’ Giovanna explained.

Irrigation kits always look a little daunting in the box, but Giovanna told me they’re so easy to set up.

‘I wish I’d known about it sooner,’ she said. ‘It’s so easy. Someone described it to me like Lego, and it’s totally like that. It’s just piecing it together.’

Mindful watering kit

A few tweaks to your watering regime can make it a whole lot more efficient and less wasteful. These are the pieces of kit I'd recommend.

I'll be taking Giovanna's recommendation on board and ordering an irrigation system of my own. It's a brilliant way to keep your garden watered consistently and efficiently.