ALLEN and Helen Roworth are just one gardening couple who will dust off their drought saving gear in the next fortnight.
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Like other Tamworth gardeners, they say homeowners need to adopt new survival plans if they want to keep their gardens alive with reduced water.
The suggestion that tough new restrictions will come into force in about two weeks means gardeners and those who want to keep their lawns alive will have to change their watering regimes.
Under those new rules, outdoor users will only be able to have sprinklers on for two hours in the evening although they can stand with a hand held hose if they want but only between 6pm and 8am each night.
The Roworths, from South Tamworth, might have been through the big drought and the harsh water rules in Tamworth seven years ago, but they say they’ll swing some of those drought-saving strategies back into place to fight to keep their gardens alive.
“All we can do is use the time available in the best way you can,” Mrs Roworth suggested.
“You can’t waste water, we know that.
“So you can’t have things like sprinklers on willy nilly.
“You have to put the sprinkler where it needs it most, move it around.
“And we did it before, used our washing water and bath water and put a bucket in the shower.
“We will bring those back into use now too.”
Mrs Roworth said gardeners should also pinpoint the things they most wanted to save but also look at the tougher plants to tough it out with less water while putting a little more on those that drink it more.
Gardening guru Evelyn Loseby described the current climate as ‘disgusting’.
“It’s the worst I’ve ever known it,” the garden expert, guest speaker and grower said.
“It’s been so dry, so hot and for so long.’
She will concentrate on her plants, continuing to water them using hand-held hoses, and advised others to mulch big areas.
The Kingswood homeowner exhausted her two rainwater tanks two weeks back, so new limits will be even tougher on their newly- renovated and expanded large acre block.