I'd complained to my husband that the effort of manually watering the slope at the back of our property was taking a toll on my bad knee (in addition to being a pain in the neck). Unfortunately, terracing the slope and laying a new drip irrigation system isn't in the budget.
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| I used a hose connected to an outlet next to the mimosa tree 15+ feet above, woven through a thicket of honeysuckle and ivy, to water the slope |
Before I knew it, he was at work on a budget-friendly solution. He uncovered an existing sprinkler system below the hedge that runs along the inside of our property line. While that line delivered some water to the hedge, it wasn't constructed to water the beds I'd created along the slope last year (described in one of my first blog posts). He dug a long trench in hard, uneven, rocky soil and laid new pipe.
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| New sprinkler line |
He capped the old sprinkler heads and installed new sprinklers that will water both the hedge and my beds. Yay!
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| New sprinkler system in action |
The sprinklers aren't beautiful but they're practical. Now I can focus on the plants along the slope rather than the time-consuming task of watering the space. My husband may not be one for grand romantic gestures but he comes through where it really counts.
Good man! Who needs romantic gestures? I'd rather have sprinklers too.
ReplyDeleteWell, an occasional romantic gesture would be nice...But I married a scientist so I knew I was getting a problem-solver and not a poet.
DeleteGood guy!
ReplyDeleteHe is!
DeleteRomance comes in different ways and forms! Fab!
ReplyDeleteIt does indeed!
DeleteI was wondering why you didn't plant with plants that didn't need irrigating? Sprinklers aren't really the best option for most plants as so much water is lost through evaporation, and unless you really soak the roots and the soil all you do is encourage the roots to stay near the surface and not grow down to search for water deeper down.
ReplyDeleteI selected drought tolerant plants for the area but I know I need to go further and transition to plants that will survive with no summer water. However, I need some form of irrigation to allow root systems time to develop and a drip system wasn't a practical alternative in the short-term. We get very little rain even in winter - just about 12 inches in total last year by one estimate.
DeleteListen, maybe I can cut a deal with the mister??? I know if I try to replace some of the sprinklers here Murphy is the guy who's showing up.
ReplyDeleteI don't think so, Eric. He doesn't even travel to the Valley voluntarily.
ReplyDeleteShucks! Back to the YouTube tutorials I suppose.
ReplyDeleteWhat a mensch!
ReplyDelete