With a housing boom taking place in America today, landscaping is one of the first things on everyone’s mind. How do I make my garden grow to increase property value? Everyone knows that a nicely landscaped yard makes a better looking home.
But with unpredictable weather, various regions of the U.S. have experienced droughts and lower rainfall averages. And with our various natural resources becoming in higher demand, water could be next.
Fresh Water Prediction
This is true especially when you take into account the fact that out of all the water in the world, only 3% is actually fresh water. With humans already consuming 54% of our reusable water sources, many are concerned about where our future drinking water will come from. It is predicted that by 2025, it will grow to be consumed at 70%.
Not only because of water conservation reasons are people concerned, but also for the sake of our pocketbooks. Rising gas prices have made it a necessity to find other places to cut our bills. We simply can’t afford another expensive utility like our gas and electricity bills have already become.
The Old Way
When drinking water is in question, watering our yards seems wasteful. But it doesn’t have to be. People are beginning to look backwards to find a solution. To save our water and our wallets, many are starting to use rain barrels again. As many as 2,000 years ago, history has seen rainwater being collected in similar ways around the world. Even clay pots were used in Thailand to catch the rain.
How To
Clay pots are not what they are using today, but close. They can be purchased online today. Some are made of plastic, and some barrels are made of wood. The wooden ones are reminiscent of the old west or of the vineyards in Italy. While the plastic barrels are made ready to water, the wooden ones have to be modified to mimic their plastic counterparts.
They put a fitting on top to allow the rainwater in from a gutter downspout. And they add a spigot on the bottom that can connect to a soaker hose. A soaker hose is recommended for these, since there are no extra parts to create water pressure for sprinklers and such. It is the gravity that provides the water pressure, which is just enough to make the soaker hoses work really well. And when using a wooden barrel, it is also necessary to set it on blocks to keep the barrel from rotting on the bottom. It is then mounted to the down spout with a plastic diverter, so when the barrel is full, the extra rainwater will be diverted back into lower section of the downspout, which will then flow out the rest of the way down the gutter. After securing all the parts, a soaker hose is connected to the barrel and you are ready to water your landscaping.
Amazing Results
A rain barrel is a simple answer to watering yards and landscaping. Just one inch of rain on a 1000 square foot roof can produce 600 gallons of water!
By harvesting this water, and keeping it in these barrels, an amazing amount of water can be saved. Our yards can be greener, and it will keep a little extra green in your pocket, just by using what comes naturally to us all.
