Thank you, Linda ...
>>>but one thing I've noticed...sometimes very thick mulch will actually prevent moisture getting down to the soil if it's not enough watering in a single instance.
That's true. It's why I used a different mulch material under the canopy of the roses. I am putting down a layer of wood chips between the plants because my regular leaf/compost mulch dried up so quickly it no longer holds any moisture in the soil.
The only plants I am concerned about saving are the plants that are doing work for me like the junipers that hold the slope in the back of my property in place ... I've never had to water them in the past ..., the roses because the rose industry is turned upside down and they cannot be replaced and three of my trees. The only one that could possibly damage my house is the white fir up on the slope. The maple and dogwood are sited so that even if they did fall down, they won't fall in the direction of the house. I've limbed them so that I don't have to worry about a limb falling on the roof.
I am somewhat concerned about some of the oaks at the top of the slope on my neighbor's property, but he has thinned all of the trees to reduce water competition. A few of them are tall enough that if they fell towards my house, there could be damage, but it's not my property. These are native oaks and have probably been there long before my house was built.
As for shading plants, other than the roses, I am not growing anything that can't be easily replaced and most of those plants are Xeriscape types of plants.
>>>When the soil and subsoil are completely utterly dry, it is also difficult for the soil to wick water downward, instead there can be runoff early on during rainstorms
In this garden, there is never any runoff. My home is located in a watershed for the Trinity River and excess water does go straight down. That's one of the reasons I am making sure that I don't put down a very thick layer of mulch. Just enough to slow evaporation.
I yearn for a cloudy day ... truly. I'd be able to work outside longer. That would be bliss.
Thank you for sharing what you have learned. It really does help.
Smiles,
Lyn
