Richard Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 I am really chuffed with myself. I'm preparing for the hot summer that I am convinced is coming. I grow quite a few of my own veg, and the problem is that if we have a hot spell I run out of rain water from my normal water butts - and either have to stop watering the veg. or use tap water - which is a waste. So I have set up a new system. I bought a 1200 litre container, and cadged a 200 gallon one for free - total of 2250 litres (whats that? something like 450 gallons) and have set it all up to drain off my shed and summerhouse roofs. They are both full (has only taken a couple of weeks or so) and I reckon that will give me nearly two weeks water for the veg. garden if we get a drought. there you are, now you can see what a mess the bottom of my garden is! This is the veg patch (empty at present) that I need to keep watered. Unfortunately I can't get an allotment - we don't have any. How pathetic is that - the Parish Council sold the allotment land for holiday houses. Grr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 Very impressive set up there Richard!! *mental note, get more water butts* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 Looks good. Lovely raised beds. What are all the milk crates for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 What are all the milk crates for? Milk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 Chicken milk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 What are all the milk crates for? Milk. naaaa, beer cathy x (or is that cos I live with kev????) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 I wondered if they were going to be used for some terribly clever garden enterprise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 Crates (ours are beer crates ) are absolutely essential! We have two (parents in law are ex publicans). I use them for standing on to clean windows, paint from, change lightbulbs etc. They are so light and easy to carry and stable to stand on. Every home should have some! They are also fab for storing wine/beer bottles in the garage when they are not in use the rest of the time.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted April 5, 2008 Author Share Posted April 5, 2008 Looks good. Lovely raised beds. What are all the milk crates for? What are they for?????? Now you're sounding like her indoors! What are the crates for, what are the fish boxes for, what are the piles of roof tiles for, what are the flints for ..... ? Oh, and what is the old rope for? And whats the pile of bits of fence posts for? and the old dustbins .. They don't have to be for anything. its enough that they will come in useful sometime. I might need to stand on them, or use them as a support for something, or to carry winebottles to the recycling or.. or... or ... or The big shed is FULL of stuff that might come in useful - and very occasionally it does. And I spend very many happy hours furtling around looking for the bit of whatever that I know I've got somewhere that will be just what I need to fix the thingy. Mind you, I still usually end up at Wickses buying more bits .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 furtling! its a norfolk word. I've never heard anyone but dh say it before and he thought he had got it off a school friend (boarding school so different county) but no it is a Norfolk word. Sorry Just was a little pleased there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 Looks good. Lovely raised beds. What are all the milk crates for? What are they for?????? Now you're sounding like her indoors! What are the crates for, what are the fish boxes for, what are the piles of roof tiles for, what are the flints for ..... ? Oh, and what is the old rope for? And whats the pile of bits of fence posts for? and the old dustbins .. They don't have to be for anything. its enough that they will come in useful sometime. I might need to stand on them, or use them as a support for something, or to carry winebottles to the recycling or.. or... or ... or The big shed is FULL of stuff that might come in useful - and very occasionally it does. And I spend very many happy hours furtling around looking for the bit of whatever that I know I've got somewhere that will be just what I need to fix the thingy. Mind you, I still usually end up at Wickses buying more bits .... You would get on well with Him Indoors, Richard. The stuff that he keeps. like broken washbasins, globes, bicycle chains ...."Because you never know....they might come in handy one day". We have taps that moved house with us over 20 years ago for that very reason. They are still languishing in th garage......and we replaced them in the first place because they were broken!. Oh....and he uses the verb "to furtle" too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 You have a great set up there - wont run out of water in a hurry anyhow!. I have 2 water butts - 1 feeds the other till its full too - great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted April 5, 2008 Author Share Posted April 5, 2008 I've got a plan that I want to sink a big tank under my drive to collect all the rainwater from the south facing bit of my house roof. Then I want to pump it to the washing machine and the downstairs loo. Anybody got any contacts that would price it up for me? I have solar for the hot water, and other minor green mods that help. I recycle and compost everything I can - pretty much my only rubbish is the horrid plastic that comes round magazines and other stuff. I won't go away on holiday abroad so I don't use airoplanes - and when I travel with work I go by train because I think that is less damaging (that may well be a fallacy but it seems better to me). I think we all have to do our bit - its easy to say that other folk cause more damage and that the little bit we do is nothing when you compare it to, say, the evironmental damage done by the pointless flying over London by the Red Arrows recently, or business travel - but I think everyone has to try to do whatever they can. One step by 1000 people is as good as one person taking 1000 steps. That is such a daft statement I can't believe I just made it. So. anyone got a rainwater tank under their drive - do you know what it would cost? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 Haven't a clue Richard sorry, but I would like to have a furtle in your shed! It looks like a complete aladdins cave - choc a bloc full of useful stuff! I have nowhere near as much space, but what I do have is just as full of 'useful stuff' as yours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted April 6, 2008 Author Share Posted April 6, 2008 [You would get on well with Him Indoors, Richard. The stuff that he keeps. like broken washbasins, globes, bicycle chains ...."Because you never know....they might come in handy one day". : So he might like this .... I give my girls fresh water every day. But they prefer rainwater from any old container that is lying around. So I set up an overflow from one of my water butts into an old, broken, bidet. It sits near the Cube and the girls stand on a bit of tree stump and drink from it. It is kept topped up automatically ...... fantastic! I took the photo this morning - we are gradually getting a white out here, the snow is coming down pretty hard now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 I've got a plan that I want to sink a big tank under my drive to collect all the rainwater from the south facing bit of my house roof. Then I want to pump it to the washing machine and the downstairs loo. Anybody got any contacts that would price it up for me? I have solar for the hot water, and other minor green mods that help. I recycle and compost everything I can - pretty much my only rubbish is the horrid plastic that comes round magazines and other stuff. I won't go away on holiday abroad so I don't use airoplanes - and when I travel with work I go by train because I think that is less damaging (that may well be a fallacy but it seems better to me). I think we all have to do our bit - its easy to say that other folk cause more damage and that the little bit we do is nothing when you compare it to, say, the evironmental damage done by the pointless flying over London by the Red Arrows recently, or business travel - but I think everyone has to try to do whatever they can. One step by 1000 people is as good as one person taking 1000 steps. That is such a daft statement I can't believe I just made it. So. anyone got a rainwater tank under their drive - do you know what it would cost? I have solar panels too, but got them a few years ago, you can get a goverment grant now, typical!! If you google rain water collection there is a company that specialises in them mainly for farmers who incidentally get government grants for this. There are domestic models, for my house they wanted £6000 so I'm looking for really big rectangular water butt that I can put up against my back wall just above my veg garden & poly tunnel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted April 6, 2008 Author Share Posted April 6, 2008 I've found a kit to put in yourself for £999.99 plus VAT. the plumbing wouldn't be too bad and digging the hole would be great - an excuse to hire a mini-digger again. We'll have to see if her indoors will let me play at big digging again. Also if she'll give me the money to buy the tank and kit - I only get about £15 a week pocket money and so will have to make a good business case to her in order to get any dosh released for this sort of project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 A chicken bidet!! Now I have seen it all. Maybe I can do similar with the hideous pink washbasin that has been languishing in my garage for over 15 years. Great bit of recycling Richard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...