Roof rainwater for your garden — non-potable, ornamental garden and lawn use
Practical rain barrel guides for your garden — non-potable, ornamental garden and lawn use only.
Rain Barrel for a Small Balcony or Patio The best rain barrel for a small balcony or patio is a slim 25 to 35-gallon upright barrel. It holds enough water for pots and a few ornamental beds, fits in a corner without blocking the door, and weighs 200 to 290 pounds when full — heavy, […]
Linking two rain barrels together doubles your storage from 55 to 110 gallons, and it is the cheapest way to get more water without buying a bigger tank. Place the barrels side by side on level ground, connect them near the top with a short hose or pipe, and put the overflow on the last […]
You can install a rain barrel in one weekend afternoon for under $100, with basic hand tools and no plumbing experience. Pick a downspout, raise the barrel on a level stand, cut the downspout, fit a diverter, add spigot and overflow hose, then fill it and check for leaks. Plan on two to three hours, […]
A working rain barrel setup has four parts: a level stand, a spigot near the bottom, an overflow near the top, and a diverter in the downspout. Get those four right and a 55-gallon barrel will fill itself in the rain, give you water at the spigot with gravity pressure, and send the extra water […]
A first flush diverter should hold about 10 gallons for every 1,000 square feet of roof that drains into your barrel. That is the standard rule of thumb, and it is enough to send the dirtiest first water of a storm away from the barrel while keeping almost all of the storm for watering. For […]