tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post134898723736836297..comments2024-03-27T12:37:52.227-07:00Comments on Piece of Eden: Drought Update: 57%, And Thank You Dolores!Hoover Boohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03083294821646284424noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-27609529041701841432015-07-25T04:17:35.451-07:002015-07-25T04:17:35.451-07:00Well, the wet magic that was Dolores is already dr...Well, the wet magic that was Dolores is already drying up...but the hope she sprouted for a wet winter is growing, vigorously. Hoover Boohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03083294821646284424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-44251912945344136502015-07-24T18:53:00.827-07:002015-07-24T18:53:00.827-07:00I should have kept reading. Yeah for Delores!I should have kept reading. Yeah for Delores!Leshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18281256160705697856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-77679747590462506892015-07-22T16:29:01.946-07:002015-07-22T16:29:01.946-07:00Thanks! It was so wonderful--felt more like silve...Thanks! It was so wonderful--felt more like silver dollars than pennies! Hoover Boohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03083294821646284424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-86748578988969143252015-07-22T13:51:06.957-07:002015-07-22T13:51:06.957-07:00Pennies from Heaven (and not your wallet)! Congrat...Pennies from Heaven (and not your wallet)! Congratulations on your RAIN!Suzannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05034310109364193870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-68988185007963453172015-07-22T13:15:29.730-07:002015-07-22T13:15:29.730-07:00My "system" is a trash barrel and a smal...My "system" is a trash barrel and a small utility pump--I drain the washing machine water into the barrel and pump it via garden hose to the Syzygium hedge in the back. <br /><br />I thought I posted a link somewhere to an Australian company that sells what looks like a really good greywater system, but that is for new construction only. They are thinking about an existing-structure product. However I just couldn't find the link. There is some good greywater info to be found out there. Laundry water is the "low hanging fruit" of greywater--its pretty simple to set up, depending on where your washing machine is in relationship to the garden. Mine unfortunately is surrounded by concrete so a permanent solution would involve moving the laundry room, hence my improvised system. I use a detergent recommended for greywater (Oasis). The Syzygiums look really happy, as they are now getting lots of water relative to what they were getting before. Hoover Boohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03083294821646284424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-10538143038349011542015-07-21T07:30:07.861-07:002015-07-21T07:30:07.861-07:00Congratulations on all the rain - that Tim Robbins...Congratulations on all the rain - that Tim Robbins reference illustrated the relief perfectly! I too take all your efforts to heart, but I have to admit I have not been as good as I probably should - with water this year. (I do usually take super quick showers, though...) I'm considering a gray water recycling system. I know you use one - what was the name of it again, and do you like it?Anna Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02353084595743927603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-89846560722112032992015-07-20T19:06:31.659-07:002015-07-20T19:06:31.659-07:00It has been educational. I think it's making ...It has been educational. I think it's making me a better gardener. (I hope.) Hoover Boohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03083294821646284424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-32692791774615643532015-07-20T19:04:46.254-07:002015-07-20T19:04:46.254-07:00I took the drought very seriously--maybe too serio...I took the drought very seriously--maybe too seriously? If I can eventually pull off a beautiful garden with very little water, that would be great. Hoover Boohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03083294821646284424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-72614386557976608362015-07-20T18:59:19.744-07:002015-07-20T18:59:19.744-07:00If nothing else, it will save some money. The bi...If nothing else, it will save some money. The bill dropped a lot. The real challenge is making the garden beautiful without using much water--I am going to try. Hoover Boohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03083294821646284424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-71535023407681285842015-07-20T18:38:48.885-07:002015-07-20T18:38:48.885-07:00I am not up early, I am actually very late to bed,...I am not up early, I am actually very late to bed, often seeing the sun rise before I go to bed – I have a completely twisted circadian rhythm and can’t seem to change it despite trying my best. Not really so much a problem as long as I don’t have appointments with the rest of the world :-) <br />I water the plants in the evening so not a problem for them. As for soaker hose and minerals, yes, that will be a problem since the London water is very hard, lime scale affects everything including soaker hoses – but from what I am reading it doesn’t seem to be a big problem for soaker hoses, possibly because they are buried and wet all the time so the lime scale doesn’t dry out. Not sure, time will tell I guess.<br />I look forward to not having to water though, just set the timer and not worry :-)HELENEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16112289914239038835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-26067538182720545512015-07-20T17:40:00.993-07:002015-07-20T17:40:00.993-07:00I think I would rather go dirty for a few days and...I think I would rather go dirty for a few days and save up for a luxurious shower. Really impressed with your efforts and intelligent way of going about it. We may all be checking back here to see how it's done.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08843132106213356234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-79063263084034379882015-07-20T13:27:37.420-07:002015-07-20T13:27:37.420-07:00Firstly so pleased you have had soe substantial ra...Firstly so pleased you have had soe substantial rain. Loved the little cartoon.<br />Then amazing savings on water. I am guessing not everyone went to your levels of effort. Great that you managed it, while keeping the character to your lovely garden.Spiky Obsessionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04336642361281619338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-46579711369267375592015-07-20T12:12:25.152-07:002015-07-20T12:12:25.152-07:00I thought 1 minute showers unthinkable--but I deci...I thought 1 minute showers unthinkable--but I decided I'd rather water the plants than myself. "Navy" showers are really not bad--I still get clean, and the water bill dropped so much--more $ for plants!Hoover Boohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03083294821646284424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-23216166042176902212015-07-20T12:10:19.583-07:002015-07-20T12:10:19.583-07:00It was so amazing--I was watching the forecasts fo...It was so amazing--I was watching the forecasts for rain, thinking, yeah, yeah, right, I'll believe it when I see it...and then I saw it. <br /><br />I'm cautiously hopeful as well, emphasis on cautious. I don't want my heart broken if it doesn't happen. The rate at which the rain we got yesterday was falling was very El Niño.Hoover Boohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03083294821646284424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-17051073415250920662015-07-20T12:05:04.054-07:002015-07-20T12:05:04.054-07:00When it rained over winter and I had a pile of mul...When it rained over winter and I had a pile of mulch undistributed, I discovered water moves down through the mulch--takes a few days, but it happens. <br /><br />Glad to hear you got some of the wealth in your garden. I felt like Tim Robbins crawling out of the sewer pipe to freedom in Shawshank Redemption when that rain came pouring down. <br />Hoover Boohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03083294821646284424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-37132936073307261822015-07-20T11:59:56.792-07:002015-07-20T11:59:56.792-07:00Thanks! The plants and I are singing with joy. D...Thanks! The plants and I are singing with joy. Dust builds up on foliage here over the summer and it's all washed off now. Everything sparkles. Hoover Boohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03083294821646284424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-41776350929588108292015-07-20T11:55:56.420-07:002015-07-20T11:55:56.420-07:00Yes, with the water saving I wanted room for error...Yes, with the water saving I wanted room for error. I have to mulch here to keep the soil from turning into concrete. It is hard work but it helps a lot. Hoover Boohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03083294821646284424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-17988905712821337912015-07-20T11:53:11.255-07:002015-07-20T11:53:11.255-07:00So happy! Dolores! Dolores! Dolores!So happy! Dolores! Dolores! Dolores!Hoover Boohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03083294821646284424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-91350394598465441642015-07-20T11:52:26.827-07:002015-07-20T11:52:26.827-07:00Full up rain tanks--what a wonderful feeling that ...Full up rain tanks--what a wonderful feeling that must be! I don't think slightly soapy water is that much of a problem--distributing it around, and then the heavy rain we'll get this winter will wash any residue far below the root zones.<br /><br />I am lucky I can stand out in the rain washing cars behind gates so no one knows. <br /><br />I looked at the reviews of "Water Knife"--graphic violence?!? Is it that bad? graphic violence isn't my favorite.Hoover Boohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03083294821646284424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-19480897655079157062015-07-20T10:34:16.062-07:002015-07-20T10:34:16.062-07:00Wonderful news/photos of all that free water. Your...Wonderful news/photos of all that free water. Your detailed conservation efforts are interesting and appreciated. I'm hearing some scary things for next year here, if El Nino does indeed deliver a warmer/drier winter to the PNW (i.e. no snow in the mountains, again), and may have to change some of my ways, although a 1 minute shower just sounds inhumane...danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-35411838951255801992015-07-20T08:50:48.408-07:002015-07-20T08:50:48.408-07:00The rain you had was truly a miracle. It rained as...The rain you had was truly a miracle. It rained as far north as San Jose (according to a friend who lives there), but not a drop here in Davis. But I'm still happy you got the rain, instead of places that have enough already. Still, every forecast points to a wet to very wet El Niño winter. That makes me cautiously hopeful.Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)https://www.blogger.com/profile/17583583634141549759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-45473595592603879642015-07-20T08:43:38.265-07:002015-07-20T08:43:38.265-07:00It's been unreal the past couple days. The ra...It's been unreal the past couple days. The raiin on Saturday, pulling aside the mulch, didn't penetrate as far as I'd hoped. But Sunday! Holy mole! It is the most amazing feeling to know the entire garden is well watered in July and not just limping along. I'm all for pulling out your poor performers behind Herc -- more agaves, more aloes! Denisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13048985060349929026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-40747892607143675192015-07-20T04:24:17.989-07:002015-07-20T04:24:17.989-07:00So happy to hear you got rain! Irrigation -- and g...So happy to hear you got rain! Irrigation -- and good job with your conservation efforts -- is one thing, but rain really makes a garden perk up, even here where rainfall is still a regular thing.Alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-26950583847708885572015-07-20T02:14:11.406-07:002015-07-20T02:14:11.406-07:00As I read your post it is raining. Again. But when...As I read your post it is raining. Again. But when it stops our clay soil will dry to rock hard in a matter of minutes and the rain doesn't penetrate very much. So even here I need irrigation. <br />That's a great result with the water saving and sounds like there is a bit of scope to free it up a little. Well done! And thank goodness for rain in California. rusty duckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12238493821002258459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8376265981959655408.post-52371590542927664262015-07-19T23:27:53.507-07:002015-07-19T23:27:53.507-07:00Well done and great to hear that your efforts paid...Well done and great to hear that your efforts paid well and you have confirmation of it. And nice one of Dolores for being so generous with rain!Mark and Gazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09427245730390252976noreply@blogger.com