Dilemma

Mary370

It has happened........a national hose pipe ban, began yesterday morning at 8 a.m.  The ban is in place until the end of July, it is expected to be extended if drought conditions continue.  There is no foreseeable rainfall due........I could cry.  I planted lots of perennials earlier in the year.............From this..................

to this..................


from this...................




to this.............


Got another delivery of bark yesterday which will be laid today.  What to do?

a.  water in the dark?  Risk being fined 140 euro

b. make lots and lots of ice cubes and put them around the plants?  Empty freezer of meat.

c. anyone other ideas?

BobTheGardener

The ban doesn't include use of watering cans does it?

Perki

I am not sure ( never had a hose pipe ban before ) but you can still use a watering can ? if its to heavy use some milk cartons or a jug

Mary370

The advise has been to conserve water........surely keeping my plants alive wouldn't be considered wasting water?  I mean they are living/alive for the moment.  They help feed lots of wildlife including the precious bees.  I'm wondering if these points would persuade a non gardener that watering plants is not wasting water.

Borderline

I'm pretty sure you can use a watering can like what others have suggested. To conserve water, water as late into the evening as possible and water very slowly and directly into the base of each clump. Some of the more established plants will not need as much watering. I can see Nepeta, in my opinion, they will not need too much water.

Mary370

I had been watering every third evening........

Borderline

Mary370, that sounds about right. It can be tough in the drier months. Along with tidying up, pruning, weeding and if you have a lawn, mowing, gardening is one big work-out. But, most times, rewarding, if you just ignore all the aches and pains afterwards.

ChrisWM

Previous bans in the UK have allowed the use of watering cans. Given the ability and time to use cans, all should be well. 

josusa47

I've heard some ludicrous things in connection with past hose pipe bans.  Even if you're only putting your bath water on the garden, you're meant to go up and down stairs scooping it into a watering can, because you mustn't use a hose to siphon it.  Can that be true?

B3

Who would know?  
I suppose you could dangle a hose out the bathroom window and into your watering can.
I remember in 1976 when we had stand pipes in the street. I suspect that filling a watering can then might have been frowned upon.

raisingirl

I'd use a watering can to give each area a really good soak in the evening, then use your bark chip in a thick layer over the area you've watered. Next evening do another area until you've watered - and you need to really soak it- and mulched all the young plants. Then stop watering and watch to see. Some of those plants will be OK. If you see some beginning to look really sad, you may need to scrape back the mulch and water again and then push the mulch back over. I'm not watering my borders - I don't have the water to spare. Most plants are doing OK - they aren't growing or flowering as much as usual, but so far, they are still alive.

The principle of a hosepipe ban is to reduce the flow rate - it's too easy with a hose to use far more water than is really warranted. If you have to carry a watering can you'll only carry as much as you really have to and it stops people putting sprinklers on the lawn all day and night.