Well it's like this, --The rabbits came... --The plots had to be totally fenced-in... --The gates could not be left open even when we were working because the rabbits would simp0ly come into the garden! --We had to lug great water cans over quite a distance and try and climb over the fence with them... --This gets to be a bit tiring after 60-80 trips, so finally the decision was made: Put a spigot on the plot between the flower and veggie plots on the old allotment. We conceived the idea sunday and wednsday morning it was a functioning reality. Of course I still have to replace the stepping stone pathway, but all the rest is done. The work: we had to dig a narrow 60-70cm trench from the place in the garden to where the water line ran. This means under the anti rabbit fence and under the main paved pathway. The 'waterman' didn't know exactly where the water line had been laid so that was a bit of a challenge. We just dug and dug and when we got to the neighbour man's garden we had toi stop. We had gone past where the waterman thought it would probably be. We called it a day, but my neighjbour man, Willem (71 years old) got down in that trench and started chipping away at the soil. We had started putting the tools away, As it was getting quite late and time to go home...when we heard Willem call out, "GOTTIT!" Unbelieveable. Well, I had found the ancient blue pole marking where the line should be and we were on line with it, and digging perpendicular to it's supposed traject. We just didn't dig quite far enough...another couple of inches, literally. Everyone (we had a crowd of interested peeps around) was elated!...so we got it prepared and planks over the ditch bisecting the sidewalk and sticks with flopping plastic bacg to warn folks. The following morning my partner and I were present and the waterman made the connection...and that was it, really. We filled in the deep trench and made a nice drainage pit with chards and gravel in and under a great plant pot donated by Willem. We paid the waterman and gave Willen a box of bon-bons for his contributions (which were great). He was grinning from ear to ear and offered to share the bon-bons with the tea afterwards. Here are a few pics now to show it. When I look at it, it doesn't convey all the hard work and difficulties that were involved somehow. Oh well, the faucet has been placed and will make watering certain necessary plants much easier. The trench running from the path, under the fence and to the spot selected to place the faucet. Stuff in the pathway. The finished thing. The trench has been filled. Cups available for the thirsty passer-by. Afterwards we all had tea and bikkies...even the Libelle was welcome.
Congratulations on your water source, well done! It looks like a lot of hard work to me, I must confess.
What a lot of hard work that was and the results are fantastic but then you make everything on your lottie look fantastic. How appropriate that the dragonfly is sitting on the dragon cup.
Job well done. hubby put a new faucet in for me also closer to my greenhouse this spring. Now we can drag 2-3 water hoses where ever we want them to go. So I understand this will deffinatly make it alot easier for you as it does for me. Mine is very similiar to what you have. great job.
Job well done, and i bet a big relief not to haul all that water! And Willem the hero of the day, deserved those bon-bons.
I just love it when a plan comes together! I could feel the excitement as I read your story Deanna :-D
Fantastic!! All that hard work is definately going to make a BIG difference to you from now on. No more back aches and sore shoulders carrying all that water.
Lucky lucky you Sjoerd. Having piped water must be wonderful, I am very jealous. A lot of hard work but well well worth it.
yeah Biita--that Willem is the best neighbour a person could have. I just wanted to show the work that I did today--I re-paved the path and tiled a bit around the faucet so things wouldn't get muddy and messy. I know it dowan't look like there isn't a tile at the end of the path,m but that's because it's under dirt. I'leave some dirt on the tiles for a few days until it has been walked or rained into the cracks between the tiles. However, I am stuck with the gap up at the water point. I'm not sure what I will use to fill it. Sadly it's a wedge-shaped space..maybe gravel or wood chips. We'll discuss it. The walkway has been re-laid. The tiling around the faucet to keep things tidy and mudless.
I know about your water situation there on your lottie. It's a shame that the council won't do something about it. I doubt that we'd have this possibility either if we didn't own our own allotment complex.
Wow, I'm exausted and ready for a nap. Great job! It looks fantastic. And your so nice to give Willem the bon bons. I'm sure he did appreciate them. Pat yourself on the back!
Yes, he sure did. I heard him telling others about getting them. He's sort of funny that way--he likes such things. Actually I gave HIM a pat on the back-- he was the one who really deserved it, cos we could have wasted ages looking for that pipe if we had missed it. Heh heh heh.
Congrats on getting your water spigot Sjoerd! I still can't get over how black and rich your soil looks!
Nice walkway! You're really handy, but that must have taken ages to do. I'm glad old Willem was pleased. He's quite a character, isn't he? As for the gap, I guess you could cut the paving stones down to the right shape using an angle grinder? Everything on your lottie looks so neat.
