Make a Rain Barrel

Even though there is still a few feet of snow on the ground here in central Vermont, I know that soon spring will come - and when it does, the rain will start. We always get bucket loads of rain in April around here. For several years, I have wished that we had captured that rain in the spring to use in the gardens in the summer!

So, after a little looking around, I discovered a number of ways to make a rain barrel that won’t breed any more mosquitos than one needs and will keep us in water for a while.

Now, HGTV has a great DIY way to make a rain barrel that utilizes an existing gutter system.

But, since we don’t have gutters here at the farm, I’m going to have to improvise. I will probably use food grade 55-gallon barrels with wire mesh over the top to keep it filtered and keep animals and toys out of them. Then I will have to cover them after a good rain until the next time. Although I will install a spigot, as detailed in the HGTV article, so that I can attach a hose and get the water to different areas of the garden.

If the average homeowner uses 40 percent of their water consumption in the yard during the summer, than think of the savings - for both your wallet (if you pay for water) and the Earth. And for those of you with chlorinated water, the rain is much better for your plants. Because we have a dug well, there are dry times when I have to worry about whether or not I’ll get a shower - or can do laundry - so rain barrels will be a great back up source of water - as well as a way to take the pressure off the well for the yard.

I’m still waiting for the snow to melt, but I’ll post a few pics and let you know how it goes…