Catching Rain

This weekend’s yard project was putting in a rain barrel. Yesterday we went to a Green Festival in Smithville, and one of the exhibitors was selling them, Green MoJo. They’re made from barrels retired from shipping food around the world. Ellen thought it was a good idea to conserve water for the garden, so we bought one and brought it home. Today I went to Home Depot and bought the concrete patio blocks to stand it on, and a short hose to attach to the overflow at the top. I cut the gutter and attached the provided flexible plastic gutter extender, then routed the outflow hose into the remaining lower part of the gutter. The opening at the top is covered by a screen to keep mosquitoes out, and once we have water in it, we’ll take it out using the faucet at the bottom. It’s not safe to drink, but should be fine for the plants. And if the power should go out for any length of time, we can use it for washing up in the house, too. We’re expecting rain tomorrow, so I’ll soon find out if my installation is a success.