Rain Rain Go Away

You know how we like talking about the weather in this country? Well we have had a lot of it to talk about this year haven’t we?

We have had the wettest April since records began, the wettest June since records began, and the wettest second quarter since records began.

So with all this water coming from the sky we need to ensure that we make good use of it and that we allow it to nourish our gardens rather than disappearing down the drain. Gardeners should employ water butts so that they can water pots, crops and newly established plants in between the rainy spells.

A water butt will harvest rainwater from your roof. Butts should be positioned to siphon off water from one of the downpipes from your roof. Make sure you position it in a place that is going to be most useful to you – close to patio pots or vegetable garden. You can even install a water butt pump if you want to run a hosepipe form it. For more information on installing a water butt see our project page.

Another way to regulate between the drought and flood impact is to build a bog garden which can absorb the excess water while it is pouring and will keep plants watered while it is baking. A garden pond will also help with taking any runoff from the garden and gives relief from scorching conditions especially if you have a pump running a fountain – just the sound of water trickling seems to bring the temperature down a degree or two.

Recent regulation has addressed the problem of so many of us changing our gardens from grass to hard surfaces which do not absorb rain but allow it to run off the surface into drains, increasing the risk of flash floods.

Planning permission is now required to lay traditional impermeable driveways and paving that allow uninhibited runoff of rainwater onto roads. The best answer is to use materials that will allow water to soak into the ground. There are now cobbles and paving blocks that are porous but look like traditional materials. Of course you can use traditional gravel and if you don’t like the thought of constantly sweeping up, you can now get resin bound gravel surfaces that prevent the stones moving but have a porous surface.

For more information on how to lay driveways and paving visit our driveway project