Save the Garden!

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News broadcast is telling you that you have to be aware of the drought - you are not allowed to wash your car, nor fill the bath outdoors in which the children love to play during warm summer days. And you are not allowed to water your plants and trees in your garden.
Answer these questions:
1: What happens when you decide to wash your car outdoors?
2: What is the effect of not watering the plants and trees in your garden?
3: Is there an option for the children to cool down?
Bold the answers!
Entries must not exceed 1,000 words for stories

SAVE THE GARDEN!

Three days into the hardest drought and hottest temperatures in a generation, the news on telly was as expected:

Local council has declared a water emergency, and water conservation and rationing are in effect immediately until further notice. Residents are required to conserve water as much as possible. Prohibited acts include washing cars on your property, watering lawns and gardens, filling outdoor baths and pools, washing houses and driveways. Council-operated fountains and decorative pools will be closed, but splash parks and swimming pools will remain open.

The children watched with wide eyes.

"Mummy, the man said we can't water the garden. Won't the flowers all die?" asked Peter.

"And he said we can't play in the outside pool, either," complained Shawna. "It's so hot in the house. We'll bake if we can't go splash outside." The garden was their favourite place to play and cool off on the hot days.

"The splash pool is still open," James pointed out, "but it's bloody miles away."

"Language, James," I snapped. We were all hot and a bit testy at breakfast time, and the day would only get hotter. "I am concerned about the garden, though. We've all worked hard to make it nice, and it would be a shame for the flowers and trees to suffer."

"Save the garden! Save the garden! Save the garden!" Shawna's chant was quickly taken up by the others.

"I know," said James brightly, "Let's pretend we're in the desert like Lawrence of Arabia. We can put a sheet over a couple of chairs and make believe it's a camel!"

Next I knew, I had a tribe of Arabs with towels on their heads, wending their way across the dunes, searching desperately for an oasis with palm trees and flowing water. Peter decided that the garden would be the oasis, and they all trooped outside. Wonderful imaginations, my children have. Not that their play would save the garden.

Meantime, I tided up the breakfast dishes and ran water into the sink. As I was washing up, Shawna came inside for a drink of water.

"Mum, where does the water go when you empty the sink?"

"Down the drain and into the sewer, I expect. Why?"

"The flowers in the garden are all limp and floppy. Even the trees look droopy. Maybe we could scoop out the dish water and use it on the plants."

"What a wonderful idea. Help me dry these, and we'll get right to that."

We used a jug to scoop out some dishwater and carried it outside.

"Pour it on the peonies," urged Shawna, "and then some for the little cherry tree."

"Here, now, what's up?" demanded James. Shawna explained that we were recycling the dish water instead of letting it drain down the sewer.

"Good idea, that," agreed Peter. The children took turns hauling water out to the flowers.

After that, the children and I sat in the garden, discussing other ways to save/conserve/recycle water to keep the garden green and happy.

"Tonight when we have our baths, we can rescue the water and use it in the garden too," suggested James.

"Oy, right!" agreed Shawna.

"Mum," Peter asked, "when you do the laundry, any way we can get that water into the garden?"

"I think so. There's a hose from the washer that goes into a pipe. I could probably take the hose out and put it into a bucket or something."

Peter and James dashed off to check the washer while Shawna examined the flowers "to see if they liked dishwater". She decided they looked less droopy. The boys ran back calling excitedly, "It'll work! The hose comes right out!"

"I hope you put it back. I'd hate to have water all over the floor when the washer drains."

"Of course, Mum. We're not bonkers."

# # #

When our George got home from work, he was delighted with the Save the Garden Campaign. "Well done, you lot! That's just grand! Don't the flowers look perky!" Indeed, they did.

That night after their baths, Peter and Shawna each scooped the water out of the tub and trucked it out to the garden, where they carefully shared the water out among all the flowers and trees.

"The flowers have all perked up," reported Shawna, "but the trees still look look wilty. Tomorrow, less water for flowers and more for trees."

"Da, the car is filthy. MY bathwater is going to wash the car," declared James. As eldest, he bathed last. Instead of getting ready for bed, he dressed to go out.

"But the Council said not to wash cars in the drive," protested Peter, who was in his PJs.

"That means with the hose, silly. I'll be re-using bath water." The two hauled a bucket out, still arguing, and began washing our Mini. George kept an eye on them through the front window. When our neighbor knocked at the front door, he went to answer.

"Here, George, why are your boys washing the car? You know the Council put a stopper on that."

"It's fine, mate. The boys are using bath water. The youngsters put their bath water into the garden to keep the flowers fresh. Better than wasting the water down the drain, innit?"

"Ah. Right clever, that. We should do the same. Say, did you watch the footie last night?" The two men wandered into the garden to admire the flowers and talk football.

Peter and James threw the last of the bathwater on to rinse the Mini and headed for bed.

# # #

That Sunday, as a reward for their hard work carrying water to the garden all week and saving the trees and flowers, George drove us all to the splash park, where the children played in the water all day until the water was shut down at dusk. On the way home, we stopped at our favourite chippy for a late supper.

"Cor," said a tired James, as he munched his fish and chips, "that was a lovely day. Thanks, Mum and Da." Peter and Shawna yawned their agreement.

"Well, thank you all," said George. "You were the ones that saved the garden."