Plant Gardens 101

There are certain things about the concept of rainwater harvesting that can sometimes be taken for granted, especially if you’ve been familiar with the process for a while. This was certainly the case for me while talking to a neighbour about rainwater tanks. One thing that I’d noticed over the last few years driving my car around Melbourne, Australia were the amount of houses that have Rainwater Tanks installed (and they’re just the one’s you can see from the street). Rainwater tanks really are popular these days. The other thing that I’ve noticed is that most of these rainwater tanks are only connected to one downpipe (downspout). I’d often wondered how much rainwater these tanks actually harvested and I got my answer while talking to my neighbour. I knew he’d installed a rainwater tank about a year previously so I asked him if he was happy with it and if it harvested much rainwater. He replied that he wasn’t, as we don’t get enough rain to fill it. I told him that he needed to connect more of his roof area to it. (more…)

The first lesson I learnt in rainwater harvesting was one that cost me dearly but as time went by it was one that I benefited from enormously. Rainwater harvesting or the harvesting of rainwater for my garden was a concept that I’d thought about for sometime before I actually went ahead and purchased my first rainwater tank. Looking back now though, I suppose I’m just like most people and didn’t really go ahead with it until I really had to….. During the spring of 2006 we’d just come through another dry winter in Melbourne, Australia. Despite this though, we weren’t under any water restrictions so I decided to go ahead and plant a new lawn in my backyard. I’d been holding off for the previous few years as we’d been in drought since 1997. So I went ahead and purchased some turf and before I knew it I had a new lawn complete which a sprinkler system and all the water I needed courtesy of my garden tap. Now all I had to do was turn on the tap, sit back, relax and just watch the grass grow. How sweet was that? Unfortunately for me about one week after my new lawn was installed my plans came to a very quick and sudden halt. Water restrictions were introduced. This now meant that I could no longer use my garden tap to water my new lawn. I’d just spent several hundred dollars on turf and a sprinkler system and had no water to keep it alive. I had to get some water from somewhere, and fast. (more…)

Rainwater Collection in modern urban areas is something that is still new and at its infancy in many respects but with many areas these days experiencing changing climates the installation of rainwater collection systems is now becoming more popular.

The biggest question for many home owners is how to go about implementing rainwater collection and what type of rainwater collection system to install. There are many types on the market but broadly speaking you can divide rainwater collection systems into above ground and below ground systems.

When making your choice there is much to consider. Below ground rainwater collection systems are obviously the most efficient at collecting as much rainwater as possible. The fact that the inlet to the tank is below ground level allows rainwater to be diverted easily by the use of gravity from all of the roof area, thus maximising the rainwater collection potential of your roof. Despite being very efficient, below ground rainwater collection systems can be expensive to install. Installation costs include excavating the site and lack of access to existing residences can make these systems prohibitive to many houses. (more…)