It would be helpful if you knew when drought would end, too, so you could use the last third of the water in the tank knowing ‘the drought will break next Tuesday’, a bit like connoisseurs who manage to drink the last bottle of champagne the day before their death.

And every drought the same myths get trotted out, and for the last two, at least, I’ve been writing articles a bit like this …

Myth 1: Plant Native Shrubs

Most native shrubs are perfectly adapted to a land of drought then flooding rain. They flower, seed and die. When it rains again their offspring will grow. This is not a good look in your garden. Add to this, many of our natives like waratah come from rainforest or wet forest. They need a drink.

While young natives usually take less water than say, a fully gown rose, and certainly give you more blooms for less water, a 20-year old rose or camellia will probably survive better than a 20-year old banksia, which will be geriatric. (NB. Some of my best friends are native plants and/or geriatrics. I’m only saying ‘don’t expect them to be miraculous survivors in a drought’. I am not saying ‘don’t plant a vast number of them.’)

Myth 2: Mulch

Yes, mulch keeps the moisture in, the soil cool, and the humus makes the earth retain more moisture. But close-packed mulch will also soak up the 1-5 mm showers droughts usually dole out to us, thus leaving the soil and roots below dry. Yes, do mulch - but with loose material, and only if you can water, too. Stones can be an excellent drought mulch as they don’t soak up moisture, as long as their reflected heat won’t burn the plant’s leaves or roots in mid summer.

Myth 3: Only water deeply, and once a week

Try that with lettuce and they’ll be deceased in the first heatwave. Water as deeply as the roots, and then a bit more, so the roots keep going down. Once a week is lavish for established trees or shrubs, but heartless for lettuce.

Myth 4: Use artificial lawn instead of grass

Well, it won’t die on you, but it will be HOT. We humans have lawns about our houses because it helps keep them cool. Artificial lawn retains and reflects heat. Only use it if you’re never going to walk there and don’t want to be hospitable to birds hunting for their breakfast.

Myth 5: Only plant drought survivors

Please do not do this. The most luscious veg are home grown, like a buttercrunch lettuce or basil straight from the garden. Droughts are good for gardeners: they make you think about drip irrigation systems, or filtering your shower water so you can use it again (A shower doesn’t use water - you only borrow it.)

Droughts may be more frequent and severe with global warming, but even without it, there will be droughts again. Learn to live with them. Learn to grow a garden in them. Learn to love them, as the drought removes the weakest from the bush and the strongest reproduce, leaving the ecosystem more resilient.

Learn to love gold hills instead of green, and remember that ‘a thousand shades of green’ only comes where the sky is a thousand shades of grey drizzle.

Human are good at challenges. Life is boring without them. We are not truly homo sapiens if we can’t outwit a drought, and enjoy doing it, even in a garden.