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Author: tejvan

Good Tips for Saving Water in the Garden

Good Tips for Saving Water in the Garden

water butt

Recent years, have seen an increase in the number of hot dry spells here in the UK. Conserving water has therefore become increasingly important. Conserving water does not just save money (for those on water meters), but also helps the environment and helps maintain a healthy garden.

1. Install Waterbutt.

The water butt here is attached next to the greenhouse roof, so fills quite quickly. Don’t just install one water butt if you have a large garden use several storage devices for saving water in the garden. Note it is a good idea to use a lid to prevent water evaporation and insect infestations.

2. Saving Grey Water for the Garden.
Grey water from the bath, shower, washing up or washing machine can be used for Saving Water in the Garden. Never use water from toilets or dishwashers nor water containing bleach on your plants. Some experts recommend not using saved grey water on food crops such as soft fruit or vegetable crops.
Grey water can start to smell if stored so get it out intpo a bucket and use it as soon as possible.

3. Mulch in Spring.

In late spring, when the ground has warmed up and the soil is thoroughly moist, you can add a generous organic mulch to the top of the soil. This will help to keep the water moisture for longer. If you are adding organic matter, such as rotted manure, to the soil, it will also help improve the condition of the soil and improve its water retention capacities. This is particularly important for sandy soils.

4. Don’t Fight Conditions.

If you live in a hot, dry climate or have a poor sandy soil, don’t try to grow lots of moisture loving plants. Instead, choose plants which thrive in dryMediterranean conditions. These are often plants with thin greyish leaves, for example, lavenders. This does not mean you will be restricted to growing cactus, there are many colourful plants which can thrive or  at least tolerate dry conditions e.g. pelargoniums.

5. Water Properly

When watering make sure the watering reaches the roots of the plants. If you water frequently but little, the watering may do more harm than good. This is because the water won’t penetrate and so the roots will be encouraged to grow up to the surface. Therefore, it is better to encourage deep roots through infrequent watering. This way you use less water, but, it is more effective.

6. Water in Evening.

If you water in the morning, the water is more liable to evaporate in the day’s sun. If you water in the evening, it gives chance for the water to soak down into the ground.

7. Water into a sunken pot.

If you have target plants or trees to water, it is helpful to sink  a pipe or plastic pot into the ground. This means the water is targeted to the roots of the plant and doesn’t run off the top of the soil. Water deeply and infrequently for effective results with minimum water usage.

8. Don’t use a sprinkler

A sprinkler is an ineffective way for watering a border. Alot of water is wasted; it is better to target the water directly to base of plants; watering those who need it most.

9. Rainwater Harvesting
The concept of capturing rainwater and storing it for later use is well documented from pre-Roman times. New underground systems are available as a retrofit so you can save water for your garden and household use. Read more from the UK Rainwater harvesting association

10. New Build Rainwater Capture
Progressively new houses are being built with better capture systems. It saves drainage work and run off issues as well as providing an eco-friendly supply of water.

11. Drip Feed Water Saving
Irrigation systems such as those based on drip feed watering is very useful for the greenhouse and containers. No water is wasted and the gardener is in control.

12 Self Watering Pots and Trays
Put a saucer under your garden planters and pots. I water from the bottom by filling the saucer. Some pots now have integral water holding facilities useful for salad crops and hanging baskets.

GARDEN HOSE - WATER
Hosepipe and sprinkler ban – not yet in the North of the UK

Credits
Best Time to water your garden
How to water your garden
Xeriscaping and Other if in drought Watering Tips
GARDEN HOSE – WATER by Beth Kingery CC BY 2.0

If you know of any other tips for conserving water in the garden, please let us know in the comments below.

Wildlife Gardening in UK

Wildlife Gardening in UK

wildlife
(Bees in the Garden)

Attracting Wildlife into Your Garden

As well as beautiful flowers, attracting wildlife into your garden can make it more interesting and provide extra all year round interest. If you attract the right kind of visitors, you will also be able to help defeat some of the common garden pests.
Aim for a balance with nature, slugs eat waste, frogs eat slugs, some birds eat insects and all have a place in a wildlife friendly garden.

wildlife

How To Encourage Wildlife Into Your Garden

  • Good Source of Water. A good source of water will attract many visitors who will come to rely on this source of vital commodity. Water can help attract butterflies, frogs, toads, birds and many more.
  • Provide Shelter. A key issue is making wildlife feel at home. This involves having some tall trees and bushes for birds to feel safe in.
  • Don’t Keep garden too tidy. It is tempting to always want to clean things up. But, a few well placed plants and objects will encourage wildlife to stay.
  • Bird Tables. Bird tables need to be protected from predators and so need to be high up off ground, well away from jumping cats.
  • Year Long Round Mix of nectar rich flowers. Attracting wildlife is complementary with growing some of our most popular flowers. Flowers rich in nectar will attract butterflies and hoverflies. Try growing plants such as buddleja, Foxgloves, Lilac, Michaelmas Daisy. Some less popular plants like Globe Thistle are also very good for wildlife.
  • At the end of the growing season, don’t cut everything back. Old Sunflower stems and seeds will provide valuable food during early winter and other stems provide shelter.
  • Don’t harm wildlife, through slug pellets. At least, scatter them properly under the surface (overkilling slugs and wildlife).
  • Grow Some Nettles in back of garden. Nettles are a great plant for making compost and attracting wildlife.

Related Posts

Funny Garden Signs

Funny Garden Signs

Some funny signs at our local allotment – Elder Stubbs, Florence Park, Oxford

Giant Leek Mankind

“Giant Leek for Mankind”

“Spuddau Ballet”

“That’s One Small Spud for a Flan”

~

The Peatles

“The Peatles”

– I’m Dried,

– I’m Sweet

– I’m Musy

– I’m Frozen

– I’m Ringo

~

Thanks very Mulch

“Thank You! Thank You Very Mulch”

~

…

Read More Read More

Photos of English Front Gardens

Photos of English Front Gardens

A great front garden full of colour. This is taken in Coniston Cold on A65

Flowers
Inspiration of Yorkshire and Switzerland. Certainly cheers up motorists on the cross pennine slog from Skipton to Settle.

front

Lovely climbing rose gives that cottage garden effect.

colour

more colour provided by Dahlias and others

zen
A more zen like approach.

Yorkshire Autumn

pack em in
Related

Top 10 Small Gardens

10 Tips for Taking Flower Photos

10 Tips for Taking Flower Photos

Rose with Dew

Taking flower photos is often seen as an easier aspect of photography. Even with a simple point and shoot camera you can have very good photos for little effort. However, these tips will enable you to get even better photos and push you into the ‘pro’ category.

Taking flower photos is very much a learning experience. I have added an extra two tips at no extra cost 🙂

Tips for Photographing Flowers

1. Shoot From Different Angles

Taken from same height as flower

There’s a big difference between shooting down on top of flowers and shooting at the same level as a flower. Shooting at same level as a flower, means you might have to get down on your hands and knees but, it gives a more interesting less conventional perspective.

red
Same Flower from standard above position

2. For close ups Shoot with smallest aperture your lens will allow

If you have a f/5.6 lens use f5.6

3. Try Macro Lens for really close shoot up.

A macro lens allows you to get exceptional close up shots. A macro lens has such shallow depth of field that when a photographing a flower, some petals at back can even be out of focus.

4.Good Quality Tripod

A good quality tripod enables the sharpest picture, it also enables you to use smaller apertures and a longer exposure time.

5. Other Tips to Reduce Camera Shake.

  • If taking a tripod is difficult, try a monopod.
  • Remote shot taker. When pressing button, the camera moves causes some camera shake. An external button release enables you to take a shot without moving camera.
  • For important shots try multiple shot, which automatically takes several shots. At least one will be in super sharp focus.
  • Very useful is this mini tripod. It supports weight of heavy SLR, but can be folded up into a small bag.

6. Canon Filter

A Canon close-up 500D lens can be fitted to a telephoto zoom lens and is like a traditional lens filter easy to carry around and gives a cheaper way to get macro shots.


7. Best Time To Take Flower Shots

On Cloudy Overcast days. When sun is very bright, flowers can appear washed out. On cloudy overcast days, flower colour can appear more vibrant.

Spring Flowers

8. The Rain Effect

After Rain. Drops of rain on flowers add an extra romance and beauty to flower photos (see Rose top). If it rarely rains – just take a portable sprayer to add your own water – no-one will know you sprayed it!

9. Use Backgrounds for constant Colour.

Daffodil

Daffodil

A solid background helps avoid distracting backgrounds. Black often works very well, especially for white, light coloured flowers.

10. Wind

Trying to hold stem of flower can work. If you have an SLR set a high shutter speed 1/ 125 will help capture and freeze any blowing wind.

11. Use Macro Flash

Orchid

Indoor Orchid

This orchid and daffodil (black background) was taken with a macro flash
There is much more light so you can use a high f number – small aperture, big depth of field. You can get some very nice results with this. Another bonus is you don’t really need a tripod, there is so much light, you need a very fast shutter speed (1/200)

photos – Tejvan

12. Depth of Field
Crocus Flowers
Don’t limit yourself to close ups of flowers. Also try take flowers, in context. For this you really need a big depth of field (high f setting). This allows less light, so you need a longer shutter speed (perhaps half a second) to compensate. Therefore, a tripod is essential. However, it enables you to capture a field of flowers and just a small number.

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