My flower garden -- growing from "warm up water!"

[K8-EEE]

that's the cold shower water that goes into the bucket while we wait for it to get warm? Between all of us, the "caught" water was used on these delphiniums & foxgloves:



Everybody who gardens in a hot climate -- it's amazing what you can do with water that would otherwise go down the drain! :hi:

[Blue Gardener]

1. You're flowers are beautiful

We haven't had a drought here in Iowa for quite a few years (quite the opposite actually). If we do have one, I'll be "recycling" a lot more water.

[K8-EEE]

2. We are in perpetual drought unfortunately

I have watering cans in every sink in the house - we wash our hands over watering cans, do the dishes over watering cans. I even "steal" water from the washing machine before the final rinse!

[elleng]

3. What a nice idea!

(And necessary, too!)

[JDPriestly]

4. I use warm-up water and vegetable rinse water.

I wish I could filter some of the other dish- and bathwater to use, but the filtering process sounds very complicated. I think you have to have permits -- and I'm not sure I could get them in L.A.

[K8-EEE]

6. I use dish water and also rinse water from the laundry!

It's EZ although you would have to have a top-loader I guess? I put the clothes on soak which is a 20 minute cycle, and before the wash cycle comes on I take a pitcher and fill a 5 gallon bucket with it. This goes into my agapanthas & nasturtium beds, soap and all (I use trader joe's bio degradable laundry soap, no bleach or softener.)

The plants love the soapy water!

In the kitchen sink, you can keep a watering can (I like the IKEA ones with open tops and the handles on the side) and catch all the water from rinsing out wine glasses, coffee mugs, water glasses or whatever. That is my geranium water!

[JDPriestly]

5. Question: I often read tips on how to start plants early in cold weather,

but does anyone have any tips on how to protect plants from the heat. It really gets hot and dry here in L.A. in the summer.

[K8-EEE]

7. These will be goners by end of July

I have heat tolerant flower beds (zinnias, marigolds, blue salvia, coreopsis etc.) that get the warm-up water in the summer!

For my veggies on very hot days I do hang shade cloth in the middle of the day over the veggie beds, so they only get the morning & afternoon sun. I mean on very very hot days, like 110 or if it's unseasonably hot in May (like last week!.) If well established the veggies can usually handle anything up to 100.