Living in a country which has an historically low annual rainfall; living in large cities which have to "import" water for all its residents, making the cost of water an expensive commodity ; and knowing that we are experiencing hotter & drier summers, year after year, and drier & colder winters, we need to take a hard look at our gardening principles and practices. 

We must become water wise gardeners, using every means possible to assist our soils to hold on to water for the plants. This is achieved by MULCHING. This is, by the way, an essential practice of good organic cultivation.