Rain Barrels

For the last several years here in Georgia we have suffered from drought. Not a light drought, but a drought that has caused water restrictions and arguments between states about water usage and water rights and fear about where the next drop is coming from. This has made conservation, always at the top of my family's list, an even more crucial thing when it comes to our garden. And as much as we try to be conservationists, we also live on a BUDGET. Not budget, you understand, but BUDGET. We looked into rain barrels available at hardware stores, available through community organizations, and realized the average price tag for a decent size one is in the $120 range. Not to be overly 1990s or anything, but NOT.

So my ever-inventive husband decided to build his own. We got a cast-off laundry soap barrel for free, and about $5 worth of supplies from the hardware store. Ah, $5. Now that fits in the BUDGET.


Should you decide you would like your own rain barrel, a few hints:
1.) You need to clean it out REALLY REALLY good. Otherwise, you'll have soapy water.
2.) Use a quality sealant for the hole around the spout.
3.) Make sure your mesh is strong enough to withstand whatever might fall on it-- small tree limbs and the like.



All in all, the rain barrel took him about 30 minutes to assemble.

Its brilliant blue plastic beauty allows us to water our veggies and flowers, regardless of any drought restrictions.