Saving water in your garden

Save water this summer by watering your plants deeply but less often.  This process encourages your plants to develop deep, drought-resistant root systems. …Read more

Invest in your Home

Your home is your castle, so they say, and if it’s not as grand as you would like, now is a good time for improvements. Why? Largely because of the state of the economy.

On a long term scale, we are at an economic low point. Properties are difficult to sell at other than a bargain price, tradesmen are short of work, and interest rates are low. …Read more

Cleaning silver

I found this cool way to clean silver.  It’s so easy and it’s fun to watch! I’ve used it on silver cutlery and jewellery (silver chains etc). …Read more

Your Leaky Money Bucket

Money always seems to disappear faster at holiday time.

Most people are short of money not because they buy big expensive things, but because they spend little bits here and there. This kind of spending is what I call ‘Leaky Bucket Syndrome’. …Read more

Garden irrigation

Many people have to cope with water restrictions at the very time their garden needs water to keep the plants growing. Here are some ways you can manage your garden watering so your plants survive dry spells of hot summer weather.

Empty plastic soft drink bottles

Remove the top and cut the bottom off the bottle and bury the narrow neck of the bottle near the plant you want to water. Fill the bottle with water and leave it to drip water to your plant. Check every few days and refill when empty

Timers

Purchase a timer to attach to your tap then attach you hose and sprinkler. You can then turn the water on for a set time (say 30 minutes) and know it will be turned off at the end of that time.  (Your local council will be delighted that you didn’t leave a sprinkler running all night!!)

Leaky hose

Yes – you read that correctly.  Leaky (or soaker)  hose is a special form of environmentally friendly watering system using hose made from recycled rubber.  This works best in lengths less than 15 metres. Lay the leaky hose on the surface of your garden. You can lay it in a straight line or snake it around so it goes close to the plants you want to keep damp. Keep the hose 2-3 cm away from the base of your plants.

Cover the soaker hoses with mulch after they are in place.

When the soaker hose is in place, connect it to the garden tap with a solid hose and turn the tap on just a little bit.  You will need to work out how much water to use when you see how quickly (or not) the earth gets damp.  It will depend on your water pressure and the nature of your soil.

Before winter, remove the soaker hose, wash the outside and flush out the inside to remove any bits of soil. Store it indoors.

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