Rainwater can be used in the greenhouse, in the garden, in the washing machine and for toilet flush.

When it is raining during the summer, it is better to utilise the opportunity for free water from the sky than grumbling over the large amount of rain that you cannot do anything about.

Rainwater can be used in a washing machine or as a toilet flush, or even in the garden for irrigation. One toilet flush cost approximately one shilling, so if you are a family of four who flushes a couple of times every day it mounts up. A wash is approximately 24 pennies so you can also save some there. A fully equipped rainwater butt of 5000 litres is around 4.800 pounds, so you can calculate if it pays for your family. For most families, the cost of a rainwater butt is recovered within 8 years.

 

Be careful with the tomatoes

In the garden, you can easily use a couple of thousands of litres when irrigating. Here a rainwater butt would benefit a lot. In the greenhouse, it is almost a must. Be careful if only irrigating tomatoes with rainwater as they can get bottom end rot. If your tomatoes have bottom end rot the solution is to irrigate with tap water every other time. The problem is worse when growing in a closed system rather than directly into the ground.

Beauty the garden with a rain garden

In principle, a rain garden is a depression in the garden which can detain rainwater and let it slowly soak into the ground. Lulu Jacobsen has for many years worked with rainwater issues in Denmark. She suggests, either planting grass, flowers or bushes in the rain garden or fill the depression with beautiful stones or other water vapour permeable materials.

It is a good idea to combine the rain garden with a fascine or a spillway from a sewer, so excess water can slope off. A fascine is a solution in itself, but it is not as beautiful as a rain garden. A fascine is a cavern under the ground which can collect water and slowly let it soak into the ground.

 

Flowers on the roof

As another rainwater solution, Lulu Jacobsen suggests laying a flowering roof on the house, garage or shed.

Plant roofs with moss, different kinds of stonecrop, grass or other beautiful plants absorb half of the rain, says Lulu Jacobsen.

A plant roof lasts for approximately 50 years and is practically maintenance-free. Many manufacturers offer complete mats with short drought-tolerant plants that can be put directly on the roof.

 

You can also collect water in a barrel or a bigger tank. The rainwater can be used to irrigate the garden, wash the car or similar, then you avoid using expensive tap water.