DIY jobs outdoors are a great way to soak up the sun while getting something done.

If you have a big garden project to do, now's the time. Building a deck or laying a patio takes some skill and experience, but putting up a wooden garden shed can be more straightforward, especially as it should come in panels and have instructions.

A sturdy base is needed first, ideally a concrete slab. Wooden sheds usually have a wooden floor (that can sometimes go on a base of gravel and sleepers), but metal sheds usually have the concrete base as the floor.

Replacing a fence can also be too much for inexperienced DIYers, but replacing rotten fence panels is much easier if the new panels are the same size as the old ones. Shrubbery often needs cutting back before working on your fence or shed; try the Stihl HSA 45 cordless hedge trimmer (RRP £99, www.stihl.co.uk), which has an integrated 18V lithium-ion battery with a 40-minute run time, so you can get a lot done.

Many wooden sheds and fences come pre-treated with wood preserver but, if they haven't been, treat them as soon as you can. Garden wood paints and stains provide increased protection from the elements, and there are lots of bright, pastel, muted and neutral colours to choose from.

On a warm summer day, it's nice to take portable DIY projects, such as doors and furniture, outside to work on them. This also applies to messy DIY tasks, such as sanding, sawing and planing, which are often best done outdoors.

The only problem here is you might not want to make a dusty mess of your outside area, and this is where the Karcher WD3 P wet and dry vacuum cleaner (£99.99, www.kaercher.com/uk) comes into its own. Simply plug your electric sander or saw into its built-in power socket, and the mess is sucked straight into the vac (as long as the power tool is compatible with dust extraction). The suction automatically syncs on and off with the sander or saw.

If you're not experienced enough to tackle a big garden DIY project, you could get stuck in to the demolition before the pros start the skilled work. Knocking down or breaking up an old patio, pond, garden wall, or concrete path or yard, can save you a lot of money in labour.

Meanwhile, although there has been no sign yet this summer of a hosepipe ban, we should all be thinking about ways to use less water - particularly the greenfingered among us, who have gardens to look after.

Here are eight easy ways to cut down on the amount of fresh water you use:

1. Water at specific times of day - early morning or dusk - to reduce evaporation. Don't water in the heat of the day. Use water butts; put pots under hanging baskets so the overspill also waters plants below; and leave clippings on the lawn after mowing to retain moisture.

2. Avoid sprinklers, which can use up to 1,000 litres of drinking water, or 220 gallons, in an hour. There are so many products on the market now to help us save water that there's really no excuse not to, from controlled irrigation systems where sensors monitor the moisture in the soil and only water your plants when the soil really needs it, to bathwater diverters which send all your 'grey' water to your water butt.

3. Don't water established lawns. During a long, hot spell, your lawn may turn a bit brown, but it will recover with the autumn rains. Leave grass to grow a little longer to preserve water and introduce drought-tolerant clover, which will prevent the lawn from changing colour completely when a dry spell hits.

4. Buy the right plant for you. Some varieties need more water than others, so if you're planning a water-wise summer then make sure you've got the right plants for your garden. Avoid tropical flowers and aim to buy plants from your local area.

5. Try to recycle your water as a matter of course. Use a plastic bowl for washing up and then deposit the water on to your plants, as a small amount of washing-up liquid isn't going to hurt them.

6. Use the rain to water your plants. Up to 85,000 litres of rain falls on your roof each year, so install a water butt and use it to water your plants and wash your car.

7. Choose your plant placement wisely. Some more thirsty specimens in pots may benefit from being placed on a tray lined with capillary matting, which soaks up the water and then delivers the moisture to the roots gradually, when it's needed.

8. Finally, try adding a thick layer of mulch around your plants. That could be anything that will cover the soil sufficiently to prevent it from getting too hot. Leaves and bark work very well and they gradually break down towards winter. You could also experiment with pebbles, straw, fruit pips or even newspaper - a great way to recycle your Westmorland Gazette.