Water

When we switched to a water meter earlier this year we knew we had to be careful with watering the veg garden area to make any kind of savings.  Having an acre can take a lot of watering especially as it has not rained for 3 weeks here and we have just had to hose some of the young seedlings etc.

The two large water butts collecting water from the large workshop were empty by the end of May so we ordered two small water butts to collect water from two other  outbuildings. Our house guttering is firmly fixed into the concrete aprons around the edge of the house and runs into a well somewhere under the lawn (apparently) and we have chosen not to interfere with that at present.  It took 3 weeks for the water butts to arrive and we hastily got them installed.

Eventually the solar powered watering system for the hanging baskets will be added to the brick shed water butt.  This will save us filling a large barrel with a hose every few weeks in the summer.

This one will collect water off one side of my hobby log cabin. We have never quite worked out what to do with the over flow so have just left a loose bit of guttering that takes the rain excess out into the lawn.  We should be able to water all the house gardens from here now.

Though it has not rained here for 3 weeks the flower beds near the house have not suffered. For the last week I have had no drain from the kitchen sink due to the kitchen renovations.  Every bowl of water has had to be carried outside!  I have been careful to make sure any food especially meat is disposed of in the bin or straight into a drain to avoid attracting any vermin. It has been amazing how often you go to rinse something and have just a bit of fairly clean water in the bowl which you would normally just tip away.  All the pots and troughs within 20 feet are doing really well.  Soapy washing up water has gone on to the lawn although I should try to put it into a bucket and take it further into the veg garden as I seem to remember that is a good way to wash to the black fly off the broad bean tops.

We are looking forward to seeing some rain so we can test out the butts and reduce the use of hoses. I am looking forward to the kitchen drain being re fitted - although I shall probably try to keep up the habit of emptying water outside.