"Hmmm, I wonder if there's anything to eat in there."
We have water containers everywhere. They stand like sad reminders of the drought our country is experiencing right now. When we moved to this house 11 years ago, the first thing we did was install a water tank, now we've moved to a state where, if there is a downpipe, there is a bucket or some other container under it to collect whatever runs off the roof. We don't have water restrictions here, but the shires surrounding us do, so we have restricted our own water usage in preparation for the time ahead when we will be legally bound to do it.
Currently we have two tanks that hold 15,000 litres (about 4000 gallons). These tanks are used to water the garden and for fresh water for the animals and chooks. I also use this water for soap making and washing vegetables before they come into the house. Sometimes I drink this tank water, untreated. There are health warnings in Australia that say not to drink tank water but I know people who have lived on untreated tank water all their lives and in their 90th year they are still walking around, the picture of good health. I doubt I'd drink untreated tank water if I lived in a city though. My home is on the edge of a huge pine forest, in a semi-rural area, and there is little air pollution here.
Last weekend, Hanno had to go to the hardware store to pick up supplies for a lattice screen he is building in the backyard. While he was there he noticed a little tank that had been reduced to $49. It was the last one in the store, so he quickly purchased it and had the store hold it for him while he came home to get our trailer. An hour later he rolled in with it. It's the green tank Rosie is sniffing in the first photo. It hold 500 litres, not much, but enough to water our front yard potatoes and avocado trees.
Hanno installed it on a front downpipe, just near our garage. About an hour after it was collected, it started raining. It's not full yet but it's holding about 200 litres, more than enough to keep the potatoes going when they dry out after the rain that fell on the weekend.
Water is a big part of vegetable gardening. If you're growing food for the first time make sure you have easy access to water and if you can, harvest water from your roof and store it for the garden. If you're a seasoned gardener and haven't yet thought about harvesting water for your garden, it would be a valuable exercise to check your water consumption, then look to ways to save whatever water you can. Start small, with buckets, the next time it rains and work up from that. Many of us don't have water restrictions but you are probably paying for water. After an initial investment, water tanks and barrels will save you money. If you're living in Australia, enquire at your local council to see if they offer rebates on tanks. Many do. Here is info about the rebates in Queensland.
Water is another resource we need to conserve. Back in the old days, saving water was an important, life saving skill everyone had. We need to move back toward the knowledge that we should all be saving whatever we can. The days of mass water waste are over.
Water is a big part of vegetable gardening. If you're growing food for the first time make sure you have easy access to water and if you can, harvest water from your roof and store it for the garden. If you're a seasoned gardener and haven't yet thought about harvesting water for your garden, it would be a valuable exercise to check your water consumption, then look to ways to save whatever water you can. Start small, with buckets, the next time it rains and work up from that. Many of us don't have water restrictions but you are probably paying for water. After an initial investment, water tanks and barrels will save you money. If you're living in Australia, enquire at your local council to see if they offer rebates on tanks. Many do. Here is info about the rebates in Queensland.
Water is another resource we need to conserve. Back in the old days, saving water was an important, life saving skill everyone had. We need to move back toward the knowledge that we should all be saving whatever we can. The days of mass water waste are over.
