I return to the water butt; I fill my watering can; I got to the plants; I water. All the gardening programmes will go on about how it's better to give it a really good soak once a week than water daily but if you let the compost dry out entirely you will have problems getting water back into it. In high summer, on my hot little patio, I try to water daily, to keep the pots cool and the soil receptive. And then it needs the soak once a week.
I probably should have fewer pots. But most of my garden is patio and I keep accidentally buying specimen plants. And then I can't keep the strawberries in our sluggy soil.
The neighbours have a sprinkler, and a hose, but I try not to water from the tap. There are various butt-powered watering systems but they're slow. My clever drip watering system (a present from sister George) turned out less clever than I hoped; the pipes sprawl all over the place, and the water fails to drain because it's choked with organic matter (up to and including snails).
So until then it is the watering cans. I have four; a basic big green one, for large scale water-lugging. A pretty blue and white metal one with a screw-on rose, for pretending to my tree fern that it's raining. A little yellow one, for precision watering of peppers and tomatoes. And an orange sluicing can, quick to fill and quick to empty.
And I go to the water butt, fill it, return to the plants, water.
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