Saving water

As we seem to be experiencing a rather wet summer so far, I thought it best that we actually made good use of all this water falling from the sky and install a large water butt.

There was plenty of old drain pipe and guttering lying around (some had been used earlier to sow the peas) so we were able to re-use and recycle those, but unfortunately it was a trip to a DIY store to get the fixtures and fittings as the ones on site were well past their best.

With more than a little help from my Dad and David, I've now managed to get the whole thing up and running and, sad as I am, have just been standing out in the rain checking it was working...and I'm pleased to report that it's filling up fast. This is great, as not only is it saving water (not that we're in for a hosepipe ban anytime soon up here) it also saves us a walk to the communal tap, which is a fair stroll away.

Today has been very water themed, as I've been busy connecting the Big Drippa (a black plastic bag attached to a hose, with nozzles that take water to each plant along the line) in the polytunnel. It seems to be working fine on the courgettes, apart from the very end of the hose, which doesn't seem to be getting water. I think I may have been a little ambitious trying to make the hose go around the bed rather than in a straight line, so I may have to re-think that approach.

The tomatoes are also coming along well under plastic and once I finally get the right nuts and bolts for the staging, that will be up and ready for more seed trays.



Inbetween the showers, I managed to hoe and weed the pea/bean bed, after putting in new supports (making hoops out of dried willow) for the peas, which had been flattened by the wind and rain. The garden's looking very green, which is good, but needs a bit of colour, so I'm hoping the sweet peas and nasturiums will burst into bloom soon. I've also planted some cornflowers and echium alongside the beans to add a spot of colour in a few weeks time.



The asparagus/strawberry bed is now beautifully weeded (might last a week!) and we've got a bird feeder and bird bath (recycled old wok lid and an old hanging basket base and chain).

Yesterday Peter and I did some more weeding, re-potted some tomatoes and sowed some more salads and herbs in the raised bed which will hopefully not get dug up by the cats this time.


I was weaving in the willow on the dome in the rain, as you do, when this chap fell on my head. It's a pretty alien looking caterpillar and I had trouble identifying it but I think it's The Vapourer moth, a suitably fantastic sounding name for such a prickly customer. It's unusual in that it flies during the day, and therefore is sometimes mistaken for a brown butterfly, or a LBJ (Little Brown Jobbie) as it's often known;)