blockhill - forest garden experience & education
North Canterbury
Plan for dry and survive drought with carefully designed and implemented rainwater catchment systems built directly into the landscape. Three core elements to mitigating the effects and impact of drought:
- Identify and intercept water flows to keep moisture on the landscape
- Improve soils ability to absorb and retain water
- Reduce the impact of hot, dry winds
Find out how simple land use patterns and strategic planting can achieve all these benefits and more.
The weather men predicted this one and issued dire warnings. We are well placed (elevated) to deal with torrential rainfall... just a bugger about the leak in the roof, I thought I'd fixed it.
Other wet weather news
May 26, 2010
The top swale
Finally, after discovering and experimenting with swales for some time, I have rerouted the rainwater from the house roof to a newly created TOP SWALE. The new excavations run in a fairly straight line through the orchard and overflow into the recently reconfigured garden swales.
January 18, 2013
The way of the swale
A swale is a permaculture technique designed to improve water catchment and retention on slopes. Applicable to varying scales, a swale is basically a ditch or terrace created along a contour line with the removed soil piled on the downhill side. As rainwater drains down the slope above is is caught and absorbed by the swale. Plantings made along the swale will have access to additional moisture for extended period.
My first attempt at a small swale follows the contour line on a northwest facing slope below an existing track. Because of the small size I was able to dig this by hand over 2 periods, using an A-frame level. Over the course of the next few months we will be scattering the kitchen scraps along the length for the chooks to work over, adding their manure and nutrients from the kitchen. Finally it will be planted up in a variety of different plants from ground covers, bulbs and shrubs to fruit and firewood trees.
June 12, 2011
Finally, after much waiting on transport, we have our concrete water tank. I was pleased to find one for sale close by but was dependant on availability of heavy machinery to get it moved.
This will be setup to collect water from the roof of the house as a backup drinking supply.
March 13, 2014
It's raining today (as they said it would) and it's bloody marvellous. As a free resource, rain should be collected or focussed for use in the right spots at the right time.
One of my processes includes home made guttering, a bath, and an overflow pipe
March 05, 2011