Ok, confession time: right now, my soil is damper than damp. This is because it has been raining consistently in my particular area for the last 6 months or more. Probably more.
However, even if you live in a temperate rainforest like I do, at some point the ground gets dry. Usually this happens in the middle of a summer drought. So what can you do to keep the moisture in the garden at the peak of the growing season?
Use plants that love dry areas. Look to native plants to see whether you would like to use any of them for your garden. Choose plants that can tolerate wet and dry times. Unless you enjoy babying your plants, do not choose plants that are fussy and require constant infusions of moisture to stay alive.
Use landscaping to keep your moisture in the garden. If you have damp areas of the garden but need moisture elsewhere, create contours in the garden that slowly drive the moisture over to where you need it.
Layer your plants. If you’ve ever had a lovely, cool picnic underneath a tree in the summer time, you know that plants provide shade. The more layers of plants, the more shade. If you create a layered garden with trees, shrubs and groundcover, underneath that groundcover the ground may be positively moist.
Mulch your garden. If you don’t have layers of plants yet, this is especially important. Add layers of leaves or other materials that help your soil keep its moisture. Moisture will evaporate from the top layer of mulch, but it will take a while to evaporate from the soil below.
Build good soil and you’ll have resilient plants. Good soil contains pockets for air and water and acts like a sponge, slowly releasing its water to the roots of your plants. Grow good soil with lots of compost, mulch, and natural gardening practices, and you’ll have a better chance of keeping your moisture around.