Gardening_Convert wrote:
hazchem wrote:
There is a hosepipe ban in my area, South London. I do not want to be
carrying lots of water in watering cans. Can I please get some advice
on which vegetables need the least amount of watering.

I have an allotment, half a plot. I have 3 apples trees, half a dozen
grape vines and a thornless blackberry. I have a raised bed where I am
growing the few vegetables that I need, and I also have a few flowers.
I was quite happy with this, and I left half of my plot grass. I keep
my plot tidy, and think of the grass as my meadow area, allowing
interesting wild plants to remain. Recently I got a letter saying that
I have to cultivate my plot or it will be taken away from me and given
to someone else. So I need to grow more veg.
[...]

I read somewhere that pumkins don't need much water and would cover the
ground quite well for you
[...]

Anything in the pumpkin-marrow-cucumber tribe wants a lot of water.

OK, if there's nobody you care to share the plot with, we want a
low-cost trouble-free way of keeping "the Man" out of your hair. We
also want to preserve the amenity value from your point of view --
those wild flowers.

First thing is they can't reasonably expect you to get anything into a
grass plot this season. So you can start preparing, to show willing,
but take your time. Turn the turf in in strips, leaving paths of your
flowery grass in between.

I think you need perennials which, once established, will root deep
enough not to be too bothered by any future dry spell (forget about
this year), and won't need much care. I suggest rhubarb, gooseberries,
and red, white, and black currants. Or you can have plenty of dead-easy
cuttings from your present grape vines, and a bunch of tip layers from
your thornless bramble: these won't cost you anything. The blackberries
won't fruit brilliantly in a long drought because they're
shallow-rooting, but that doesn't matter: they won't die, and that's
the main thing. You can have some primroses and nice bulbs under grape
vines or trained brambles.

Top-fruit trees, such as your apples, would of course allow you to keep
your grass almost intact. Surely you like plums and gages? Two plums,
one gage, and one damson should be enough to fill the space. Pears? (Or
have they got some crazy rule against too many fruit trees?)

Do not despair!

--
Mike.