[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

T&R; Here is a place that sells Ollas. There are others. (Which may be cheaper...)

https://drippingspringsollas.com/

Ollas are designed for use in dry areas. The clay is bisque fired and allows water to pass through the clay and water the surrounding soil. Here is what they look like:

(A good fence around the garden, and a watch cat on patrol!)

[Ellendra]

I just remembered a homemade variation on the olla idea. Take a plastic bottle, and punch 2 holes, opposite each other, about 3/4ths of the way up. Run a piece of yarn or twine (natural is best) through the holes, but make sure it has enough slack that the center of the string touches the bottom of the bottle, with at least 4 inches sticking out the sides. Bury the bottle up to the neck, and fill it with water. The string should act as a wick to draw water out to where the plants can reach it. If you use this with perennials, the roots will eventually follow the string all the way inside the bottle, which is kind of fascinating to see.

Remember to remove the bottles before tilling!