Even with the last few days of rain, watching your Native Plantings and Bird Attracting shrubs wither in the last few weeks been gettingyu down? Feeling a little guilty watering the veggie garden? A rain barrel could help. Rain barrels collect a terrific amount of water from your roof in a very short amount of time. Making a rain barrel doesn't get much easier or cheaper than this. HGTV created a rain barrel tutorial that takes less than 5 minutes to review. Capturing water over the square feet of your roof is a great way to reserve your own supply of H2O for when the weather gets dry.
They even post parts numbers from Lowes. Where to get the barrel? Try your local car wash, large scale laundry facility, olive packer (especially if you are in Brooklyn), google, ebay ( going price $15), craigslist, WasteMatch.org. Any group that has liquid stuff delivered to them in 55 gallon quantities is a good bet.
If you manage to get the barrel for free the total cost of the parts is around $20. Way less than the cost of a new butterfly bush or all those bedding plants. Making a rain barrel can help you keep a lush garden through dry times and protect our aquifers..
