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Greenleaf's Water Conservation Policy
07.01.09
Water conservation policy during a potential drought
With a drought forecast for the South East of England this summer, and a potential hosepipe ban, 
we would like to keep our customers informed of the steps that Greenleaf is taking to conserve water, without affecting our standards of service.
Although restrictions may soon be in place in areas of the South East of England, the ban on the use of hosepipes and sprinklers covers householders only. Commercial operations are exempt from this ban.
However, PHS Greenleaf also appreciates that it has a duty of care for the environment and aims to minimise the use of water at all times, especially in times of drought.
· In order to do this, Greenleaf uses automated watering systems that are designed to use only the minimum amount of water required to keep plants and flowers looking their best. Drip-feeding the plants provides an efficient and effective use of water. The system is set to activate early in the morning to avoid water loss through evaporation.
· They also have a special “drought-friendly” range of hanging baskets and troughs called Decora, which requires significantly less watering than other ranges. The availability of items in this range is limited. Please contact Greenleaf directly to discuss this range in more detail.
· Greenleaf uses drought tolerant plants wherever possible and are continuing to trial other varieties for use in future seasons.
· Water retaining granules are used in hanging baskets and troughs to absorb water from the compost and release it when required by the plants to feed from. Greenleaf also uses the Smart Cushion, which acts in a similar way to water retaining granules. It requires infrequent watering as the water is delivered slowly and directly to where it is needed.
· Greenleaf creates an inbuilt reservoir in all hanging baskets, troughs and other containers so that the water is available for the plants when they need it.
· A layer of mulch is also added to the surface of the compost in certain containers to help prevent evaporation of water
· Greenleaf also offers the option of using replica plants in exterior displays that require no watering whatsoever.
· Greenleaf staff are fully trained in caring for plants. This means that they water plants at the correct times of day and using the correct amounts of water. Plants need to be watered slowly and gently to allow for the compost to absorb the correct amount of water.
· Greenleaf is constantly looking for and testing new methods of reducing water wastage.
If you require any further information regarding our usage of water or the options available to you during the drought period, please email us at sales@phsgreenleaf.co.uk
Drought resistant plants
