rain water

Clevér you its a great invention.

Necessity is the mother of invention. Well done I would never have thought of it !

well done, this is very clever. in our first house OH did something similar using a spare bit of pond liner. We haven't got water buts here as there isn't any where to 'hide' them. one day I will sort that.

When I had my two new water butts installed in April I surprised the men by asking them to stand the butts on some spare bricks stacked in a square. This was so that the spout was at the right height to put the watering can under. Then it didnt rain until last week !
Things can only get better.

That's very resourceful Vileve! Brilliant idea.

that's where I went wrong Dianebulley, one water butt is on a pile of bricks etc but the tap was too far back to accommodate a watering can so had to improvise! I've even put a length of guttering on the back of the double compost bin that my late husband made for me ...and no plastic 'pipes' on this one as the water just drops into a large container from the short end of the guttering ..it's amazing how much rainwater runs off that lid! I then transfer the water to yet another water butt standing nearby!! then that has to be ladled out into a watering can as the tap is too close to the ground to be of any use... Ah well ..it keeps me fit.

There is always a way to sort these things out, clever you! As a person who never chucks anything out (useful rather than hoarding I hope) we have various bits of hosing that came from washing machines, left over pipework etc., and these come in handy for diverting overflows.
I also have a small submersible pump which is kept in the tank near the barn to pump this water into the pond when it starts to overflow.
From here on eBay 232861644783, if you wanted to invest less than £40 to save your back, I find mine really useful. Otherwise a short piece of hose about a metre long with a tap connector on the end can be attached to the tap of the tank and used to fill watering cans.
I have one attached to the outside tap as I can leave the w.can on the ground and not have to hold it up while it fills. If you tank doesn't have a hose connector on it you can buy and replace the tap or add a push on tap connector. All that heaving of water about sounds too much like hard work!

All very ingenious!

Thanks for that info Honeysuckle...I looked up that number on Ebay but!!! it needs a mains connection which I haven't any access to... so that's out! I must admit that particular butt / tank is only a last resort as the other two have always (up to this year!!) been sufficient for my needs.. once they are empty (all three) then the garden must take care of itself..at least I have saved my newly separated favourite Ferns that were on the point of dying of thirst! so here's hoping the rain will come soon and we get back our lovely unpredictable weather!

At last someone appreciates it !
When I was child growing up in the country I used to enjoy going over the nearby field with a small bucket, collecting sheep manure. I tipped this into a sack, tied the top, and hung the sack in the water butt.
My mother used this water for the plants in the greenhouse.
Come to think of it, nobody ever bought Liquid Feed in those days. Most money was used to buy food for ourselves.
Wonder if Hywel did the same ?

True Diane. I used to ne sent out with shovel and bucket to collect horse droppings for the roses.

Way to go, Vileve! I've made Manure Tea for ages. A little goes a very long way, too! Well watered it does wonders on the roses and tomatoes. All it takes is a season of drought and we remember all the old tricks and tips for conserving water. Ages ago they used horse droppings in what they called "hot beds" because it really cooks. A layer of horse stuff about a foot down really heats up a frame and extends the growing season. All those lovely old time practices are so great to rediscover. Very smart of you to cobble together such a practical system!