When we first arrived at Eagle Lodge, we had a clear vision: to create a garden and nursery that not only flourished but also worked in harmony with nature. Sustainability wasn’t just a buzzword – it was a guiding principle. And at the heart of that commitment is water.

Water is precious, and every drop counts. The average person in the UK uses around 140 litres of water every day – that’s over 500 litres a day for a family of four. With numbers like that, we knew we wanted to reduce our reliance on mains water and use what nature provides. That’s why we’ve designed three different ways to harvest and reuse rainwater, helping our plants thrive naturally while conserving resources.

A Giant Rainwater Tank (and an Unexpected Journey)

Behind the glasshouse stands an impressive sight: a 100,000-litre rainwater tank. It quietly collects every drop of rain that falls on the glasshouse roof, storing it safely to feed the nursery’s irrigation system. During the hottest months, it even supplies water to the front garden, keeping it lush and green without tapping into the mains.

To put it in perspective, a typical UK roof (around 100 square metres) can collect up to 65,000 litres of rainwater a year – so our tank ensures we’re capturing and storing every precious drop that falls.

However, getting the tank into place was no mean feat – and it has become one of our favourite stories to tell. Once we settled in at Eagle Lodge, we realised there was no way to bring a tank through the garden as the property is completely enclosed by hedges.

Thankfully, our friendly farmer neighbour stepped in to help. Together, we rolled the tank through his field, carefully navigated it down into the dyke, and then floated it along the water to its final resting place. Hoisting it up into position took teamwork, patience, and a fair bit of laughter. Seeing it finally settled felt like a true milestone – a symbol of our commitment to sustainable gardening.

Photos below capture the journey – it’s not every day you see a giant rainwater tank floating down a dyke!

Rainwater for the pond

Our efforts didn’t stop at the nursery as we also wanted to ensure our pond would stay full without having to rely on tap water. Rainwater from the house roof is now cleverly channelled through a water arch, feeding directly into the pond. It’s a simple system, but it means we never have to top it up with mains water – keeping things natural while conserving resources.

 Smarter Watering with Flood Benches

Throughout the nursery, the plants are grown on flood benches – clever platforms that catch and hold water underneath the plants. Instead of precious rainwater soaking away into the soil and being lost, these benches collect it in trays so it can be reused whenever it’s needed, especially during dry spells.

This approach means that we waste a lot less water than previously while also ensuring every plant gets exactly what it needs. In fact, using flood benches can significantly reduce water waste by allowing irrigation water to be recycled – a simple yet effective way to keep plants hydrated without draining resources.

Generating Our Own Power with Solar Panels

Water isn’t the only natural resource we’re harnessing here at Eagle Lodge. We’ve also installed eight solar panels on the house roof, which enable us to generate our own electricity and further reduce our carbon footprint.

In the UK, a typical solar panel can generate between 320–400 kWh of electricity a year, helping cover a substantial portion of household energy use. We’re already planning to install more panels later this year, with the aim of producing enough power to heat the glasshouse during the colder months to keep our plants snug and as healthy as possible, even in winter.

Cleaner, Greener Heating

Alongside generating our own electricity, we’ve also replaced the old oil heating system with an air source heat pump. Not only has this reduced our reliance on fossil fuels, but it’s also made for a much cleaner, healthier living environment.

Switching to an air source heat pump can save up to 2,900 kg of CO₂ per year – that’s the equivalent of avoiding an annual round-trip flight from Cardiff to Vancouver! And with no more oil deliveries, we’ve cut down on transport emissions too.

Every step we’ve taken at Eagle Lodge is about finding balance – we now have beautiful gardens, healthy plants, and a lighter footprint on the planet. We’ve learned that sustainability doesn’t have to mean sacrifice; we just need to be creative, thoughtful, and willing to work with nature’s rhythms.

And while floating a giant rainwater tank down a dyke might not be in everyone’s garden plan, it’s a perfect example of how a little teamwork and a lot of determination can make even the wildest ideas possible.

Next time you visit, be sure to ask about the tank’s journey – it’s a story we never tire of sharing!