Before you plant those pansies, remember the area is still under outdoor watering restrictions. And as Georgia moves into the fourth year of a drought, those restrictions will not be lifted anytime soon. The restrictions limit outdoor watering to an odd-even schedule based on the date and your street address. Recent rains across the state have raised surface soil moisture in some areas but have done nothing to overcome the overall rainfall deficit. Some areas in the state are 20 to 30 inches below normal rainfall when measured from May 1998, the start of the drought.
Winter is normally Georgia's rainy season.
During that time, rivers and streams gain flow and groundwater sources recharge. But that has not happened this winter and it did not happen the previous three winters. Learn how to plant a garden that doesn't get thirsty and check out some handy lawn and garden tips . What we need, according to Knox, is for a slow moving front to stall over Georgia and bring mild, steady rains for weeks. The 30-day forecasts do not show that happening.