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Nature
Switched On
in the Pyrenees the first 10 years |
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introduction
We still harvest the Jerusalem artichoke but now they are showing
the beginnings of their formidable stalks of the coming season. |
2010 February 19 to March 4
The Natterjack toads have started to croak,
cranes are massively flying over heading north and the first flowers
have started to bloom. Spring is almost here. The weather has
nevertheless been very wet and misty for the last weeks and the
Almond trees are not flowering yet. |
The first flower on the terrain: the tiny Veronica
polita in the vegetable garden. |
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| The solar
shower system inside the solar greenhouse. Looking east. 4 Mar 10:50 |
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The
solar greenhouse and
shower are practically finished. We have had our first showers and
it works like a dream. Here the details: |
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west corner I installed a workbench, converting the greenhouse into
a multifunctional space. 4 Mar 10:49 |
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smaller sized black tubes in the inner circles permit sharper bends. 4 Mar 11:36 |
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On the internet I haven't found any mentioning of a
solar shower installed inside a greenhouse, but I
can see only advantages: - the water in the tubes is warmed up before any sun rays hit them - the rubber tubes are protected from damaging UV sun rays - in summer excess heating is avoided by covering the roof with some shading material (probably reed) and by the vegetables growing on the table - the system acts as a temperature buffer against cold nights and hot summer days when frequent showers refresh the water and atmosphere. The main
temperature buffering in the solar greenhouse come The grey water from the shower is collected on a gravel bed with an EPDM liner and led outside to a kind of filter canal. |
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The shower plate of teak wood
with gravel and EPDM underneath. In the upper right corner are the inlet and outlet. 23 Feb 12:01 |
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This canal is set up relatively unsophisticated and straightforward
as we use biodegradable gels and shampoos and the treated water will
be used in the vegetable garden. The canal consists of a sloping
stretch of about 6 metres filled with rough rocks and sand of all
sizes which was left over
from the foundation of the garden house. These angular stones
offer nice growing possibilities for moss, algae and other 'dirt
eating' organisms. The EPDM liner (left over from the garden
house roof) is of course apt to suffer leaks from the rough rock but
as the water is flowing downward losses will be minimal.
The canal comes out into a small pond lined with smooth river stones
to protect the underlying EPDM. This pond can hold about 500 litres
and then the water flows over via two roof tiles and can be
used in a couple of different ways: perhaps I will create another,
bigger pond, or a system of irrigation canals through the vegetable
garden or I'll just work with garden hoses and watering cans.
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The exterior of the greenhouse is far from beautiful and forms a real challenge for
creating something more pleasing with plaster and vines. 1 Mar 13:18 |
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| Blanca
inspecting the level of the pond. Looking east. 28 Feb 16:45 |
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Pond overflow. The water is still dirty from sand, clay and
some showers but would quickly clear up. |
Pond lined with EPDM and river
stones and pebbles. Looking west. 4 Mar 11:27 |
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I was doubting as to put soil into the new pond. With soil you
introduce nutrients which you pretend to eliminate from the
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The second, lower pond with
crystal clear (rain) water, few water plants but many water animals:
now especially snails and backswimmers. 4 Mar 13:08 |
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introduction
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