I used to water my plants every evening, because that felt like doing something useful. Most of them were miserable. Then an article on Yard Fixes pointed out that I had been drowning them for months and calling it care.

Now I check the soil first. Finger in, up to the second knuckle. If it is damp down there, I walk away and find something else to do. That is the whole rule.

When I do water, I water properly. A long slow soak so it actually reaches the roots, then nothing for days. Little daily sprinkles only wet the top layer and teach roots to stay shallow, which was the opposite of what I wanted.

Mulch did more than the watering ever did. A thick layer of garden compost over the beds holds the moisture in and stops me reaching for the can every time the surface looks dry.

I also grouped the thirsty ones together. Courgettes and beans sit in the same bed now, so one soaking serves both, and the lavender and rosemary, which hate being fussed over, are well away from the tap.

Weather still decides. If rain is coming tomorrow, I wait. Obvious, and I ignored it for years.

The plants look better. So does the water bill, though the less said about that the better.