In late 1999 when I was diagnosed with a painful illness I could no longer do a lot of things which included watering my garden. So I knew when the water restrictions that came about in Australia in December 2006 would not affect my garden nor would it die off. It was by accident or luck if you will I found out or discovered that you can have a garden in Summer with water restrictions due to a drought.
Someone was able to water my garden for me up until 2001. But that summer he too was sick (but got better a couple of months later) and wasn't able to water it for me and I was to ill to care if my garden died or not but to my amazement it didn't. So since the summer of 2001 my garden has not been watered once with the exception of when it does rain of course. Yes you have read right and no I am not lying it is all true! Not only is my garden still alive it has flourished and has grown more now then when I watered it to the extent that I need someone to prune it regularly.
I have about 8 rose bushes of variety of colours, different colour geraniums bushes, daffodils, irises, trees, plants and cactus bush and two plants growing that I never planted courtesy of the birds that left seeds in my garden perhaps.
Not only that but the person who prunes my garden for me decided to put tomato and cucumber seedlings in not long ago without fertilization or mulch etc and they live on water from a watering can. Some of his plants died in the heat wave but some lived and even though they aren't the biggest tomatoes you have seen they sure are yummy.
I also get the person to really be as harsh as possible with pruning the garden. The harsher you are with them and the more you prune them you can get more roses all year round. I once met a man who said he prunes his roses with a chainsaw. Yes, my lawn dies off a bit in the summer but in the winter it's back to a luscious green colour.
I am proof that you can grow a garden with water restrictions and no water at all as your plants they adapt and learn to survive without water. The first year you may have some dead leaves and even a dying plant but don't rip it out of the garden. Give it a chance to grow again for you in the winter and if it does it won't die on you again.
I know I am doing my bit and following the water restrictions. I hear people complaining about their garden dying when they are caught out watering during the middle of the day. Which by the way is a waste of time anyway not only does it immediately dry up it scorches your plants. I say to them people you would be really complaining if we as people had to go on water restrictions by the government turning off water on certain days in which they have said they would do if people keep failing to follow the water restrictions guidelines.
