Irrigating the garden

For a while now I have been wanting to try another way of irrigating the garden. We have borehole water but I have to schlep the hosepipe around and the sprinkler we use does not only cover the beds, but the pathways too.

I have tried a variety of sprinklers over the years and have not yet found anything that is direct enough. I have thought of an Olla but it would cost too much to buy them, or make them. I also thought of drip irrigation but the pressure from the borehole is too high and it would not work either. Superman (did I mention that all homes need one of Them) has been trying to think of a way to do it for me at the lowest cost and effort. We have one big problem here in Cape Town - WIND WIND and more WIND.

Last night we rigged up an idea to see if it could work and as the wind was blowing hard it was a good time to test it. Unfortunetly, while this will simplify my watering time dramatically, the wind makes it only good for windstill days.

We used a simple frame with irrigation piping attached to it with cable ties (that one is for you Sean - I know how you like your cable ties!) and then had 2 360 deg and 2 180 deg sprinklers attached to it. Two beds are connected and all I have to do is plug in the hose from the pump and turn it on. On windy days we will need another plan...

I also just need to share what the Smallest Super Hero did today...when we cut down the trees he was devastated. He was rehousing nests and chameleons left right and centre. He then asked about a pond and we got that in. As he was filling it (see post below) he had tears in his little eyes and said: "I am so happy I could cry". Then he asked how else we could get birds back...and the feeding station came to life in his mind. This is what he made all on his own today:

The apple and pine cone feeder are stuck onto nails he hammered through from the bottom and he is making suet blocks for the other two nails. We already had the little green seed feeder and my father in law had bought the nectar feeder for us a while back. It is filled with a sugar water solution, a dab of marmite and some red coloring. The White Eyes love it.

And this evening we were rewarded with a dragon fly sitting on our asparagus. Nature will return....