Harvesting water with a butt

Water is required for all life and is a very precious resource, yet in the maritime climate of Britain and Ireland it’s something we often take for granted, I mean, it rains all the time doesn’t it? Well, it doesn’t and rainfall levels vary immensely, the west coast of Ireland receives approximately half as much rain again as places on the east coast. The water that comes out of your tap, whether from well, spring or mains, has needed energy to transport and purify it and that energy is usually derived from fossil fuels. In addition the effects of climate change have disturbed rainfall patterns, we are increasingly seeing dry springs, summer droughts and more intense torrential downpours. So we cannot rely on a steady supply of water, even in Ireland!

So with all of that in mind it makes sense for us to harvest rainfall for use in the garden, it’s crazy to use purified water for watering your plants – and they don’t like it either. This means you need a water butt, or ideally, water butts. When it comes to rainfall harvesting bigger is almost always better, you’ll be amazed how quickly you can drain a large water butt (300 litre) in a hot, dry spell. They can also fill very quickly, we had a slim 100 litre wall-mounted butt that could fill from empty in 10 minutes during a heavy rainstorm.

Where able site your butts next to every gutter downpipe to collect as much as you can, if that’s not possible or practical then either get a very large butt or a series of butts linked together. You can get butts of 1000 litres or more that sit above ground, though some of those aren’t easy on the eye and are best saved for a quiet corner or in a place where you disguise them – grow a climbing plant up them for instance. There are some very big tanks that you can site underground (3000 litres), so if you’re thinking of having a patio laid or some decking, then you can bury one of these underneath. You’ll then need to pump the water out which can be via mains or solar power or a mechanical pump if you’re feeling very energetic!

You also need to think about where you’re going to use the water and how you’re going to transport it, though realistically it’s going to be close to a downpipe unless you’re skilled at making aqueducts. Many gardeners have a butt next to their shed or greenhouse that has a removable lid and wide opening so that they can quickly dip their watering can in. If you can mount your butt high enough (safely as they’re very heavy when full) so that you can attach a hose to it and water your plants with ease. Most though will be on a stand that you place a watering can underneath to be filled by a tap, it’s a bit slower but it does teach you to value your water when you have to carry it around the garden.

In the winter you’ll usually find that your butts are full and the excess water goes down the drain, so instead of watering your plants you can use it to wash your car or even flush the toilet if you put it in a bucket – why use purified water to flush a toilet!

Butts come in all shapes and sizes with some designed to be disguised as a garden feature, they also fit a range of budgets and increasingly they’re being made from recycled plastic. Installing them is straightforward and can be fitted by a DIYer, if you don’t feel confident then a handyman will be happy to do it for you.

What are you waiting for? Get off your butt and get a butt

Using wood ash in your garden

We hate waste and will try to avoid putting things in the bin wherever we can. At this time of year lots of people will be lighting fires in the home to keep warm, if you’re burning wood only and not coal then you can use your ash. Wood ash contains potassium and phosphorous which is needed by plants for flowering and fruiting, plus other trace elements. If you have a slightly acidic soil then it can be used in place of lime to bring the pH up, as wood ash is alkaline. For that reason you should avoid putting it around plants that like acid soil like blueberries, camellias and some fruit trees, you should also keep it away from your spuds as it can encourage scab.

The others will love it though and you can sprinkle a thin layer around your plants and on your veg beds. A little goes a long way and you may find you still have some left, in which case you can add it your compost heap. Not only will it add nutrients but heaps tend to be slightly acidic and ash balances out the pH of your heap (the same goes for manure, which is also slightly acidic). Just add a little at a time as you’re putting material in there. You can then take satisfaction from knowing that you’ve taken a waste product and used it as a valuable fertiliser to make your garden better.

You might not be sure what the pH of your soil is, but it’s certainly worth finding out as some plants won’t grow well in acid or alkaline soils. You can get tests to find out or if you’re not sure about it get in touch with us, we test the pH at different points in your garden when we come and do a site survey and consultation.

Reusing materials in the garden

Permaculture and reuse are important parts of our lives, we hate throwing anything away. So when we had an extension to the house we looked at all these great bricks from the old wall and wondered what we could do with them. They were diverted from the skip and when I redesigned the garden I put this path in using the them.

I looked at the desire line from house to patio, to veg beds, compost heaps and shed, laid it out with markers and put in gentle curves for looks and interest. Once happy they were installed, they're only set on sand so don't have to be permanent, meaning they can be moved or removed easily in the future. This also avoided the use of concrete, keeping the energy used low. They are very hard wearing, look great and will bed in wonderfully over time. Maintenance is also simple, if a brick gets damaged then just pop it out and replace, or if the other side is okay just flip it over.