So my sister, gardening mother and I were all delighted when he rigged up an irrigation system for the Sutton garden out of rain barrels, PVC pipe and a sump pump.

Home scale drip systems allow vegetable beds, perennials, trees, shrubs and even potted plants to be irrigated by one system controlled by a common “brain,” a computerized timer that opens and closes ...

Master Gardener columnist Laura Simpson suggests some ways to keep your irrigation system working well.