The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge.
We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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June 12, 2020
Pacific Northwest
Still not going far from my house, but today I can take all ye bucketeers out to my driveway to see some nature. Our three water catchment tanks live there, now hidden by wild vegetation.
We put in the catchment system in 2006 once the rotting roof shakes were replaced with metal roofing. Mr O dug spots for the tanks to sit securely and trenches for the water lines that carry rainwater from the downspouts into the tanks via a filtered sump, and back into the house. In our daylight basement he set up the pressure tank, pump, filters and electrical stuff so potable water feeds into the household plumbing. Because our climate has a long summer drought season, we’d run out before the rain comes again in October, so we switch over to well water for these next few months. The catchment water in summer is saved for gardening, drinking water and the monthly hot tub refills — it’s accessed directly from a faucet by the filters and another outside. Well water is potable but extremely hard and tastes awful. In fall, winter and spring, the tanks provide for all our water needs.
At the time, the 2500-gallon black plastic tanks stuck out conspicuously. I planted several shrublings in front of them, hoping they’d grow up to disguise the tanks. Fourteen years later, the tanks are well hidden, although not exactly as I’d foreseen.
Only one of the shrublets survived, the Red Osier Dogwood. But this native wetland plant took off, enjoying the spot which is where all groundwater runs downhill through our property. Red Osier Dogwood is also called Redtwig Dogwood for the bright red stems that form a big thicket in winter after the leaves fall, very pretty. The berries are green but I see them only briefly — birds love them. The flowers are sweetly fragrant. Evidently this plant suckers, so not only is it way taller than the tanks, it’s all spread sideways both directions to cover the first and second tanks. An unexpected but terrific outcome.
Over the second and third tanks is native Nootka rose, which was cleared originally to install the tanks. This wild rose grows readily in our rainshadowed county from rhizomes and will take over any sunny spot (although Snowberry and Salmonberry compete well in slightly shadier spots).
Bramble is growing up and over the third tank too. This is the nonnative Himalayan blackberry, currently beginning to blossom.
So the tanks have faded into the mass of shrubbery, which is what we wanted. The planted dogwood took well, and the rest of the thicket rebounded from what was already there. In the Pacific Northwest, greenery tends to do that.
Want to see the BEFORE picture?
Here’s what this spot looked like 14 years ago:
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Rained all day yesterday, 0.60” in the rain gauge, which means 6 more inches in the tanks! The photo above with the arrow was taken in late afternoon, so it includes most of that half a foot. Cloudy today.
What’s up in nature in your area today?
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