Well then I must have some very powerful Ley lines running through my garden as the naughty ants are the things that are mostly killing my plants.  That and wasps, but the sandy soil doesn't help much, I have tried mulching with vegetable scraps and other stuff but it doesn't seem to work, as the water seems to be detered for some reason.  At least we are in Autumn now so cross fingers we get more rain and less hot weather, can't wait until spring that is my favourit season.

Wonder if there are undergoround veins then that are causing your water problem?  You can grid your garden with copper rods which will help alter and ground the leylines energy, its a form of earth accupuncture and you could use copper nails or pipe and try, watch where you put them though, so be careful.

We have ground water all under our district, which we sink bores down into.  Ours state is only just beginning to think seriously about conserving water, as we still get rain but our damns are under half full.  Our eastern states are having a draught so are on tough water restrictions.

I just wander that may be our under ground water may be displacing the soild leaving air pockets as such so it doesn't retain water well.

I don't think my other half would be into putting copper pipes every where though so may be if I just buried bits of copper around my garden bed if that would help matters.

its the pointiness of the copper thats crucial to the intent? They don't have to be big bits and a grid of copper would work,either way . Have you ever searched the geological plans for your area? Bet they are fascinating.

I just thought of something, in WA we have an irragation system we call retic.  When Dean was digging out the trenches for this and put in the piping I know he attached wires along the tubing to connect up to the automatic system so we can program it to turn on at certain times.  As wires are copper covered in plastic I wonder if that would help, then again as it hasn't help much I guess the wiring only goes to each solinoid.  I might go down to the local hard ware store and buy some copper pipe corners to place strategically around my garden beds.

Will ask Dean about the geological side of our garden when he gets home on Tuesday.