Gardeners, as I have said before get blamed for over use of water. I think that blame is often wrongly attributed, however mud sticks.
Gardeners are by nature, caring, considerate and conservative people and in my opinion, gardeners are one breed of person that seeks to save the planet more than most.
With this is mind we need to think about what we plant too. As climate concerns starts to alter the definition of the seasons and extremes in temperature we need to consider what plant, whilst giving pleasure in sight and sense, can tolerate the dry weather.
Thyme, evening primrose, rock rose, Californian poppy, pinks, lavender, Budleia and Hebes are all capable of withstanding dry conditions. Mulching of borders and re-using grass mowing's around trees can act as a water retainer, weed suppressant and also return some nitrogen to the soil.
We can all do our bit and is it time we all started to consider harvesting our rain water? New houses should all in my opinion have a separate tank in the garden which collects the rain for garden use and it is easily installed in the garden.
Take a look at the Raintec Website. They make some valid points about water retention for garden and household use. I am a great advocate of re-using water and reducing the need for reliance on the incompetent water companies. Why Rainwater Harvesting?
The pressure on the UK's valuable water resources has not been higher. The privatisation of the water companies with the inevitable chase for profits has led to increased cost and often a poorer service for householders and businesses alike. There has never been a better time to consider rainwater harvesting.
Water meters are becoming more and more common with planning authorities starting to insist on their installation on all new builds and even where properties are extended! Rainwater harvesting can provide an excellent way to save on your water bills.
Open a newspaper at any time of year and the dreaded words 'hosepipe ban' will stare you in the face. It is not long ago that such bans only occurred in the hottest, driest months of the year.
Ask any gardener about the effect of a drought order on their pride and joy and you will soon understand that this can be a very emotive subject.
Rainwater harvesting is already popular with some gardeners although the size of the water butts in use means that water often runs out unless more than one water butt is installed.
The use of harvested rainwater can also reduce the need for expensive water softeners in hard water areas
And if you cannot find a reason to consider rainwater harvesting above, just consider how much power it takes to get that valuable drinking water onto your property. If you really want to be environmentally friendly, rainwater harvesting saves power (about half the cost of the water supplied) as well as keeping fluorides, chlorine and other nasties off your plants.
Did you know?
- … A typical domestic rainwater harvesting system can provide around 50% of a household's total consumption…
- … the payback period on systems for buildings with large roofs and high non-potable water demand is around 3-4 years …
- … the roof on a typical 4-bed family home captures more than 100,000 litres of water each year …
- … a typical family uses 70,000 litres each year on toilet-flushing, clothes washing & outside use …
- … the use of rainwater harvesting in Germany, is around 100 times the current use in the UK …
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