SIX months ago farmers in Wales were starting to look at the sky and wonder when it was going to rain.

Growers and gardeners were watering at full tilt – and all this after unprecedented floods in South Wales in February.

Carmarthenshire dairy farmer Dai Gravell, speaking in May, said: “Grasses should be growing like billy-o, but they’re withering in this heat and dryness.”

Joseph Atkin, head gardener at Aberglasney Gardens, in Carmarthenshire’s Towy Valley, said: “We have never done this much watering before June.”

And exceptionally dry spring it was.

At one point Welsh Water deployed tankers to keep up with household demand. Wild fires burned out of control in some areas.

The tables have turned since then, with September the only month since May when less rain than normal fell in Wales, based on average monthly totals between 1981 and 2010.

At Aberglasney Gardens, head gardener Mr Atkin reflected on the unusual spring.

He said: “We had a big drought and it went under the radar, what with everything else that was happening.”

He added: “Everything came through for us all right. We had a monumental task watering – it was by brute determination rather than the weather being good.

“The last four weeks or so have been particularly wet, but we didn’t get rained off too much in September and October.”

Mr Atkin said the main job at this time of year was cutting back all the herbaceous borders, and putting the “garden to bed” for the winter.

Compost and mulch will be added to the soil.

The Llangathen visitor attraction has around 15 staff on site at any one time.

Mr Atkin said he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, rain or shine.

“It’s the best job in the world,” he said. “I wouldn’t change it for anything.”