Here in the UK It’s been a mixed bag as far as this August is concerned, we’ve had some scorching days, and we’ve had a quite a few like today, rainy and miserable.
It shouldn’t all be doom and gloom though, your garden will benefit from the drink (although you might have to get the mower out at the weekend!), and any drought damage should be well on the mend by now.
If you haven’t thought about it already it’s also well worth storing rain water for use in the garden, and the easiest way to do this is with a water butt.
The main benefit of using a water butt is, if used correctly, they’l provide you with al the water you need to feed your garden throughout the summer months. Not only does this mean that you won’t need to worry about being restricted on watering your garden in the event of a hose pipe ban, but just think of the saving you’ll make on your water bill too!
And of course when you think about it, it doesn’t make much sense to use water that is clean enough for human consumption on plants, they don’t need it to be that clean!
On the subject of water it’s worth mentioning that you should only ever allow rain water to collect in a water butt. Grey and black water from you toilet, bath or heating system are definitely not suitable for storing in this way, or watering plants with.
Water Butts
Water butts themselves come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but the important things to remember are:
Size
Water butts can vary in capacity, and can be anything between 100 to several thousand litres. How much water are you likely to use throughout an average summer? Try to come up with a rough estimate so that you can pick a water butt that fits your demands.
Design
Water butts can be anything from a simple plastic barrel with a tap at the base, to something more aesthetically pleasing such as those disguised as fences or rocks, right through to a below ground tanks that require a pump to get the water out. Which you choose will again depend on how frequently you intend to use them, and how much water you’ll need. Our advice though, go for the largest you can afford. If gardening is you thing, and will be for the foreseeable future then it’s well worth saving rain water as the cost of the water butt will soon be paid for by the tap water you save as a result.
Some market leading water butts include:
