Gardening: Irrigation more than surface deep

A friend fondly remembers the gentle soaking effect of the “three-day rains” of his younger years. Another one talks of climate change: milder winters are okay, but the lack of precipitation is worrying. In a summer like this, I think of the lyrics of Malvina Reynold’s song, “What have they done to the rain?” as sung by Joan Baez.
Municipal and RM water rates have climbed and we seem to have needed to irrigate more than usual this summer. As gardeners, when nature d