"VX" wrote in message
s.com...

Has anyone got any good ideas for dealing with drier conditions, water
restrictions etc?

Mulch wherever possible. Water evaporating into the atmosphere
from the soil surface, isn't doing much good to anything from
what I can see.
From the garden, to the pots in the greenhouse. Baking foil on
the latter can reflects sunlight back up to the plant.
Or old CD's if placed around the plant stem at an early
stage of developement maybe. Always removeable late if
necesary with a tin snips.
The only problem is that if the mulch is really effective and
acts as a total vapour barrier then this might prevent the soil
from getting properly aerated. Also of course, any rain would
simply settle on the surface and evaporate away, so you'd be really
worse off than before.
There are however plenty of permeabale mulching materials around
that let rain and air in eventually, but hinder too much evaporation.
You'll need to cut holes to plant things and apply water but mulching
is probably the way to go. While there's talk of plastic sheet mulches
encouraging slugs it also encourages plent of ground beetles IME
who appear quite able to see in the dark. Mulching can also be
very effective against the depredations of cats - especially one's own.

michael adams

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VX (remove alcohol for email)