You can reduce the water you need for your garden by using mulch to cover the soil. The deeper the mulch the slower soil will dry out. Another strategy that garden book author Carol Deppe mentions is spacing plants more generously. The more space a plant has the less water you need. This philosophy is the exact opposite of square foot gardening. A third way to conserve water is to use a rain barrel with your house water gutters. Click on this link for an article on rain barrel downspout diverter systems.