No, its not a bit early - watering starts when the ground is dry, and its dry - we've just had the driest march for a hundred years, so anywhere in the sun, specially with new, small plants, will need watering. I've had the sprinkler on already this year, and will need to do it again tomorrow. On the other hand, a garden full of well established shrubs can cope much better and won't need watering unless its dry for another 2 months or so.

Time of year does not matter, it would depend on how dry the soil is. As you say, March was dry in your area. If you have had the wind that we have then much of the moisture would have been drawn out of the soil. Fortunately our soil is not too bad and more rain is forcast. I water as little as possible but sometimes find it necessary.

Hi, I've been watering because I have a lot of new plants that I've set in this year which need establishing. My garden is extremely dry because we've had very little rain and very strong winds all of which makes the garden very dry, even quite far down. I don't think you can put a date on it with our weather, because it is so variable these days. You just have to take it as it comes.

Hopefully this is the case with your neighbour and they are not one of those 'gardeners' that gets the rest of us a bad name by watering willy-nilly!

after a warm, dry and very windy day I have had to water pots of plants hardening off outside. so yes I have been watering , can though not hosepipe. [thats my nod to being 'green']

And I had to give my Tulips a stiff drink too today.
I grow a lot of plants in pots as they're tender - the advantage of this is that they can all take it in turn sitting in a bucket of water reducing the waste (that's my nod to being green!).

Its been very dry here for about 6 weeks and I have had to water new plants and baskets/pots. I try not to water established plants as they need to find it themselves.

We have a totally new border now and I have had to water a lot these past two weeks, its amazing how dry the earth is after that winter we have just had!

No not really too early to water, if the ground is dry and there are new plants or plants in pots, especially dwarf fruit trees in pots as they are blossoming at the moment and hopefully the fruits will set soon. Don't forget to feed too.

Goodness, my soil has only just got dry enough for digging!

Thanks to all who answered my question-volunteer hit the nail on the head and they do water
willy nilly! They have borders left and right full of mature well established shrubs and trees!

Kornos, is their 'Lawn', green all year round, even in a drought? Then that is wrong, isnt it? !! :~(

Hmm, that is annoying Kornos - I live in a rather nice block of flats with lovely communal gardens, split into 3 - my bit I only water the new planting, never the grass, but the idiot over the back on the other side has the sprinkler running to keep the grass green and, even worse, does it in the middle of the afternoon in full on, bright sunlight. If his personality wasn't so much like Colonel Gaddafi, I'd take him to task over it...

Lol Bamboo, but so annoying, we have a neighbour who does the same thing, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Oh for goodness sake - having said what I said, there he is out there with the sprinkler on full at the other end of the front garden, which he doesn't normally touch, to water the newly laid strip of turf put down by the gardeners yesterday. What a complete idiot he is - they soaked it thoroughly yesterday, and if he wants to water it, should be done when the sun's not on it. But will he listen? No, absolutely not, takes any different opinion as a personal attack, warranting letting down your car tyres or worse, when you're not looking...

No-one needs neighbours like that do they??... (Take care when sneaking out there to put holes in his hose!!!)

Tempting though that is, Grandmage, I resist - or I'm as bad as he is...

True Bamboo, it was only said in jest!!