As a way to save water dollars, we've begun to collect the cold water that would otherwise run down the drain when we shower or bathe, into a pail, which I use for watering the garden by hand.
I made a free watering can from a half-gallon milk carton. I used one from Promised Land dairies, because we had some and they have the nice molded hand-holds on the back of the carton. I nail-punched a circle of holes, with a center one, as well, in the screw-on cap and cut a small slit at the top of the back for air exchange.
It works quite well, for what it is.
To improve, I would use a smaller nail and more holes in the cap and make the air exchange slit much smaller, as well.
When we use up the current milk carton, I'll try that out. I need several, as all the kids will want one.
Showing posts with label water. Show all posts
Showing posts with label water. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, August 3, 2009
August 3, 2009
Still working on getting the garden in shape for fall. Dug up two paths and laid down cardboard under the weedblock and mulch.
T/P: rosemary in Bed A, as a pollinator attractor.
Tomato, in Bed B
P: zinnia, sunflower and cosmos in back fence bed. Sunflowers in side fence bed. Bush beans and cowpeas in Bed A. Waiting on my Burpee's seed order for some plants. I have never tried growing annuals in the fall, and look forward to the results.
Turned compost heap, which is still heating up wonderfully. Every two-three days seems to work better than daily. I will 'un-sew' the leaf heap by the front gate from its wild morning glory vines and use them to replenish the paths and mulch. Any leaf mold will go onto the beds and the leftovers will go into the new heap.
Finished laying out the soaker hose system. Now to figure out a watering schedule for the beds in the evenings. Going in and out several times under the geckos lurking over the back door is not a pleasant vision. Maybe I can get it all done before it gets really dark and they come out.
I scavenged some nice rocks from a parkway and am looking for a place to sink my little plastic pond, so I can use them around the edges. It won't be a proper pond with water circulation, etc., but just a watering hole for, hopefully, frogs and toads.
Unless Evil White Cat gets them.
T/P: rosemary in Bed A, as a pollinator attractor.
Tomato, in Bed B
P: zinnia, sunflower and cosmos in back fence bed. Sunflowers in side fence bed. Bush beans and cowpeas in Bed A. Waiting on my Burpee's seed order for some plants. I have never tried growing annuals in the fall, and look forward to the results.
Turned compost heap, which is still heating up wonderfully. Every two-three days seems to work better than daily. I will 'un-sew' the leaf heap by the front gate from its wild morning glory vines and use them to replenish the paths and mulch. Any leaf mold will go onto the beds and the leftovers will go into the new heap.
Finished laying out the soaker hose system. Now to figure out a watering schedule for the beds in the evenings. Going in and out several times under the geckos lurking over the back door is not a pleasant vision. Maybe I can get it all done before it gets really dark and they come out.
I scavenged some nice rocks from a parkway and am looking for a place to sink my little plastic pond, so I can use them around the edges. It won't be a proper pond with water circulation, etc., but just a watering hole for, hopefully, frogs and toads.
Unless Evil White Cat gets them.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Drunk Sailor in Port
That would be me- at Lowe's this morning.
But I am now supplied for the squash trellis, which I put together this afternoon. V. came out to see what I was hammering on and we had a little "Ur doing it rong" tiff. My take: it's a trellis, not a house. His: it should still be square.
Also set up my soaker hoses in Beds I & II. I cut the hoses to length, capped the ends and put these genius snap-on connectors on the other ends. Now I just put a two-faucet unit on the hose, attach the soaker hoses and turn it on.
Bed III gets the ollas. I'm wondering if something similar couldn't be rigged with a terra-cotta flowerpot and saucer. Just plug the hole in the bottom, bury the pot, fill it with water and cover it with the saucer. Might be worth a try. They might not be porous enough, though, for the water to wick through.
TP eggplant, red bell pepper, green bell pepper.
Bought cedar for the back fence bed, plus fence palings to put across the bottom of the fences. And some bee-attracting seeds: coneflower and cosmos. Plus pumpkin seeds for the tub.
I also bought some squirrel repellent spray for the bird feeders, called Critter Ridder. I'm not anti-squirrel, but enough is enough. They can eat corn off the ground with the doves.
There was a cute family- dad, mom and a little boy about five- looking at seeds with me, and trying to select some things for his garden. He wanted everything hard to grow: carrots, onions, flowers that needed to be started inside six weeks ago. I mentioned to his mom that the onion sets and vegetable seedlings were out front and saw them again when I went out to look for another basil plant.
If I were doing a garden for a small child, I think I'd use the bags of top soil method and plant:
Radishes- you plant a little seed and only leaves come up, but then you pull on them- and there's a radish! It's magic!
Cherry tomato
Lettuce seedlings
Sunflowers- so you can share with the birds
An annual from seed- probably a short Zinnia variety
and if possible, some vining plant: beans, or morning glories.
If they turned out not to like gardening, you just pull everything up and scatter the dirt on the lawn.
To do: order dirt
But I am now supplied for the squash trellis, which I put together this afternoon. V. came out to see what I was hammering on and we had a little "Ur doing it rong" tiff. My take: it's a trellis, not a house. His: it should still be square.
Also set up my soaker hoses in Beds I & II. I cut the hoses to length, capped the ends and put these genius snap-on connectors on the other ends. Now I just put a two-faucet unit on the hose, attach the soaker hoses and turn it on.
Bed III gets the ollas. I'm wondering if something similar couldn't be rigged with a terra-cotta flowerpot and saucer. Just plug the hole in the bottom, bury the pot, fill it with water and cover it with the saucer. Might be worth a try. They might not be porous enough, though, for the water to wick through.
TP eggplant, red bell pepper, green bell pepper.
Bought cedar for the back fence bed, plus fence palings to put across the bottom of the fences. And some bee-attracting seeds: coneflower and cosmos. Plus pumpkin seeds for the tub.
I also bought some squirrel repellent spray for the bird feeders, called Critter Ridder. I'm not anti-squirrel, but enough is enough. They can eat corn off the ground with the doves.
There was a cute family- dad, mom and a little boy about five- looking at seeds with me, and trying to select some things for his garden. He wanted everything hard to grow: carrots, onions, flowers that needed to be started inside six weeks ago. I mentioned to his mom that the onion sets and vegetable seedlings were out front and saw them again when I went out to look for another basil plant.
If I were doing a garden for a small child, I think I'd use the bags of top soil method and plant:
Radishes- you plant a little seed and only leaves come up, but then you pull on them- and there's a radish! It's magic!
Cherry tomato
Lettuce seedlings
Sunflowers- so you can share with the birds
An annual from seed- probably a short Zinnia variety
and if possible, some vining plant: beans, or morning glories.
If they turned out not to like gardening, you just pull everything up and scatter the dirt on the lawn.
To do: order dirt
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