Watering Wisdom

Not sure when it’s the right time to water your flowers? Listen to your plants—they’ll tell you! Here are some signs that indicate they’re thirsty:

• Leaves droop slightly during the heat of the day, but recover once the sun goes down.
• Leaves are duller or grayer than normal.
• The foliage of fleshy-leaved plants shrivels slightly or feels soft to the touch.

Soaker hoses that snake through your flower beds don’t simply make watering a snap—they also keep your water bill in check! That’s because they deliver water directly to the plants’ roots and minimize evaporation. Cover them with mulch and leave them in place year-round, and your watering woes will be a thing of the past!

And the best part is, if you have an old leaky hose lying around, you don’t have to go out and buy a brand-new soaker hose—you already have one! All you have to do is straighten the hose on the ground and punch holes all the way through using an ice pick, spacing the holes about 12 inches apart. Then tie 6-inch strips of rags around each punched area, screw one end of the hose to the faucet, and put a hose end cap on the other end. Lay the hose in your garden bed, turn the water on low, and let your garden beauties soak up the refreshing H2O.

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