We are on a metered supply so any water from the tap has to be paid for. Be nice if ones income was sufficient to pay to keep plants alive when we need the money to pay to keep ourselves alive!
I agree … at another point in the programme MD explained that various vegetables had been watered. Like many of us, he made responsible and pragmatic choices. Most of us chose to water our vegetable crops and, if there was any water left then containers and newly planted shrubs and perennials were next on the list. Deeper rooted and more established plants were more likely to be able to cope.
I suspect that, had Monty set up a watering system for his ornamentals, there would have been another new poster popping up to criticize, saying it was irresponsible or that it was ‘all right for him with all his money but what about the rest of us’ … and others pointing out the selfishness and irresponsibility of watering ornamentals.
It does seem that there are some folk who read this forum but never post or help fellow gardeners with their problems; instead they wait until they spot an opportunity to launch an ‘attack’ on someone, usually MD, in some sort of bid to be the Silverback.
The thought of flying to the Med purely to sort out a watering system for a private non-commercial garden (whether or not the plane was going anyway) is repugnant, particularly this year when so many folk are desperately worried about the rising cost of living and utility bills, wars and climate change.
I suggest the OP visits Beth Chatto’s gardens and buys her book ‘The Dry Garden’ … he’ll then understand how he can establish a garden appropriate to its location, so he can sleep peacefully at night, not having to worry about whether or not the watering system in Crete is functioning properly, or even coping with the nagging guilt that they might possibly be wasting the earth’s precious resources.
I have friends who live in Cyprus the year round … they love their garden. They tell me the only plants they water are those in pots … eg basil and pelargoniums … and occasionally the parsley which they grow mainly for the caterpillars of the Swallowtail butterflies.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I believe this is just a silly person who wants to stir up an argument. Many areas were forbidden the use of a hosepipe for the good of the community and the environment.
These posts almost always crop up on a Friday evening...
Demand
for water is outstripping supply in Greece and climate change is making
it worse. Greece needs to act now to secure its water future.
But in many places, such as the island of Crete and Corinth city,
groundwater is being extracted faster than it can be naturally
recharged; not only does this steadily drain the aquifer but it also
allows saltwater to seep in and contaminate the whole supply.
agriculture certainly needs to reduce its over-exploitation of groundwater and wasteful irrigation practices
Greece is currently ranked 26th for water stress in the world and its
climate change predictions are bleak: around 30 percent of Greece could
become desert over the next few decades.
While there are solutions that could help mitigate the worst future
water shortages, it is a challenge that everyone in Greece is going to
have to help overcome.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
I believe this is just a silly person who wants to stir up an argument.
I don't think so. It's someone who plays the game of "Monty Don is Stupid". They regard themselves as a much better gardener. "If only he was more like me!" they cry. Quite a few regulars on the forum play this game too. Yes, it's really tedious.
Having watched the programme now, Monty did say he watered pots etc. I do think it's unsustainable to insist he commits to watering plants such as the Witch Hazel he mentioned, growing out in the woodland garden. In reality it will probably bounce back anyway. We should be working with nature rather than using up resources unnecessarily; for example, in the same segment he observed how the Epimediums had stayed looking good, so he made a few more clumps to spread around. Carol also visited a fantastic garden which was entirely un-watered. While we all accept there are certain situations where you have to water (pots for example), adapting to a changing climate in a responsible way is far from 'foolish'.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
We cut down to 2showers a week,and scooped all the water out of the bath, even using a sponge to soak up every last drop,used it to water specialist plants,and the veg in pots. So that's nothing new.
I haven't watered my garden, just my greenhouse and a few young plants still in pots. I garden on clay soil (as does Monty, I believe) It goes like concrete but the plants that grow in it seem to manage to find enough water underground. Our springs have kept running all through, so we know there's water deep underground still. I don't think I've lost any established plants that were in the ground, just a couple of babies and one or two that were in pots and were watered but seem to have just cooked. Like Buttercupdays, we're not on mains water so didn't have a hosepipe ban but do have to make choices about what we use water for to avoid over taxing our supply.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
This has been touched on in the above posts but to underline it: Don't forget you can use 'grey water', namely reusing water from your bath / sink which you have washed / washed up in, for watering your plants. It won't harm them in any way. I have even used the water which I used to clean off my plastering tools / buckets in before now, with no ill effects to the plants. Best wishes, Mike.
I only watered plants when they were looking sorry for themselves which was fortunately not very often. The ferns took an enormous hit on those excruciatingly hot few days but they all put on new growth with a few heavy rain showers and are perfectly fine. Despite barely watering anything, the only thing I lost this year was a newly planted buddleia which didn't recover even when watered.
Posts
It does seem that there are some folk who read this forum but never post or help fellow gardeners with their problems; instead they wait until they spot an opportunity to launch an ‘attack’ on someone, usually MD, in some sort of bid to be the Silverback.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Preventing a water crisis in Greece
Demand for water is outstripping supply in Greece and climate change is making it worse. Greece needs to act now to secure its water future.
I haven't watered my garden, just my greenhouse and a few young plants still in pots. I garden on clay soil (as does Monty, I believe) It goes like concrete but the plants that grow in it seem to manage to find enough water underground. Our springs have kept running all through, so we know there's water deep underground still. I don't think I've lost any established plants that were in the ground, just a couple of babies and one or two that were in pots and were watered but seem to have just cooked. Like Buttercupdays, we're not on mains water so didn't have a hosepipe ban but do have to make choices about what we use water for to avoid over taxing our supply.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Don't forget you can use 'grey water', namely reusing water from your bath / sink which you have washed / washed up in, for watering your plants. It won't harm them in any way.
I have even used the water which I used to clean off my plastering tools / buckets in before now, with no ill effects to the plants.
Best wishes,
Mike.