Water harvesting tank install - Cookham Sep 2013

Installing a 3500 ltr water harvesting tank - New design including pump and filter and all fittings for an easy install.We sat the tank on a bed of concrete and all went in without any hassle.

Irrigation system only on this project but can easily be plumbed into a header tank in the house to reduce house water use.

Pruning in March

The first signs of spring are now clearly visible. Plants in the garden and on the balcony are gradually coming to life, and gardeners are keen to get down to work, as there is plenty to do this month to prepare the garden for the coming season.

Pruning

• Remove any remaining dead foliage.
• Prune back roses from the end of March, using clean, sharp secateurs.
• Prune bush roses back to a height of approximately 45 cm.
• Prune standard roses above the graft union, cutting the branches down to a maximum length of 40 cm. Make the cut just above an eye (dormant bud).
• Weeping roses can be left slightly longer.
• Leave the main branches of climbing roses intact but cut the side branches back to the fifth eye. To rejuvenate an old climbing rose, remove one of the old main branches completely at the base of the plant.
• Old privet hedges that need rejuvenating can be pruned now. Use a lopper for this. Leave only the strong main branches, cutting back to a length of 50 - 100 cm.
• Cut back loose hanging ivy branches and remove any branches that have attached themselves to wooden window frames or guttering.
• Cut late flowering clematis right back to the ground. Snails and slugs love the new shoots, so keep an eye out for them.
• Lavender and heather can be cut back using hedge clippers, but make sure you never cut them back to the bare wood.

NEWS FLASH!!!!! Potato shortage.......prices could rise due to a unsuccessful growing year for potato's   The wet weather of 2012 may create a bad crop of the nations favorite vegetable.
Its time to consider 'GROW YOUR OWN'

There is nothing like digging up your own home grown food and serving them to friends and family. Those with young families can have a lot of family time and fun growing food. Children can get involved and understand the value of food while getting their hands dirty. (anything to get them outside and off the computer console).

Potato planting tips:
Once you have bought you seed potato s spread them out or put them in old egg box trays and keep them in a light, cool, frost free area - a porch or garage is ideal. This is called 'Chitting' and encourages the seed potato's to sprout before planting. This should be done 6 weeks before planting out the potato's. Aim for March depending on the weather. The 'Chits' should be short and stubby by the time you plant, avoid the long white ones.

Good luck.......and don't forget water - www.blueskieswatersystems.co.uk  

Dripline irrigation okay to use during ban.

Fantastic News!

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and Waterwise are delighted to announce that agreement has been reached with Thames, Anglian, Southern and South East water companies to allow gardeners to use drip irrigation during periods of water restrictions. Veolia Central and Veolia South East, Sutton and East Surrey have not yet announced whether drip watering will be exempt.

JUST A QUICK REMINDER - MAKE SURE YOUR AUTOMATIC TIMER IS DISCONNECTED FROM THE TAP AND PUT INSIDE AWAY FROM THE FROST.

- THIS INCLUDES TAP ADAPTERS

OH AND HAPPY SLEDGING

We have further improved the tap safe by incorporating an integral lock

(so its no longer necessary to purchase a padlock).

The new model replaces the existing model and our Website will be updated with images of the new tap safe in the next few weeks.

Why Let your Garden Dry Out

Why Let your Garden Dry Out – When a Low-Cost Water Irrigation System can Cost Less than £60

Although water irrigation systems are widely used overseas UK gardeners and landscapers have taken a little longer to discover the many benefits they offer. With the arrival of a number of new low-cost and efficient systems designed for DIY installation, irrigation systems are now set to become a great way to save time, energy and money in the garden.

Blue Skies Water Systems is one the country's leading suppliers of water irrigation systems and has seen a marked uptake in systems over the past year from both the DIY market and professional landscapers alike. In the past there has been a common misconception that irrigation is an expensive luxury but today there are kits available for under £60. With a battery operated timer the unit is perfectly safe and suitable for gardens where children and pets will play. Being fully automatic, the system takes care of watering the lawn, plants and shrubs at the same time every day without the need for a gardener's involvement, nor favours from neighbours while away on holiday.

Blue Skies Water Systems provide a full range of irrigation systems including micro-irrigation for borders, flowerbeds, greenhouses and vegetable gardens, and drippers for hanging baskets, tubs and flower pots. Also available are pop-up sprinklers and free standing water sprinklers for lawns.

Micro irrigation systems drip-irrigate only where it is needed, such as the rootball of a plant. This also means that weeds are not watered at all. By setting the timer to water at night, water evaporation decreases by up to 70%, thereby saving a considerable amount on your water bill.

Apart from the time and money saved by installing an irrigation system, another important bonus is that by watering regularly and evenly plants are encouraged to grow healthily and bigger – in fact, plants can grow up to 49% faster and with up to 84% higher yields.

All systems are easily connected to an outdoor tap and are expandable should you decide to increase the size of your garden.

Blue Skies Water Systems have also recently introduced a range of water butts which are designed to be entirely compatible with their irrigation products as well as a number of solar irrigation systems which use natural daylight to pump water around the garden from a water butt.

To find out more about the benefits of water irrigation and view a full range of products now available visit the Blue Skies Water Systems website at www.blueskieswatersystems.co.uk.

Ends/...

Media Contact

Alex Brown

Telephone: 01628 472577

Email: sales@blueskieswatersytems.co.uk