Rising temperatures mean our gardens are getting thirsty. Thankfully we've had plenty of rain lately in Texas, delaying the inevitable dance of the hoses I do every summer in my yard and garden. Dragging hoses is great exercise and offers hours of quiet, mindless opportunities to contemplate life or just daydream.

Believe it or not, I actually find something therapeutic about standing in the garden with a sprayer pistol in hand watering the garden. Some of my most relaxing and creative thinking has come at the end of a garden hose. It's even better than a long ride through the countryside! And with all those new-fangled, multi-nozzle options, who can resist?

Despite these advantages, I realize that some gardeners may not appreciate the summer sport of hand watering as much as I do. Plus unless you really spend some time at it, hand watering often does not provide the deep soaking plants need. It takes time for the water to soak in and wet the soil deeply. So if you approach watering like a "one minute manager," you'd better consider another approach.

Last summer I installed some drip irrigation lines to save water and reduce leaf wetting, which promotes disease. Drip systems are now commonplace in gardens and landscapes. I found the system I put together quite easy to install and very effective. I plan on adding more lines this summer to convert more of the garden to drip. But don't worry. I'll always keep a little area for hand watering. I'd hate to work myself out of a job!

I have a few garden beds that are not in production now that the spring crops are done. Most of these will get a good coating of composted manure or other decomposed organic matter. By late summer, they will be ready for fall planting. Other areas are going to be planted with southern peas. These will make a good crop this summer, but are mainly planted to build the soil. The roots of these legumes add nitrogen to the soil. After harvest, I'll mow the vines to the ground and rototill the shredded remains into the soil.

I think I'll stop here for now. I need to get back outside to do some serious thinking at the end of a garden hose. See you next time!