Lemony | Solaris | Bags | Hydra

Hydra was born under the sign of Aquarius, during a 100-year flash flood. 'Bags' remembers there being water everywhere, which Lemony recalls calmed her into a meditative aquatic state of being.

Hydra has a natural affinity and respect for water. She likes to count the waves at the beach and test the salinity with her mobile lab kit which she got for Christmas. Lemony thinks she is very clever and encourages her interest in her chemistry experiments, but was less impressed when she took a swab from the sleeping 'Bags's' mouth to test his salinity after he swore it was not him who ate the last packet of chips.

Hydra is the resident water regulator who polices its consumption and distribution in the Sustainables household. She has acute hearing and can hear a leaking tap three rooms away. Last year she won the washer replacement race in the Green Plumbers Olympics open section in 30 seconds flat. A retired plumber watching remarked to 'Bags' he couldn't recall ever seeing such elegant ratchet action. Around her neck she proudly wears the "no water dropped" first prize pearl.

Most household showers are timed by Hydra, who sits outside the mains with her stopwatch and wrench, ready to halt the supply at four minutes flat. Lemony says whilst leaving hair conditioner in keeps your hair soft and silky, it would only take one more minute to rinse it off. Hydra reminds her Mum that you only have to wash your hair once a week anyway, and you can save time on the other days and add it to your rinsing time. Lemony does see the sense in that and admires her daughter's passion and commitment.

Though Lemony boasts about her daughter's beautiful hair which she calls the flowing cascades of hydra falls, she does wish she would sometimes wear a dress. Hydra sees no need for such impractical attire, especially when she is so often in the garden. With the help of Bags they have replaced the perennials with hard wearing natives that do not need to be watered. Lemony has since come to love her native garden especially as it brings the local birdlife to her door, although it was a bit of a shock when a little willy wag tail nicked a tuft from her blonde bouffant. She was quite chuffed though, when the little willy himself, set up the nest in view. So chuffed that she thought it only polite to offer him more.