tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post1127658320804146671..comments2024-03-28T15:55:53.792+10:00Comments on down to earth: Water wise in the gardenUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-89281711191028154502014-02-19T17:27:14.537+10:002014-02-19T17:27:14.537+10:00Oh Chris, that is too bad of the council. We had ...Oh Chris, that is too bad of the council. We had a similar situation when we first moved here 33 years ago. Knowing it was on the edge of a bushfire prone area, we wanted to install a rainwater tank then, but the council wouldn't allow suburban householders to do that 'because they would be an eyesore' !@#$%^&!! In the next 30 years with so many severe bushfires, and many changes on council staff, they've finally come to their senses and encourage people to install tanks.Gina E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07532527261977368083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-61147462288646372582014-02-19T01:05:26.338+10:002014-02-19T01:05:26.338+10:00I'm sure we're nowhere near as organised a...I'm sure we're nowhere near as organised and heaven knows here in the NE of England water is not short! However, we still pay quite a bit for water because of the sewerage issue. Apparently the water company is dealing with a Victorian sewer system that has never been properly mapped and so expensive to maintain. I don't follow all the logic, but I know we pay twice for our water - once to bring it in, another to send it out. So we have a small tank that collects the water off the roof until it fills and then the water continues into the drain. When the rains don't come we have a small supply to fall back on - that's all we've ever needed. I can only remember once in 18 years we've ever watered the lawn, and then only because it was new and tender. Lawns make no sense, really, in any other climate that the cool, rainy one we 'enjoy' here. Crazy that this idea has been exported so many other places. Your tanks are truly impressive, but I know draught is a real problem in Australia.Shelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10239488936038510294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-13185618309323750012014-02-18T09:44:02.701+10:002014-02-18T09:44:02.701+10:00We installed water tanks about 9 years ago, and be...We installed water tanks about 9 years ago, and being on a surburban block put in 3 smaller ones 7,000 litres in all. The biggest is connected to the kitchen for drinking water. When we built our house in 1980, we wanted to install a very large concrete tank under the driveway for the whole house and the council wouldnt let us.Last year our neighbour across the road did just that with a huge renovation. <br /><br />The light misty rain we have recently had did nothing for the tanks, but I did do a huge autumn cleanup in the cooler weather filled up our wheelie bin and 3 of the neighbours. Weeds were easy to pull out but soil <br />still dry 2 inches down.Heavier rain predicted tomorrow so hope yet to fill our tanks.<br /><br />Chris (kasalia) at Coffs HarbourChrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01939895334117962150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-80563449487444006252014-02-18T05:56:56.498+10:002014-02-18T05:56:56.498+10:00Hi Rhonda - we do not have a rainwater tank but we...Hi Rhonda - we do not have a rainwater tank but we realise that we need one if we are to have a good supply of fruit and vegetables in our garden, feeding our family. So I will have to try and source one.<br /><br />Our front lawn is looking terrible at the moment and I have been saying to my husband maybe we should plan it out a little better and remove part of the lawn and plant it out with something very hardy and drought-proof. Another project.<br /><br />Thanks for the reminder to bring this up the to-do list:)Mindfully Makinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02093008222508034675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-52913515927137662252014-02-18T04:00:15.202+10:002014-02-18T04:00:15.202+10:00This is a very timely post for our family--here in...This is a very timely post for our family--here in Central California, water has become the main topic of discussion. We only average 11.5 inches yearly (292 mm), and this year we are well below that. Our lawns haven't been watered since last fall, and many of our potted ornamentals are not looking so good. I have been debating whether I want to try a garden or not this year, and I think I have decided to just do some peppers, tomatillos, and maybe a couple of tomatoes. Much of our garden budget this year will be spent on hardscaping, rather than plants or water. It is depressing to look out and see so much brown in the yard.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15077997412081029396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-17773025242527004252014-02-18T00:52:14.941+10:002014-02-18T00:52:14.941+10:00 Hi Rhonda,
I WISH we could harvest our rainwater ... Hi Rhonda,<br />I WISH we could harvest our rainwater but here in Colorado USA only a few commercial properties are allowed to collect water. We have to let it drain away to the Colorado River which is a major source of water(drinking and irrigation) for much of the south western USA and southern Calif. Water is a big deal here, always has been and many people way down river have older water rights than up here in the Rocky Mountains where the river begins. Seems so odd at first but when you think about all the food production that depends on the river water it is understandable. Candacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04728224499293623221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-27622753387508288592014-02-18T00:00:34.764+10:002014-02-18T00:00:34.764+10:00We have a well so our only cost is pumping the wat...We have a well so our only cost is pumping the water. When we looking for a house to buy we did not look at houses on the city water system because we did not want chemicals in our water. In the 20 years we have been here we have had to replace the pump but it is still very inexpensive water overall. For the last year we have such huge amounts of rain that some planting have actually drowned. It has been a blessing to not have to water anything bu I remember well the drought years and I know they will be back.momma-lanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02975411711120382015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-80077269975244841312014-02-17T21:16:36.820+10:002014-02-17T21:16:36.820+10:00Hello Rhonda
Like you, we are way down our our av...Hello Rhonda<br /><br />Like you, we are way down our our average rainfall. We have 95,000litres in 2 tanks but no access to town water. Although we never even go close to using half of our capacity we still practice water conservation. I do the handwashing in a bucket and then empty the water onto the shrubs near the verandah. After having spent many years in a low rainfall area, I know that there is a lot more that I could do if things got desperate.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-42168306912777821602014-02-17T21:14:54.549+10:002014-02-17T21:14:54.549+10:00We installed a 5000 litre rainwater tank a few yea...We installed a 5000 litre rainwater tank a few years ago and it is one of the best investments we've made in my opinion. We don't have a vegie garden or fruit trees (rocky ground, very little soil) but the native plants love a drink when it's hot, and we can shower the aviaries with fresh water on a hot day without feeling guilty about using mains supply water. But for us the main reason for getting it was peace of mind in case of fire. We lashed out and got a pump with the tank, as otherwise it would be impossible to spray the water over the house and yard in case of fire.Gina E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07532527261977368083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-36665511648456726672014-02-17T19:52:26.149+10:002014-02-17T19:52:26.149+10:00Water is so important isn't it? We have no tow...Water is so important isn't it? We have no town water where we are, so we have to manage our water tanks carefully. It's been a tough summer for rainfall! Hope you got some in the latest falls.Ockduspockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13472291767747357704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-19708489030136769082014-02-17T14:18:30.777+10:002014-02-17T14:18:30.777+10:00Hello Rhonda - one of the big selling points of ou...Hello Rhonda - one of the big selling points of our little half acre 'farm' was that it has a private well - we pay nothing for the water other than the electricity to run the pump for our house uses. We pay $32 a year for the right to flood irrigate the whole place once a week which keeps the grass going and most of the non vegetable plants and fruit trees. We consider ourselves very fortunate, we spent 25 years living in the southern California desert and have retained our frugal water ways! I will admit though that right now with all the snow and a couple of days above freezing we are feeling just a little soggy!Kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18209722078916803400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-46320227752009249732014-02-17T12:34:47.305+10:002014-02-17T12:34:47.305+10:00Hi Rhonda,
I have 22,000 litre tank and use that ...Hi Rhonda, <br />I have 22,000 litre tank and use that for house and garden. I don't save a lot doing that as the biggest part of the water bill is the base charges for supply and waste. I do get the pleasure of drinking clean lovely water.<br />The tank is however getting low as we've had the hot weather here in the south and little rain like yourself. 0.8mm of rain this month (long term average is 45mm). The poor fruit trees are looking a bit dry but we are expecting some rain this week... Hadassahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01199195698125154889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-80474021981914077882014-02-17T12:26:05.250+10:002014-02-17T12:26:05.250+10:00I think we are in for a rude shock when our water ...I think we are in for a rude shock when our water bill comes this quarter. Our property does have one tank on it, which collects the water from the garage roof. We haven't really used this water because we can't get enough pressure from that tank to run up to the vege patch - but maybe we need to get better at hand watering to take advantage of the tank. Long term, we plan to put in another tank closer to the house and take advantage of the greater area of tin roof - and fit it with a pump.<br /><br />In terms of irrigation, something that I fell across recently was the idea of using terracotta containers to store water which then leaks out at the root level. I am keeping my eye out for unglazed terracotta containers at the op shop so I can try it.The Provincial Homemakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09595525404908754875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-86185274885230552382014-02-17T12:06:12.848+10:002014-02-17T12:06:12.848+10:00Hi Rhonda we have a 5000 litre rain tank and my cl...Hi Rhonda we have a 5000 litre rain tank and my clever husband connected it to our washing machine with 6 people in the house here is a ton of washing so I think we safe a few hundred of our water bill <br /><br />Linda Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17931235654004137738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-12445456209820223792014-02-17T08:45:12.219+10:002014-02-17T08:45:12.219+10:00Hi Rhonda,
we've been having some good rain o...Hi Rhonda,<br /><br />we've been having some good rain over the last few days. It had been so long since there was any decent rain that we all ran outside! It has been so hot and dry, what a relief to have the rain. My back lawn, normally very hardy, has turned to dust - quite unbelievable. But amazingly, with just a bit of rain new green shoots are coming up everywhere - hooray!<br /><br />I water with the hose, but as most gardeners know rain water makes the vegetables grow so much faster and healthier. I often use vegetable washing water on my potplants, and water from the start of the shower on my fruit trees. There have been a lot of things on the to-do list for my 'renovators delight', and slowly rainwater tanks are moving up that list. I do feel regret, though, every time it rains and I'm not able to store it.<br /><br />Have a wonderful day,<br /><br />Madeleine.XAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13559971434219770926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-76501839756568224992014-02-17T08:19:55.688+10:002014-02-17T08:19:55.688+10:00Our new home must have been built just before the ...Our new home must have been built just before the regulations that say all new homes must have water tanks (is this a NSW thing, or Australia-wide?). I'd love to put one in, but the challenge is where to put it.<br /><br />In the meantime, we water the lawn using the watering system that was already here. We know how much water it uses, and how much it costs, so we do it as a conscious decision to keep the lawn alive in this drought. We are slowly putting in ornamental plants that are drought-hardy - Australian natives - so we shouldn't have to worry about them once they are established, and reducing the amount of lawn we have.<br /><br />But by far, the most water goes on the vegie patch and the fruit trees. I have no system, really, so your post today will really help. Thank you. <br /><br />The title of your post just grabbed my attention, because I really think of you as the Wise Owl I can go to when I need advice.Just Joyfulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02404359368224055713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-20955786358006116642014-02-17T07:25:49.290+10:002014-02-17T07:25:49.290+10:00Hi Jennifer, it sounds like you're doing a gre...Hi Jennifer, it sounds like you're doing a great job with such a small amount of water. Well done.rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-18084562338549667262014-02-17T06:06:08.580+10:002014-02-17T06:06:08.580+10:00So interesting and informative, Rhonda.. Thanks.. ...So interesting and informative, Rhonda.. Thanks.. xoFaye Henryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04292425181042066079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-37152477958368023792014-02-17T04:50:32.533+10:002014-02-17T04:50:32.533+10:00Rhonda,
I live in the desert southwest in New Mex...Rhonda, <br />I live in the desert southwest in New Mexico, USA. Our annual precipitation is 11.75 inches and if I have converted correctly that is 298.45 mm a year. I am extremely frugal with the water and have many rain collection methods. We do plan at some point to dig a cistern but everything in time. For now I have hundreds of buckets to catch water, and once filled, I put a lid on it and begin filling another as we do have torrential rain in June and July, and then pretty much nothing for several months. <br /><br />I salvage every drop and use gray water for much of the natural grass that we raised to have a lawn of sorts! After much research, we opted to use tires for raised beds for our garden as the water is controlled and the tires create a sort of green house for the soil in the lower tires. We use three tires high.<br /><br />Even our water for the critters is reused, when we dump their buckets to wash and refill, we take those buckets and water our fruit trees. For me, like you said, I enjoy that my farm has become a place for the desert wildlife to consider a watering/feeding ground, as I do toss slops/grain out in the desert for them. It has become an amazing wildlife study to see the variety of critters that visit.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing your water conservation methods,<br />JenniferHumble wifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02823200562312609670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-7994228673905050682014-02-17T04:03:35.246+10:002014-02-17T04:03:35.246+10:00At the moment we have 3 x 250litre water butts le...At the moment we have 3 x 250litre water butts leading into each other, then the last one flows into an old dustbin. After that it goes into the pond. Our rainfall is such that this amount sees us through until the next rainfall but being on a water metre, this helps save money. If things get too tight, we save our bath water and use that.Dchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02490191919855219024noreply@blogger.com