Does everyone have to water twice a day?

You're welcome, KG---if you do get the mulch, I would suggest first scratching the ground around your plants until it's good and loose (perhaps carefully digging a bit with a spade where possible to get a little deeper)then watering it very, very thoroughly. Only then applying the mulch and then water it all once again, soaking the mulch from above very thoroughly.
This scratching /digging before watering is to let the water soak-in and down into your soil where the roots are, so it won't juststand or run off.
...And of course, the excessive watering is sort of like putting money in the bank--if you leave it out on the dresser, it might get spent too quickly, but if it's in the bank it will get spent alright, but slower. See what I mean? Wink

Good luck with this project--it's an important one.

Oh, one final note: unless you are growing things that absolutely need acid soil like blueberries, azalias, rhododendron etc. do not use a pine bark mulch. Look in the sacks for a hint as to what the mulches are for and what the pH is. Of course if you have things at home like compost or leaf mould you could use those.

You know, KG--it just dawned on me that you may already know all this stuff. Embarassed

If so, please don't be offended. My heart is in the right place, I ment well. Smile

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Sjoerd http://www.volkstuindersvereniginghoornenomstreken.nl/Page11.html

I practice xeriscaping with drought resistant plants i've just discovered water-gel capsules online - you mix them into the soil of garden or potted plants and they hold water in the soil, which is dispersed as needed.

Last year's drought was awful in s.c. I am a part-timer there. None of the plants were watered during the drought and all but the baby hollies survived.

These methods can change your garden into a more drought resistant and low maintenance area even if you start late.

Mulches -whether barks, pinestraw or pea gravel, are superb for conserving water below the surface.Gardengater is right! Get a few soaker hoses (install them under mulches and no one's the wiser, just hook up your regular hoses to the ends and turn on the water) - you can effectively drip irrigate large areas with no wasted water and no effort. the plants utilize the water in half the time and get all of it, sprinklers are not in sight and you can water any time of day, even in the worst heat.

Weave the soaker hoses in and out of your beds and cover with soil or mulch. They come in lots of sizes, i have a couple that are 100 ft. Your water isn't lost to evaporation in the air or on the surface of the garden, watering walkways, burning the leaves, or watering anything other than your plants. you will water much less often and in much less time.

these methods can be used to remedy your drought issues at any time and are easy to implement. Better of course when you start a garden. They can be made inconspicuous. i leave mine in the gardens and hook them up to a water source when needed. if you live in a freeze zone, store the hoses.

A healthy worm population aerates the soil and water is better used because of the tunneling they do for a living.

Gardener's Supply Company has self-watering planters in all sizes. I just bought the largest rectangulars, free shipping, for the front porch area. they hold 4 gallons of water in a reservoir and wick the water to the plants when they need it.

Pine bark mulch - i've used it for 30 years in two zones around every plant imaginable. All flowers, bulbs and shrubs have thrived, none have ever suffered from the acid content.I've replenished as it when it breaks down many times.

A landscape architect told me -and i don't know if it's true.. by the time it's mulch, the acid is a lot less concentrated and it breaks down very slowly, over a period of years. I'm told it's "washed" and i don't know the details. Pine straw, the same thing. It hasn't hurt anything i grow.

for what it's worth!

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http://www.eyecandee.com/gardening/xeriscapist.htm
"In the Garden, my soul is sunshine"