Homeowners know that irrigation is a necessary but never-ending task for gardens and the overall landscape.
In such a case, he said, switch quickly to more drought-tolerant plants, and to practices such as adding compost and mulch, which hold water.
If water restrictions have been mandated by your community, then determine exactly what they cover.
“If not too severe, they may just cover lawn sprinklers and not watering of gardens,” Perry said.
Watering should be directed toward your choicest plants, expensive or special ones — perhaps family heirloom plants and those newly planted and not yet established.
“You may need to let them shrivel and crisp up.
But they may just go dormant and revive after a rainy period returns.” Plan your landscape not only for beauty but for irrigation, said Sheri Dorn, an extension horticulturist with the University of Georgia.
It all starts with the soil, she said.
Long-standing droughts can be damaging, but intelligent gardening means you might be able to save your water and the plants, too, Perry said.
• Water deeply and less often, rather than frequently and for shorter periods.