Country people set example for water-smart gardening

City gardeners facing strict water restrictions this summer could learn a lesson from their rural counterparts.

Frankie Wilkinson, from the South Australian-based Plant People Nursery, says her rural customers have always made water-smart purchases.

She says while drought is affecting many farming communities, it does not mean their gardens are turning into dust.

"Country people on the whole we find have always watered at night, or first thing in the morning, they've always mulched and this is something that I think suburban people are beginning to learn and are doing a lot more than they used to," she said.

"That's really very important, over-watering is the biggest killer of your plants and daily watering is definitely not required, it's damaging, even when establishing a plant, so country people are good at it."