Allotments 4 All
General => The Shed => Topic started by: Val on July 21, 2005, 18:31:34
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/Val4/f4737389.jpg)
This is the result of the drought we're having, I have been watering with a watering can but its obviously not enough. I feel really close to tears about it and have lost so many plants now. I gave a good mulch in the spring, I have never ever been this close to jacking it all in and thinking OH might be right, concrete the lot.This has happened for the last 4 years now. Makes me even more determined to move to wetter climes when I'm able.
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Us too, we are going to go hungry this Winter. Anne is just freezing the pound of French beans, no beetroot, no chard, no Spring onions, no radishes,no swedes or turnips. I could go on, but what's the point.
We are going to have to find a way of living with and combatting the predicted drought/monsoon type weather.
Unlike those with no hosepipe bans and/or unlimited access to water, we are on a metred supply and pay for what we use. Also we are at the end of the supply line so when all those unentered houses down the lane decide to sprinkle their lawns, we don't even get enough to fill the upstairs tank or use the toilet up there.
It is very very hard to watch your garden crumble to dust despite doing every thing to keep it ticking over.
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Yes we're metered too Eric, I try to do my bit, we've got 4 water butts, our area is now an official water scarcity area whatever that may mean, it'll be stand pipes soon. Walking round the garden this evening has made me feel very low and it usually does the opposite, roll on the autumn, we might get good leaf colour, always supposing there are any left....cheerful soul at the moment.... :'( :'(
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I'm very sorry for your and your lack of water. I really hope you get an appreciable amount of rain soon to relieve your drought. I feel guilty now for moaning about having to lug water from the free water butt near my plot. I shan't ever moan again. I am harvesting water though and plan to harvest more but you can't harvest what aint there :(
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I think I'll look at Beth Chatto's site and find out about drought tolerant plants. I was feeling very sad yesterday, but today is another day and we had a very tiny amount of rain...not enough to wet the ground but enough to renew my faith in it all.As Eric says I'm going to have to let my love of cottagey gardens go and think more hot and dry.to garden with it has got to be the answer.
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There is a good article in this months(August) Gardeners World for dry or non watered gardens.Its got some pretty colour and lots of structure
Don't give up!
Hugs
JO!
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We have been moving steadily towards a more shrubby type of garden,as much for ease of gardening as anything. Most of the established ones are holding their own at present. It is newly planted stuff which is causing concern. And by newly planted I mean anything from last September onwards.
One good thing at least we (Anne I should say) does not have to cut the grass. This is the first time in 10 years that the grass has gone yellow.
We have 9 large water butts. This week I have turned each one over to empty out the gunk in the bottom ready for the rain, if it ever arrives.
No damsons, no greengages, no quince, no medlars,90% apple and pear lost. Raspberries good but small and dry. Currants excellent crop. Wait and see for the blackberries.
As Val says, today is another day and the Galtonia viridis are flowering. :)
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Does anyone have any idea how much a borehole costs to install? It's probably far too expensive but I'm tired of these hosepipe bans and mains water costs a fortune, it seems silly to be using drinking quality water of which there is a shortage to water the plants with - my waterbutt ran out of water a long time ago.
My other thought was to see if we can divert the bath plumbing to flush into the waterbutts rather than down the drain, in fact, I might see if I can use the hosepipe as a syphon to use bath water to fill the waterbutt. :-\
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I not sure for domestic properties but some places I vists for work have them done at about £3k a piece. The water that comes out of the borehole is tied to the water in the river and you'd ahve to pay an abstraction annual fee too.
For info have a look at www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Water companies are told by the Environment Agency how much they can abstract from a river without killing off the wildlife in it. So if theres no water in the river, there would be no water to take out a borehole either.
Definitely use bath water, if not too soapy, washing up water if not too greasy and the water you run before it gets hot (I get up to 10 litres this way a day using 4 pint milk cartons next to the sink!!)
Hope this helps
Jo :)
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:o Don't think I'll be having a borehole ;D
I'll try the syphoning of the bath water tonight, it doesn't get too soapy. I didn't think of saving the water that runs away whilst waiting for hot water, our kitchen tap is the furthest point from the hot water tank and it takes ages to get hot, good idea thanks. :)
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Thanks Greenfingers Jo - what a simple yet effective way to collect water, by keeping the run off waiting for the water to get hot! Like Jessevieve, I've never thought of it but shall be doing so in future - especially considering how much water the tomatoes are needing in this hot weather. ::)
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We have always used the water this way, plus the bath water of course. We have a well, but a. it has been filled up with rubble and would be far too difficult to clear out and b. the water table has dropped so far that there is no water in our neighbours well so probably none in ours either..
As far as a borehole is concerned, apart from the cost, we would not be allowed one (we are on top of a huge artesian well)as the Water company have planning permission for a pumping station in the field next door and you are not allowed to drill within a certain distance of one of theirs.
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We had the water butts connected to the bath water but they smelt awful even after one day, its the shampoo it really stinks, so had to connect it to the garage but of course if there's no rain, no water.
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Val It might stink but your plants would probably be glad of it :)
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;D ;DYes but the neighbours would get the plumber out thinking it was the drains.... ;D We could smell it in the house and down the street. It was awful.
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Well I hope you have had the rain today. All we have had is cloud and humidity. And to add insult to injury the sun is now shining, right through the window on to the computer screen.
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Same here Palustris, had about 3 spits this morning, then humid and hot, now the sun is shining. I love this weather but some rain would be most welcome.
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OH I feel so sorry for you all, losing your plants and vegetables through lack of water. We seemed to have been having rain here in the Scottish Borders but.. our soil is like dust as well. We have no hose pipe ban though and have no Water meter so OH waters the veg. every other night. I do hope you get a significant amount of rain soon to fill your water barrells and get the much needed water into your soil.
N.Yorkshire will get it this week, cos I am going there.
>:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
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This site might be of interest for those looking to re-use water:
http://www.graywater.net/
Jerry
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I do feel sorry for all you Southern gardeners and allotment holders. It must be tough and I am filled with admiration at your ingenuity. The weather forcast looked promising today and tomorrow for rain in your parts, so I hope it is not too long before your poor parched plants get something substantial to drink. busy_lizzie
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Still no rain, but I'll keep you posted. just grey, grey more grey. My magnolia stellata is dead, 2 berberis, 3 clematis, a few plants I'd bought early on in the year have gone and a ceristigma.Thats of those that I've noticed. I've stopped looking now. but looking on the bright side, no slugs, no weeds.......
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;D Weyhey, it's raining! Wonderful, never thought I'd be so happy to see the rain come. And it's a nice steady, gentle rain, hope my grass will perk up a bit after this now, it was beginning to get large brown patches. But we've got a severe weather warning for our area over the next 24 hours or so, hope we don't have the garden destroyed by heavy rain or hail.
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Send it here, please. 915 am and just grey sky and clouds.
I dug a hole yesterday for a post for a bird feeder. The soil was dust to over 18 inches down! It is going to take an immense amount of rain to re-hydrate this soil!
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It's moving slowly Palustris, I'm sure it will be with you soon, ideal sort of rain, steady drizzle and it's still raining unlike those "blink and you'll miss it" rainfalls we've been having lately, been raining since about 4am. :)
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Its arrived here..well some, but brightening up as we speak. The blackbirds are running around the garden absolutely loving it.
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It's rushing down hill alongside the house because the drains can't cope. Nothing, then this...amazing! :D
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Has been sort of raining for about 2 hours, but really not enough to do more than lay the dust. It did not stop the cats going out!
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About two pminutes after posting this, it started raining properly and (fingers crossed) it is still raining hard now, long may it continue!
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Fingers crossed for you, Eric. We've got that good steady sort of rain here now so I'm hoping everything gets refreshed and that it stays long enough to soak into the soil a bit and the pond perks up a bit too.
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Sun has finally come out here in West Sussex, everything looks so clean and bright again, wonderful :D now just to wait for the lawn to go green again and grrrrr no doubt there'll be lots of weeding at the allotment over the next few weeks ;D
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It started throwing it down in North Derbys just as I had to go to the shops :( Mind you can't complain - went to an outdoor proms concert last night and it stayed fine. Got a bit chilly though. Good job we had to bob up and down as it kept us warm :)
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Of course it rained in Essex, we had chums over for a barby! My darling Ava barbied in the rain, and we ate in the conservatory with all the doors open listening to the glorious sound of drizzle! Going to the plot tomorrow to, hopefully, be greeted by lots of new ermerging seedlings!
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Sorry to hear of your plants dying, Val. Ours are suffering too. Mildew and rust is rife in the garden this year - I've never seen the hollyhocks in such a mess! They're only about 4 feet tall when they're usually about 8 ft! Nearly everything is brown and shrivelled under the spruce trees :'( I've tried mulching with homemade compost but the only thing that seems to encourage is more feverfews (there is a large one right next to the compost heap which must be seeding itself in there every year >:() The only things that are thriving in that bit are the foxgloves and dancing ladies. On the other hand, the roses are weighed down with blooms, but they're out in the open. Pity there are virtually no butterflies around to visit them. No ladybirds either. I must change my deodorant. :(
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Hi Spurdie, how are you?... Well I'm blowed I would've thought things would be better up there. Oh well I guess I'll just have to grin and bare it...well not grin, thats too much ....I can see trees in peoples gardens with just brown dead leaves hanging there. We had a bit of rain at the weekend, which has saved some but sadly much too late for others. The only thing I can see that has done well is the aphids. I've millions. I guess the plants can't shake them off in their weakened state. They seem to make a strike straight for the plants that look bad.Like you say no butterflies and no ladybirds, I've seen a few hoverflies but no-where near as many as usual.
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Never fear - I have the answer.
I installed a water butt - connected to my drain pipe - at home on Saturday. Now rained every day since.
I predict it will now rain contunuously for the rest of the summer, hence no need for said water butt.
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Don't mention GREENFLY >:( >:( >:( Worst year ever! >:( >:( >:( We had a misty kind of rain today, but much of the garden is STILL bone dry. >:( >:( >:( We rescued a poor wee swift today - I've written a wee bit about it on another thread. It's snoozing away in a box with some polystyrene packing chips in the bottom, and a duck glove puppet for company. It was listening to rock n' roll on the radio till it fell asleep (leaning on the little portable radio - aahhh!!!) We caught moths, daddy long legs and other fly-type beasties for it's bedtime snack but it hasn't eaten them, so they'll be its breakfast tomorrow. I thought I might try putting a black sock over my hand and using a pair of tweezers as a "beak". It likes to climb and made a nice deposit down the front of my jumper :P. Hope it's still alive in the morning! ;D
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Have your gardens had enough Rain now? Told you all I would send it to you all cos I was on holiday in North Yorkshire.
We got home on Fri. and its still raining here and quite hard. Now when is it going to stop.
>:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
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Could do with loits more. dry for a couple of days now again, and a bit windy. wouldn't know it rained last week.
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Knew I was temptimg fate by posting the above. now - one and a half hours later - the roads are flooded, water butt overflowing and my pond overflowing. Oh, and my gardening plans up the shoot.