So cross, my poor dried up pots….

I asked one of my sons to water my tomato plants for a few days last summer when I unexpectedly had to stay with my very elderly mother. It turned out to be very hot, and on day 3 he sent me a photo of the tomato plants in the little greenhouse, completely shrivelled and dead.

30 minutes later he sent me a message saying that it was a joke, that he had used an app to create the image. I had to laugh once I got over the urge to kill him.

Sorry Witzend, I know yours isn't a joke and I totally understand how you must feel.

My DGS said he would water my pots, some of which are really big. I watched him do it ... 2 seconds per pot at most! I had to explain to him what was needed!

Perhaps the ants were coming to the surface ready to fly?
The blackbirds were enjoying the ants here yesterday.

My shrivelled up lawn was full of little birds this morning; tits, Robin, a wren. Not sure what they were eating but it was quite a sight.

Oh dear, did you pay in advance? Can any be saved?

I just noticed the heucheras in the garden bed looking dry and shrivelled so watered them with a canful each and hope they can be rescued.
A lot of our plants and shrubs and a small tree are looking very sad but some weeds in the lawn are thriving.

My ground cover sedums are thriving and have not needed any watering from me, in very dry somerset

To help water to be absorbed in very dry soil, put one drop of washing up liquid into the water

I have filled small paddling pool with water and let plants soak from bottom up
Which seems to work well so far

I do love sedums and think I’m just going to fill the garden with them next year.

Peat free compost imo is totally rubbish and a waste of money. Plants and seeds don’t grow in it.

I don’t think there is a hosepipe ban where I live but I don’t have an outside tap so fill several dustbins with water using a hosepipe so I can access water outside. I’m having some plumbing done next week due to a leak and will have to drain my whole system. Plan to fill
the dustbins, buckets, bath etc so as not to waste the water but, again will have to use the hosepipe. Hope I don’t get into trouble ( I do everything possible to save water including using the bath water to flush the loo etc).

I’ve realised that everything dries up because I’m now using peat free compost. In the past if I’ve gone away I’ve put my pots in plastic storage boxes which I’ve filled with water but one time it rained non stop and everything drowned.

I have given up watering anything not in pots except the lobelia cardinallis and my heuchera. The pots I use harvested water only. A crying shame. When I look at photos of what it looked like last year I could cry.

Hose pipe ban here in Norfolk. We're supposed to disconnect the hose completely so we're not tempted. Washing up water and watering cans only. I'm afraid I've had to choose which to help possibly live and which to leave to die.

At least I don't have to worry about cutting the grass!

Am caring for my pots as much as possible here in my back yard in London but some plants have dried up and am not able to rescue them.
In this heat is very difficult to water enough without over watering or not watering for fear of this and the plant dying.

Did you actually show her how to do it? And it has been extremely hot.

Just because elder sister did a good job previously…..

Our GD looked after our greenhouse when we were away, told her to keep picking the tomatoes and cucumbers etc.

None picked.

🤷‍♀️