I finally completed the installation of Abimax magnetic water treatment devices to every part of the Roots and Shoots one acre of gardens, fruit trees, and kitchen garden crops. This green oasis is an independent, award-winning educational and environmental charity based in Kennington, South London. From a derelict site in 1982, it has grown to become a well-established and respected vocational training organisation with biodiverse wildlife gardens, offering a safe haven for both people and nature to flourish.
Roots & Shoots is an incredible and almost jaw-dropping project located just behind Waterloo Station, London’s busiest railway station. Although I had visited once before, I found it difficult to locate the garden on my second visit. How is it possible to lose a one-acre garden in the heart of London?
Well, that’s the secret to this horticultural sanctuary founded by Director Linda Phillips all those years ago. Linda is an extraordinary, dynamic, phenomenal superwoman who showed me around and pointed out where I could fit Abimax water conditioners. She was awarded an MBE in 2012 for her work with young people and communities at Roots and Shoots and became an RHS Associate of Honour in 2019 in recognition of her lifetime of distinguished service to horticulture.
Director Linda Phillios with James McDonald, Managing Partner at Abimax
Oh, she is also very modest because I found out she trained at Kew Gardens.
I asked Linda what inspired her to establish Roots & Shoots 43 years ago. She shared, "I wanted to create a sanctuary for nature in London. When I discovered a neglected one-acre site in central London, I set out to develop an environmentally focused, horticultural centre aimed at enriching biodiversity in the urban environment’’. Today, Roots & Shoots promotes urban gardening and accessible nature for everyone, with therapeutic green spaces that enhance the well-being of students, staff, volunteers, and community members."
Boosting Water Efficiency with Magnostream: Easy Fit, Real Results
After a quick tour of the gardens, Linda headed back to her office, leaving me to get to work installing the Abimax units. Once I tracked down the incoming mains pipe, I could tell straight away-thanks to its solid 35 mm diameter pipe, that this was a job for the Magnostream Pro. This robust, commercial-grade model is trusted by professional growers and homeowners alike to offer a chemical-free solution for limescale treatment. And it also called the ‘whole house system’ because it will fit any pipe size that carries mains water.
Magnostream Pro fitted on a 35 mm mains water pipe.
During the drier months, when every drop of water counts, magnetically treated water can make a real difference. With Magnostream, you’ll notice improved water efficiency that directly translates to lower consumption and reduced costs-all measurable right from your mains water meter.
My next task was to install four bright blue Magnostream ‘point-of-use’ devices on separate hosepipes around the gardens. It turned out to be a quick and straightforward job. The hose sizes weren’t all the same- ranging from 12 mm to 13.5 mm- but that didn’t pose any problems. I chose to secure each unit with screws, which are conveniently pre-drilled into the eco-friendly, ocean-recycled plastic housing at the factory. The best place to fit the devices are near at the top of each hose just below the tap and the Hozelok fitting.
One of the hoses was a soft, expandable model, and yes—Magnostream fits perfectly! We often get asked whether our device works on flexible, expanding hoses, and the answer is always the same: absolutely. Installation is simple, and the results speak for themselves.
Magnetic Water Meets Green Innovation at Roots & Shoots
Four Magnostream devices fitted on hoses
At Roots & Shoots, their impressive greenhouse became the next stop for a Magnostream installation. This clever device doesn’t just tackle limescale-it also supports healthier plant growth, making it a perfect match for their sustainability-focused setup. Greenhouse gardener Lucy is taking things a step further with a unique experiment: she’s testing magnetically treated water versus regular tap water to see the difference in plant performance firsthand.
For flexibility, I fitted another Magnostream unit on the hose near the greenhouse tap, this time using the magnetic clips instead of screws, so Lucy can easily switch between water modes whenever she needs.
Sparkling Results in the Kitchen with Magnostream
Abimax Magnostream connected to dishwasher cold water pipe
Magnetic water treatment has been trusted for decades to prevent hard water from leaving stubborn scale on pipes and clogging heating elements in kitchen appliances. So, when Linda asked me to install a blue Magnostream on the cold-water feed to the commercial dishwasher, it made perfect sense.
Now we’re eagerly waiting for feedback from the chef - especially to see if those glasses and dishes come out cleaner, clearer, and sparkling bright!
Roots and Shoots is a thriving educational and environmental charity, and key to the past 40 years’ success is the passionate support of generous and hardworking people in the local community and beyond. If you would like to donate, please visit this website https://www.rootsandshoots.org.uk/get-involved
Abimax is thrilled to support Roots & Shoots with hydromagnetic water conditioning, to find out more about our products visit website: www.abimax