one final thing........

What is the last job you do when you leave your garden? I'm talking about a job, because I guess we all give our gardens 'a good coat of looking at' as they say.

My final job is an important one in readiness for the next day - I fill my watering cans. I do try and use rainwater collected in waterbutts, but have to resort to tap water as well.

Now tap water is good. I drink it all the time, but it's not quite good enough for my plants!

You see, it's too cold for one thing. I never gave my small children cold showers and I don't intend to do the same with my young plants. By drawing a watering can of water and letting it stand until next day, the water gently rises in temperature. Tomorrow those plants will have a lovely warm drink. There'll be no ice cold deluge that shocks the plants and stops growth.

But there's more. Our drinking water has chemicals added to it to make it drinkable. They are dissolved into the water and may not be what your young plants want. Even your dogs tooth violets don't need fluoride! So, I let the water stand for as long as I can, so that the impurities can dissipate into the air.

Next day, the water will be just right.