Janet Baraclough wrote:
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I've heard various dire predictions about dry conditions becoming
more prevalent, water shortages, hosepipe bans and even severe water
use resrictions. I live in the South-East where we seem to have much
more of a problem with this.

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

Try two books by Beth Chatto, The Dry Garden and The Gravel Garden.
You should be able to order them from any library but I'd recommend
buying them as they are such useful references.(She gardens in the
S.E)

Both contain reliable plantlists as well as useful ways to adapt your
gardening to drier conditions


If you are in range of her garden, not far from Colchester Essex, its open
most of the time (though not usually on Sundays), with an attached garden
centre.

The garden centre plant selection is arranged in sections of "dry", "wet",
"shade", etc., rather than the more traditional pure alphabetical
arrangement.

The dry "we've done no watering since year one, honest" garden is
interesting, giving a decent impression of what can be done. It looks pretty
decent even towards the tail end of a dry summer.

The garden centre and the dry garden (which forms part of the approach to
the house) are free of charge, the main garden charges a modest fee.


- Nigel (fairly local to the Chatto garden, no commercial connection other
than the odd small purchases).


--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/