“Watering is an art!”

I try not to spoil plants with water so that they don’t expect to get regular watering.  They learn to thrive on less. When new plants are planted, water them very well to ensure that the roots can become well established.  A rule of thumb I use for watering plants is counting with the word “mississippi” inserted between the numbers.  Count to 5 mississippi per plant for annuals and perennials, 15 mississippi for medium shrubs and 25 mississippi for large shrubs and trees.

This is a good rule of thumb for most plants in most gardens, however you may find that you need to water more or less at your location.  Just observe what your garden’s watering minimum is. This saves water, money and time! Also, choosing drought tolerant, native and hardy plants helps reduce your garden’s need for water.